Apple Considering Intel Chips, WSJ Reports
TMO Reports - Apple Considering Intel Chips, WSJ Reports
by , 5:30 AM EDT, May 23rd, 2005
Apple Computer has held talks with Intel Corp. to possibly use its chips in future models of Macintosh computers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Neither company would confirm the report, but one source said the announcement could come at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference, set to begin June 6 in San Francisco.
The report, citing two industry executives with knowledge of recent discussions between the companies, said Apple will agree to use Intel Pentium processors, but gave no further details.
"Talks between Apple and Intel could founder, as they have before, or Apple could be engaging in negotiations with Intel to gain leverage over IBM," the WSJ report said.
It is not known if Apple would use Intel processors together with the Power PC processor, made by IBM, or if the deal with be a dramatic shift entirely to Intel chips.
"Using Intel chips also makes it at least theoretically possible that users could install Windows on Macintosh systems, though it is not clear that Apple will support software other than its Mac OS X operating system," the report said.
One of the two industry executives said Apple isn't likely to market OS X for other PCs. "Instead, the company is likely to package its modified software with its own Intel-based hardware, though it is not clear how the company will prevent users from shifting the software to other machines," the executive told the respected financial daily.
An Apple spokeswoman called the report "rumor and speculation", but did not outright deny it. Apple's "rumor" comment is something it usually only uses when it refers to Mac rumor sites, many of which it has taken legal action against in recent months.
A move to Intel chips, either completely or only in certain situations, could allow Apple to be more competitive in a market where it has been unable to match lower priced Windows-based PCs. Only recently has Apple started to compete in the sub-US$500 PC market, with the announcement in January of its $499 Mac mini.
Rumors of Apple using Intel chips in its computers have long been a subject of speculation. Published reports say Apple toyed with the idea of a Intel-based Mac back in 1992, but chose not to release it. In the past four years, Apple has been working on a version of Mac OS X that would work with Intel processors, sources have confirmed.
Recent TMO Headlines - Updated August 16th
- Tue, 1:55 PM
- UI Student Shows How iOS 16 Could Handle Notifications on the Lock Screen
- Tue, 1:30 PM
- Telegram Forced to Remove Animated Emoji to Get Update Approved
- Tue, 1:03 PM
- Apple Asking Employees To Return to Office Work Three Days a Week Starting Sept. 5
- Tue, 11:52 AM
- Apple Lays Off 100 Contract-Based Recruiters Due to Current Business Needs
- Tue, 11:44 AM
- Australian Tribunal Orders Apple to Repair a MacBook Pro with FlexGate Issue
- Mon, 5:09 PM
- Apple May Fire Engineer Who Contributed to Viral TikTok PSA
- Mon, 4:20 PM
- Apple Seeds Sixth Developer Betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 Along With Fourth Public Betas
- Mon, 3:51 PM
- Apple TV+ Wins Big with 'Severance' and 'Ted Lasso' at Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards
- Mon, 3:05 PM
- Apple TV+ Goes Scientific for New Brie Larson Drama 'Lessons in Chemistry'
- Mon, 2:42 PM
- China Heatwave Could Affect iPad Production
- Mon, 2:32 PM
- IK Multimedia Introduces AmpliTube TONEX, A New Ecosystem for Guitar Amp Modulation
- Mon, 1:26 PM
- Update Zoom On Your Mac Now: Vulnerability Could Give Attacker Full Access to Your Computer