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TMO Reports - Analyst: Apple Sending Message to IBM With Intel Talks

by , 7:00 AM EDT, May 24th, 2005

News that Apple Computer has held talks with Intel Corp. to possibly use its chips in future models of Macintosh computers is a tactic to put pressure on the manufacturer of the PowerPC processor, IBM, a leading industry analyst believes.

Kevin Krewell, editor-in-chief of industry newsletter Microprocessor Report, believes Apple is trying to send a message to IBM that it should be its highest priority when it comes to the Power PC processor.

"'This news came out the week after the E3 games Expo in Los Angeles, where IBM was very much in the center of all the talk as a number of major companies, including Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, announced they'll be using the Power PC processor in new models of their gaming consoles," Mr. Krewell said. "Apple maybe feeling that they're not getting enough attention paid to them and they also want IBM to concentrate more on a low-power version of the G5 processor for Apple's notebook PCs.

Mr. Krewell is convinced the leaking of the report by the Wall Street Journal was no accident.

"There definitely is a part of this that is pressure that Apple is applying to IBM," he said. "It is very unusual for this type of information to leak out of Apple."

The WSJ cited two industry executives Monday who confirmed talks have been on-going between Intel and Apple. 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.

An Apple spokeswoman called the report "rumor and speculation", but did not outright deny it.

Observer Comments

Show: Subjects Only | Full Comments
View Name:Guest
Subject: Could it be a two-tier strategy?
View Name:RealityCheck -   Troll Posts: 392 Joined: 06 May 2004
Subject: It's Not A Message - You're Getting An Intel Inside
Close Name:fultonkbd Posts: 121 Joined: 02 Mar 2004
Subject: Bow down

Quote
RealityCheck wrote:
…as long as an Apple logo is affixed to the box.


You are correct. We must bow down to Apple they are the rulers of all the land. Don't fight, don't resist. Intel and Microsoft won't lead the resistance against the mighty power of Apple. They are too small and insignificant and soon will be crushed by the wheels of the Mac machine!!!!!!!



View Name:Guest
Subject: It's for Windows, not OSX!
View Name:Guest
Subject: Consensus
Close Name:Al Swearengen Posts: 339 Joined: 10 May 2005
Subject: Even the talking heads

Even the local TV news are talking about this. Interesting how they have inside information and are reporting that Apple is replacing the CPU. Of course they don't have any inside info and only a few people know what is in the offing.

"Why, then, lead on. O, that a man might know
The end of this day's business ere it come!
But it sufficeth that the day will end,
And then the end is known. Come, ho! away!"

Brutus

View Name:Guest
Subject: As long as I can avoid Windoze...I don't care.
Close Name:sdf Posts: 6 Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Subject: Intel PowerPC, x86 or other?

Wouldn't want to see a x86 or other little endian chip, but the idea of an Intel-manufactured PowerPC is intriguing. I wouldn't believe it until I see it, but I'm interested.

Close Name:sdf Posts: 6 Joined: 20 Jan 2005
Subject: Windows?

Quote
Guest wrote:
What's missing from that $3000 powermac you just bought? (good) Windows compatability! How do you solve it? With a cheap x86 co-processor. Then the mac can do windows in vm-ware like virtualization rather than in vpc like emulation --- much, much faster. I'm guessing Windows compatability mode would then work a lot like classic compatability mode.


Apple has been there and done that. Heck, my company even wrote updated drivers for it. Hardly anyone ever used it.

Close Name:Eric24601 Posts: 25 Joined: 04 Aug 2004
Subject: Intel Inside?

I asked a friend who works at Intel but he's all hush hush about it.
All he can say is "Think of multicore chips from Intel running multiple OSes simultaneously."

Close Name:Bookman Posts: 543 Joined: 22 Apr 2002
Subject: Re: It's for Windows, not OSX!

Quote
Anonymous wrote:
What's missing from that $3000 powermac you just bought? (good) Windows compatability! How do you solve it? With a cheap x86 co-processor. Then the mac can do windows in vm-ware like virtualization rather than in vpc like emulation --- much, much faster. I'm guessing Windows compatability mode would then work a lot like classic compatability mode.



Why would companies bother coding a Mac version of their software is Macs had Windows built in?

The whole idea is to get away from MS, not invite them to bed.

Close Name:Dean Lewis Posts: 156 Joined: 29 Sep 2001
Subject:

These reports of Apple going Intel come around every year. They always have some industry source backing them up. And the general press runs with it because they don't know any better.

IBM is not in trouble. Their PowerPC chips are being used in three upcoming game consoles which sell more than APple sells Macs. Versions of the chips are used by NASA and many other companies and organizations needing embedded processors. IBM is fine and would feel no pressure if this was some kind of Apple pressure tactic.

These anal-ysts need to sit on their hands before they type their stories. Well, unless they're writing for the humor pages. These stories are a riot!

(The idea some kind of chip to assist emulation could be included is interesting, but I'll believe Apple is going full Intel when it happens -- even if Steve Jobs himself came out and said so and didn't have a running computer system in his hand.)

View Name:Guest
Subject: 3.2 gigahertz chips in Sony's playstation
View Name:Guest
Subject: Fog ahead
View Name:Guest
Subject: Possibility
View Name:Guest
Subject: Re: Possibility
View Name:Guest
Subject: Re: You're getting an Intel inside
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject:
View Name:Guest
Subject: RC is a joke
Close Name:Biff Posts: 1479 Joined: 08 Apr 2004
Subject:

Quote
Eric24601 wrote:
I asked a friend who works at Intel but he's all hush hush about it.
All he can say is "Think of multicore chips from Intel running multiple OSes simultaneously."
Oh no not this again. Ugh. I'll head this one off at the pass. That's multiple instances of the same OS. Not a whole bunch of radically different OSes. It's an enterprise IT thing. If you don't understand the value of this, just don't worry about it. It has NOTHING to do with Windows and OS X running on the same machine at the same time.

View Name:Guest
Subject: attack of the killer apple
View Name:Guest
Subject:
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