Intel Chips Will Get Apple to the Next Level, Jobs Tells CNBC

by , 2:50 PM EDT, June 6th, 2005

Saying it is not as big an announcement as many are calling it, Apple Computer co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs told CNBC Monday, its decision to switch to Intel's microprocessors over the next two years will "get us to where we want to be to build the kind of future products we want."

"It's not as dramatic as you're characterizing it," Mr. Jobs told anchor Ron Insana in describing Monday's announcement. But the dynamic executive couldn't deny that the decision will take time for Apple, its customers and developers to grasp.

"As we look out into the future, where we want to go is maybe a little bit different," he said. "We can envision some awesome products that we want to build for our customers in the next few years, and as we look out a year or two into the future, Intel's processor roadmap really aligns with where we really want to go much more than any other."

Mr. Jobs says Apple has another good year of Power PC-based Macs to come and that the switch will be a more "gradual transition," constantly moving his right hand in a waving motion from side to side. "Hopefully meeting with our developers a year from today, we'll have some Intel-based Macs in the marketplace. But it's going to take maybe a two-year transition."

Mr. Jobs was asked to describe how well the company is doing in Mac and iPod sales for the current quarter, but refused to give any specifics saying the company doesn't divulge results between quarterly reports.

In actual fact, Apple's decision not to discuss its preliminary results is a decision the company has made on its own and is not part of any federally mandated rule, or so-called 'quiet period', that prevents the company from commenting.

Mr. Jobs confirmed the company has now sold some 430 million songs through its online iTunes Music Store (iTMS) at the rate of over half a billion a year.

"This is something that a lot of people thought couldn't be done," Mr. Jobs said.

Mr. Jobs said he's "anxiously awaiting" results from Yahoo and its recently introduced subscription music service, but that iTMS and its marketshare continues to go up.