This Week's Mac-on-Intel News
PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing news is covered
in The 'Book Review. General
Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is
covered in The iNews
Review.
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Tech Developments
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Looking Forward to Intel-Based Macs
The New Straits Times Ahmad Faiz says:
"On June 6, Steve Jobs confirmed speculation that Apple will
shift its Mac line gradually to Intel-based chips over the next two
years. The announcement was made during Jobs' keynote speech to Mac
programmers at the company's annual Worldwide Developer
Conference.
"Among the reasons cited was that the PowerPC roadmap was not
able to deliver enough performance at the low-power usages needed
for powerful notebooks; that PowerPCs would only deliver about a
fifth the performance per watt of comparable Intel chips.
"In hindsight, such a turn of events is to be expected,
considering that research and development (R&D) on
high-performance processors require heavy investments.
"With such a tiny market for Apple computers, IBM and Motorola
(now Freescale Semiconductor), which co-developed the PowerPC
architecture, could not hope to make the same kind of returns that
would justify the R&D spending made by an electronics giant
like Intel.
"Also, Apple had stopped comparing Mac benchmark performance
results with high-end Windows personal computers (PC) years ago
because it was evident that the PowerPC architecture was lagging
behind. So, in order to keep producing high-performance Macs, Apple
would have to adapt the Mac operating system (OS) to other than the
PowerPC, which it did."
Are PowerPC Macs Obsolete?
Roughly Drafted's Daniel Eran says:
"The comfortable Mac ecosystem seemed completely turned upside
down when Apple announced the Intel transition. All of a sudden, it
was not obvious how long the newest models would remain useful.
"The usual panic mongering press didn't help by suggesting that
the PowerPC was now trash, and its performance had actually had
been a lie all along, and that suddenly Apple woke up and realized
they should have jumped on the x86 bandwagon long ago.
"Of course, none of those things are true. Simply stated, there
is nothing obsolete about the PowerPC....
"It's a quandary as old as the personal computer: everyone is
afraid of buying obsolete computer technology, and yet everything
in the computer world becomes obsolete nearly as fast as you can
buy it. Making the best buying decision is simply a balance between
current needs, available spending budget, and the future outlook
for new products."
Some Mac Users Delaying Purchase until
Macintels Ship
The Register's Andrew Orlowski reports:
"A survey by Macworld magazine in the US indicates that one
third of readers are less likely to buy a new Mac computer in the
next twelve months. That's rather similar, but slightly more
encouraging for Apple than the feedback we received immediately
after the announcement that Apple would be moving off PowerPC
processors.
"Curiously, 13 per cent of readers surveyed said they were more
likely to buy an obsolete PPC-Mac in the next year. Whether this is
for rational reasons, and they fear a bumpy transition period (as
many of you do), or whether it's simply a pledge of fealty, isn't
clear from the published results."
[Editor's comment: I don't find this curious at all, and indeed
am surprised that the percentage in this category is so low. The
new Macintel machines will obsolete a lot of existing software,
won't support Classic Mode, and the first examples are bound to be
buggy. I think that as the practical realities sink in, more will
opt to buy one of the last PPC machines. I plan to buy one more
PowerPC Mac. CM]
Will Apple Still Be Selling Macs in 2008?
geek.com's Allan Warner says:
"Now that Apple has decided to drop the IBM PowerPC
microprocessor and replace it with an Intel x86 series chip, two
questions have to be answered so decisions can be made by both the
Mac's ISVs and the end users....
"Apple will use the Rosetta system, from the Transitive
Corporation, to translate those older applications written to run
on the PowerPC so that they can run on the new machines with x86
chips. Sounds great, but Apple tells us that Rosetta will not work
with the following:
- applications built for OS 9.2
- code written specifically for AltiVec
- code that inserts preferences in the System Preferences
pane
- applications that require a G4 or G5 processor
- applications that depend on one or more kernel extensions
- kernel extensions
- bundled Java applications
- Java applications with JNI libraries that can't be
translated
- C++ code written within the Metrowerks CodeWarrior
framework....
"Should you purchase a Macintosh with a PowerPC microprocessor
between now and when the switchover is final?
"The answer: a definite yes! For the next few years, including
even after the x86 machines are introduced, you will get more for
your money by purchasing a desktop Mac with a PowerPC
processor....
"By staying with the older PowerPC architecture you will avoid
the enviable mistakes that Apple will make during its learning
experience when the first machines are introduced. As both Tiger
and Leopard will continue to work on the PowerPC Macs, you have
years before you might be forced to purchase a new desktop
machine....
"For PowerBooks the answer is debatable, as we don't now what
chip Apple plans to use on its portables, or if these new machines
will really be faster."
"Will Apple still be selling Macs in, say, 2008?
"I doubt it. It looks to me like Apple will be going out of the
desktop computer and, possibly, the portable hardware business,
evolving instead into being mainly a software company."
[I pretty much agreed with Alan up to that point, but there's no
way Apple would be making this revolutionary switch to Intel only
to phase out computer manufacture three years from now. CM]
Apple Not Dropping Hardware
Blogger Tim Coughlin says:
"...I was just scanning through today's news and noticed an
article by Allan Warner over at Geek.com. I'm not going to attack
this like I did those two comments in my last piece. But I am going
to have to say that I think Allan is wrong. No bones about it, just
flat out wrong. I'm sure he doesn't think that he is. I'm sure he
thinks that I'm just another Mac zealot, two bit blogger who thinks
he knows more than he really does. But this is one of those topics
that crops up again and again, and those who make the 'software'
claims seem to be missing the big picture.
"The first question Allan asks is, 'Should you purchase a
Macintosh with a PowerPC microprocessor between now and when the
switchover is final?'. His answer is yes, and I quite agree with
him on this. The next generation of OS X, Leopard, will be
released at the end of 2006 and will be compatible with both PPC
and x86 offerings. I expect the next iteration of OS X after
that to present itself mid to late 2008, though this is pure
speculation. This too will almost certainly support both
architectures given the last PPC offering will roll off the
production lines in 2007. So I would expect full current software
support from Apple, and therefore other developers, until well into
2010. Most people buying Macs will be on an upgrade cycle of around
3 years, and those that aren't will probably never know there was a
transition in the first place. Given this, there is no rational
reason not to recommend people buy a Mac whenever they want. Most
likely, they will see the transition as seamless, just like Apple
wants. They will never really know anything changed anyway."
"The second question is where it all goes wrong however. Allan
asks, 'Will Apple still be selling Macs in, say, 2008?'. His answer
is that he doubts it. Hmmm. First he says that Apple will pull out
of the desktop business, and possibly even the laptop business. Is
this seriously likely to happen in the next 3 years? Especially
given that Apple's dominant market share are in areas where the
power and screen sizes afforded by desktops are critical. Is video
editing going to be done on PowerBooks in future, I think
not...."
'Intel Inside' Macs Look Normal Inside
eWeek's John Spooner reports:
"The Mac public got its first look into Apple Computer Inc.'s
Intel-based development systems this week, thanks to Web sites such
as Think Secret. For those versed in assembling PCs, they look
fairly ordinary....
"The machine it surveyed is based on a 3.6 GHz Pentium 4 and an
Intel chip set with built-in graphics, paired with Mac OS X
10.4 Tiger and 1 GB of RAM, the site said. The AppleInsider
Web site posted similar photos and a similar description on
Thursday....
"This could mean Apple intends to use large portions of
off-the-shelf Intel parts for its machines. Doing so would allow it
to standardize on a single chip set and to use Intel's built-in
graphics, in some cases, but maintain the option of using a broader
selection of add-in cards for graphics and sound in other models.
PC makers often pick one chip set and motherboard per model line in
an effort to lower costs and improve support for businesses."
CodeWeavers Easing Windows Developers' Move to
Macintel
MacNewsWorld.com's John P. Mello Jr. reports:
"CrossOver can make the emerging MacTel market more attractive
to midtier Windows developers, CodeWeavers CEO Jeremy White
maintained. "Rather than spending hundreds of thousands of dollars
and several man-years to port their application to the Mac, a
software maker can spend tens of thousands of dollars and a few
months to do it," he contended.
"For years, CodeWeavers has been greasing the way for Windows
developers to run their software programs under Linux. Now it's
turning its attention to the brave, new world of Macintosh
computers based on Intel microprocessors (MacTel)....
"'The switch to Intel makes the Mac market compelling to us,'
CEO Jeremy White told MacNewsWorld. 'We are now presented with this
great opportunity that in 12 months we'll have this brand new
market of 15 million users that we've never had before.'"
Inquirer staff report:
"Windows-to-Linux software developer, CodeWeavers, Inc says it
is busy building software to allow the easy port of Windows
applications to upcoming Intel-powered Apples.
"The company currently produces 'CrossOver' and 'CrossOver
Office' productivity tools which enable Windows applications to run
natively on popular flavours of Linux."
First Intel Macs: iMac and Mac mini
Macworld UK's Narasu Rebbapragada reports:
"Apple's decision to abandon IBM PowerPC chips in favor of
processors from Intel raises the possibility of new, affordable
Apple computers that could boot both Mac OS X and Windows. Analysts
predict that the first Intel-based Macs will be the iMac and Mac
mini."
Evolutionary Improvement to Revolutionary
Machines
Computer Business Review Online's Jason Stamper says:
"The big debate is around whether Jobs will license Mac OS to
other manufacturers, so they can build Intel machines around Mac
OS. Some pundits have been saying that if he did, Apple could
quickly grow to rival Microsoft's Windows dominance. A little
hasty, perhaps.
"Jobs has so far said that he will not allow others to license
Mac OS on Intel, or any other hardware for that matter. That's
because Apple's current business model is reliant on its hardware
sales more that its software sales. It could of course change its
business model, and if sales of Mac OS on other people's hardware
became great enough it could more than make up for the loss of
Apple hardware sales. But so far that looks like a bridge too far
for Jobs, who is no doubt mindful of what a change like that might
do to the company's share price in the short and medium term.
"Culturally, too, the company sees itself very much as a
solutions company. It likes the idea of someone buying its hardware
and software together, wrapped up in a fantastically slinky,
well-engineered skin. That philosophy is in its blood now more than
ever.
"In which case, what difference does MacOS on Intel really mean?
Instead of buying a sexy Apple Mac running a PowerPC chip, you will
get a sexy Mac running Intel."
Sun's McNealy on Apple's Intel Move
CNET's Ina Fried reports:
"As part of a wide-ranging interview this week, Sun Microsystems
CEO Scott McNealy shared his thoughts on Apple Computer and its
recent decision to switch to Intel chips.
"Although he said he fundamentally disagrees with Apple's
approach - that is making powerful desktop devices as opposed to
thin clients - he said that Apple certainly does make the best
looking of the unnecessarily featured desktops.
"As for the Intel move, McNealy said he expects the transition
will take the better part of five years and ultimately could cause
a challenge for the software developers that write for the
Mac."
Tech Developments
Photonics the Way to Faster Chips
"Intel researchers are shedding some light on a potential new
application for chip photonics: upping the performance of multicore
processors.
"The processor giant's research labs are exploring ways to use
silicon photonics-on-chip components that use light to transmit
data-to replace electrical interconnects using copper wiring and
simultaneously speed up vital connections that move data into and
out of processors."
Intel Rules WiFi Waves
Opinion: Dominating WiFi chips in computers won't squeeze out
the company's competitors just yet, but watch for long-term
effects.
"Well, it seems that the Intel juggernaut is heading onward to
the WiFi chip sector. ABI Research of Oyster Bay, N.Y., figures
that Intel in the last quarter was the No. 1 seller of chips in the
WiFi g and a/g market."
More Mac News
PowerBook, iBook, and other portable computing news is covered
in The 'Book Review. General
Apple and Mac desktop news is covered in The Mac News Review. iPod news is
covered in The iNews
Review.
