Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2005.11.17
This Week's Macintel News
Speculation
is rampant that Apple may debut Macintel hardware at Macworld Expo
in San Francisco this coming January. From all the press this
rumor/speculation is receiving, you'd think it was a done
deal....
On the tech front, Intel has begun shipping CPUs with
virtualization, a technology that allows one computer to run
multiple operating systems concurrently. Think OS X plus
Windows or Linux on Macintel hardware.
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.
Macintel at Macworld?
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Tech Developments
Macintel at Macworld?
Pieces Fall into Place for Macintel
eWeek's John G. Spooner and Daniel Drew Turner report:
"Apple Computer Inc.'s plan to move to Intel Corp.'s processors
appears to be coming together.
"New Intel platforms are just around the corner, while Apple's
Mac OS X for Intel processor machines has been brought up to
speed, according to developers....
"Based on the availability of Intel hardware and its own
software, analysts speculate the Apple-Intel systems could come out
as soon as the second week of January, when the Macworld Conference
and Expo arrives in San Francisco....
"Intel, of Santa Clara, Calif., will officially launch its Napa
platform, a collection of notebook chips that Apple has been widely
expected to adopt at least in part, the week prior to Macworld.
"Intel will use the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas -
where its CEO, Paul Otellini, will give a keynote speech - to
showcase Napa, which is essentially the latest version of its
Centrino chip bundle for wireless notebooks, and to discuss its
Viiv brand for home computers, sources familiar with its plans
said.
"Although Apple might not use the Napa as a whole, analysts
expect it to adopt Yonah, the forthcoming dual-core capable Pentium
M processor, in its portables and possibly in its Mac Mini."
Link: Pieces Fall
into Place for Intel-Apple
New Intel Macs to Arrive in January
The Inquirer's Nick Farrell says:
"The latest prediction, from those who claim to know, is that
the entertainment gear maker Apple will make a surprise
announcement in January that it is releasing the new Apple Mac with
Intel on board earlier in the New Year than expected.
"Apparently Apple is preparing a surprise announcement at
Macworld this January and all the Wall Street analysts and Macperts
say the safe money is on an early launch of the Mac.
"Apple has so far suggested that the IntelMac will hit the shops
in June, but Macworld has been chatting to the supply chain and the
world on the street is that the new Apples will be flogged long
before June."
Link: New Intel Apple to
Arrive in January
First Macintels to Arrive in January?
ZD Net's Jason O'Grady says:
"Last week I reported that the first Intel Macs may be coming
sooner than originally expected. New PowerBooks and iBooks built on
Intel hardware are rumored to arrive as soon as April or May 2006 -
just in time for the back-to-school buying season. This week rumors
are swirling that the first Intel Macs could arrive even sooner,
possibly in as little as two months."
Link: First Intel Macs to Arrive in
January?
Intel-based Macs at Macworld SF?
ars technica's Eric Bangeman says:
"When Steve Jobs announced the Big Switch at the Worldwide
Developers Conference last summer, he promised that there would
Intel-based Macs available by the time he took the stage for the
2006 WWDC keynote. June 2006 may have been a worst-case scenario,
and it's starting to look like we may see Intel-based Macs
introduced at Macworld San Francisco.
"The debut of x86 Macs is likely to happen faster for a handful
of reasons. While sales since the announcement have been strong,
Apple fears that may change as we move into 2006. That is due in no
small part to the tendency of Mac users to put off purchases when
they believe updates are imminent. In the past, waiting might gain
you an extra 200 MHz of CPU speed and a better graphics card. At
this point, putting off your purchase will get you a whole
different architecture, one that Apple is banking the future of its
computing platform on.
"Another factor is Intel. The CPU maker's move to the 65nm
fabrication process is going swimmingly, in stark contrast to the
problem-plagued transition to 90nm. In particular, development of
the 32-bit Yonah CPU - likely to be used in the PowerBook, iBook,
and Mac mini - is going very well. Intel could end up shipping
Yonah by the end of 2005 instead of waiting for the CPU's formal
introduction early next year."
Link: Intel-based
Macs at Macworld SF?
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Apple's Paradox: Go Intel and Keep the Hardware
Sales
Mac Dev Center's Derrick Story says:
"Since WWDC I've been thinking about this. There are many
ramifications involved with Apple moving to Intel. But one that
confounds me, and certainly concerns Apple, is how to preserve its
grip on hardware sales while doing so.
"Apple has always been about the hardware. Mac OS X is about
selling computers. iTunes is about selling iPods....
"At a time when Apple hardware sales are on the rise, the Intel
switch seems, well, shall we say 'bold'?"
Link: Apple's Paradox - Go
Intel and Keep the Hardware
What Should You Expect from a Macintel?
Gene Steinberg says:
"Sure, it would be intriguing to see the first Mac with an Intel
processor appear early in 2006. Some are suggesting that the Mac
mini will get the honors and they've already got the chip selected,
and that's Intel's forthcoming "Yonah" processor, a dual-core
product designed for mobile use. The chip is indeed expected to hit
volume production next year, so it seems logical, and having it
installed in the cheapest Mac might be a real way to begin the
transition in high style.
"But it's not just the chip. Is there something unique you
should expect from these new Macs? Well, it's a sure thing that
Apple isn't undergoing a major transition just to keep you and I
talking about it. Intel's forthcoming mobile processors, for one
thing, are supposed to be more power efficient and deliver a lot
more number crunching power. You know what two processors or a
dual-core chip can do on a Power Mac. Imagine buying a $499 Mac
with a dual-core?
"Although there's no official confirmation, some folks are also
suggesting that the x86 chips will seriously speed up Mac OS X's
resource hungry user interface. They remind us that the guts of the
operating system were optimized for Intel long, long ago, so we
shouldn't be surprised."
Build Your Own Macintel
Extreme Tech says:
"Building a Mac seems like a crazy enough idea. Throw in Intel
hardware and the men in white suits should be rounding the corner.
Yet the unfortunate leak of an early developer build let anyone do
just that-anyone willing to risk the wrath of Apple's famous
lawyers, that is. We risk it for you, and weigh the new platform's
pros and cons....
"Whatever you make of Apple's decision, it's definitely a sea
change, especially after more than 20 years of using dedicated
hardware in their Macintosh line. Three years ago, this would have
been considered unfathomable. After all that Intel bashing over the
years, it's enough to make your eyes cross. 
Heck, back in 1996, Power Computing even
invoked the Sluggo character from the comic strip Nancy, saying
'Let's Kick Intel's Ass!' So much for that, right?
"So if OS X will already run on the Intel platform, and all
Intel-compatible stuff is more or less interchangeable, doesn't
that mean you could get an early build of it running right now on a
PC? You'd want to separate it from your main PC, of course, but the
potential is certainly there. There's only so many times you can
set up a dual-boot Linux system before it gets boring, so why not
try something different? Besides, OS X looks sooo cool. Not so
fast, Sluggo....
"Judging by what we've seen while putting together this story,
we think Apple's transition will go over really well. OS X
already runs great, and we're still more than half a year away from
Intel Macs...."
Link: How to
Build an Intel Mac
Tech Developments
Intel Brings Virtualization to Desktop PCs
eWeek's John G. Spooner reports:
"Virtualization technology has begun its arrival on the
desktop.
"Intel Corp. on Monday began offering desktop PC processors with
virtualization, a technology that can partition a computer to run
multiple different types of software simultaneously.
"The Santa Clara, Calif., chipmaker sees offering features such
as its Virtualization Technology, in addition to making the move to
dual-core processors, as a new way of driving greater PC and server
performance."
Link: Intel Brings
Virtualization to Desktop PCs
Intel Debuts Virtualisation on the Desktop
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel has begun shipping the eagerly anticipated pair of
Pentium CPUs equipped with its 'one processor, multiple operating
systems' Virtualisation Technology (VT).
"As expected, the two P4s are numbered 662 and 672, and with the
exception of VT match the specifications of the current 660 and 670
chips. The pair are clocked at 3.6 GHz and 3.8 GHz, respectively,
and incorporate 2 MB of L2 cache. Both operate across an 800
MHz frontside bus."
Link: Intel
Debuts Virtualisation on the Desktop
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.
