Compiled by Charles Moore
and edited by Dan Knight
- 2006.01.19
This Week's Macintel News
The most unexpected - and probably most unwanted - development this
week has got to be the coining of the worst nickname yet for
Apple's Intel-based models, "Macinteltosh" (used by The Inquirer's
Fuad Abazovic).
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
Advice
Other Intel News
News, Analysis, and Opinion
Intel Inside - So What?
The San Francisco Chronicle's David Lazarus says:
"Macworld Expo came to a close at San Francisco's Moscone Center
on Friday, leaving an awestruck world to ponder the glory and the
greatness of Apple Computer uniting with chipmaker Intel - a
corporate tie-up that publications worldwide hailed as
'historic.'
"To which I say: Get over it.
"It's a computer, for goodness sake, a plastic box that does
lots of really cool things. Does it matter any longer how it does
them?
"Who cares if the box has bits and pieces made by Intel or IBM
or Samsung or any one of thousands of other electronics
manufacturers?
"Few really care - or understand - what's inside anything."
Link:
Intel Inside - So What?
Intel Upset Over Apple's 'Dull and Boring'
Allegation
The Inquirer's Nick Farrell reports:
"Five seconds after Intel CEO Paul Otellini dressed in a bunny
suit to help Apple's Steve Jobs peddle his new Macinteltosh
machine, it seems that the relationship between Chipzilla and Jobs'
Mob came under strain.
"The problem is Apple's television ads for its new Macs boast
that for years, Intel's chips have been 'trapped inside PCs - dull
little boxes, dutifully performing dull little tasks.'
"Now that Apple is using Intel chips, the power of the processor
will be set free in a must more interesting and visually attractive
way, the ads say.
"While Apple is a bit new to the whole PC way of doing things,
the marketing department of Intel is a little miffed that Apple is
slagging off its customers and partners in that way."
Link: Apple
Upsets Intel Over Dull and Boring Allegation
Apple Neutral about Windows on Macintel
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Intel Macs Give Users More OS Choice
IDG News Service's Elizabeth Montalbano says:
"The idea of running Windows on the Apple Computer hardware just
got a lot more appealing with the introduction of Macs built on
Intel processors. But don't expect the Cupertino, California,
company, to be too keen on its users running Windows on the new
machines.
"'We haven't done anything to explicitly prevent it, but we
haven't done anything to encourage it either,' Apple Senior Product
Line Manager Wiley Hodges said of running Windows on Macs during a
presentation Thursday at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San
Francisco this week....
"Even without specific help from Apple, the existence of Macs
built on Intel's x86 instruction set eventually will give users a
choice of OSes to run on their new Apple machines. Analysts believe
it won't be long before someone comes up with a version of Windows
that runs natively on the new Intel-based Macs, even despite a
firmware incompatibility issue that prevents Microsoft's operating
system from running on the new Intel-based Macs."
Link:
Intel Macs Give Users More OS Choice
Multiboot Question Hangs over Macintel
eWeek's David Morgenstern reports:
"The siren call of multiple-boot machines keeps insinuating
itself into the left brains of IT managers, especially following
Apple CEO Steve Jobs' Tuesday unveiling of the first Intel-based
Macs.
"While Apple Computer and Microsoft remain mum on the prospect,
one expected benefit of Apple's switch from PowerPC to x86
processors would be a machine that can boot in three flavors of
operating systems: Mac OS X, Windows and Linux."
Link: Boot
Questions Hang over Apple's New Macs
Apple Specialists Bullish on New Intel
Macs
PR: The Apple Specialist Marketing Co-op (ASMC) has
announced results of an informal poll of Apple Specialist responses
to Steve Jobs' keynote address announcements on January 10th.
"We spoke with Apple Specialists from all over the country here
in the Apple Specialist booth at Macworld Expo, and the results
were pretty clear," according to Kevin Langdon, Executive Director
of the ASMC. "As a group, Apple Specialists are excited by the new
products and we're very pleased with Apple's transition
strategy."
According to Jim Habel of MacOutfitters, an Apple Specialist
with two locations in Pennsylvania, "It is the best of both worlds.
The fact that Apple has chosen to put these processors in both
their most popular desktop and notebook models indicates that they
are very confident about the stability and capability of this new
processor. At the same time, we are happy to see Apple maintain the
current G4 and G5 models to support those customers who need to run
applications which are not yet optimized for the Intel based
Mac."
According to Ron Blunden of Computer Advantage, an Apple
Specialist in Sarasota, Florida, this transition strategy provides
a great opportunity for Apple Specialists. "It gives us a chance to
do one of the things that we do best - guiding our customers and
helping them choose exactly the right model based on their
specific, individual needs. We're here to help people successfully
navigate this transition."
While some Apple Specialists were concerned that the new models
might slow sales of the previous models, others were busy snapping
up every G5 iMac they could find. "My early adopters can't wait to
get their hands on a new Intel based Mac," said Richard Haddock
from Haddock Computers in Wichita, Kansas, "but my corporate
clients require the G4 and G5 models right now. It's great to have
them both available."
Most Apple Specialists polled focused on the practical,
business-related considerations of the announcement like ordering
and inventory levels, but the most common comment, according to
Langdon, was, "I want a MacBook Pro. Being in the industry we can
get a little jaded, but this product flat-out screams - and we're
only human after all."
The Apple Specialists Marketing Co-op represents 160 Apple
Specialist Dealers and Service Providers with more than 300
locations throughout the US.
Why Apple Chose ATI over Nvidia for
Macinteltoshes
The Inquirer's Fuad Abazovic says:
"There is no conspiracy about why Apple chose ATI over Nvidia
for its Intel Mac launch. Apple made a rather simple decision what
to put in its new iMac/iBook machines.
"It chose M56 based Mobility Radeon X1600 simply because it was
available and it could guarantee that ATI could ship those chips in
quantity, time. Of course it also had to like the GPU and its
design."
Link: Why
Apple Chose ATI over Nvidia for Macinteltoshes
Mac Developers Move Forward on Intel
Compatibility
eWeek's Nick Ciarelli reports:
"SAN FRANCISCO - With Macintosh computers based on Intel Corp.
processors now available, Apple Computer Inc. CEO Steve Jobs is
pushing developers to 'work even harder' to create native Intel
versions of their software.
"And at the Macworld Expo here, developers of business software
say they are up to the challenge."
Link: Mac
Developers Move Forward on Intel Compatibility
Intel Provides Apple Developers with Tools to
Optimize for Core Duo
DigiTimes' Rodney Chan reports:
"Intel on Wednesday announced new software development tools and
resources through its Intel Software Network. These tools and
resources will help Apple developers take advantage of Intel Core
Duo processor technologies to maximize application performance on
the new Intel-based Mac platforms.
"The special beta versions of the Intel Fortran Compiler, Intel
C++ Compiler, Intel Math Kernel Library and Intel Integrated
Performance Primitives are available now. Intel will also provide
other resources to assist with software optimization, dual core
threading and migration information.
"'Intel is pleased to offer Apple developers a free trial of our
products through a special beta program, and we look forward to
developer feedback prior to introducing our products in the coming
months,' said William Savage, general manager of Intel's Software
Products Division."
Link: Intel Provides
Apple Developers Software Tools for Optimizing Core Duo
Processor (subscription required)
Can Developers Give MacTels an Enterprise
Boost?
eWeek's John Rizzo reports:
"SAN FRANCISCO - Microsoft and a pack of enterprise developers
say they are on target for creating Intel-native Mac software
despite Apple's surprise Macworld Expo release of the first
Intel-based Macs six months ahead of schedule.
"Microsoft announced that it had signed an agreement with Apple
to develop Microsoft Office for Mac OS X for at least the next
five years for both Intel and PowerPC Macs."
Link: Can
Developers Give MacTels an Enterprise Boost?
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Gene Steinberg, the Mac Night Owl, writes:
"Maybe I was tired, but I had a good night's sleep, so I
shouldn't have felt fidgety, nor struggle to stifle a yawn during
the Steve Jobs keynote, but as he spent agonizing moments telling
us about the way cool features of the latest version of iPhoto, I
felt the urge to nod out. It's not that I don't care about iLife
'06. In fact, I'm quite anxious to get my review copy and put the
new Podcasting feature in GarageBand through its paces on a future
episode of The Tech Night Owl LIVE."
Link: The
Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Advice
Mac OS X Discs for PowerPC-based Macs
Won't Boot Intel-based Macs
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
"Mac OS X installation discs that came with a PowerPC
processor-based Mac won't work with an Intel processor-based Mac,
and vice-versa, even if both Macs came with the same version of Mac
OS X. You can't start up an Intel-based Mac from a CD or DVD that
came with a PowerPC-based Mac, nor a PowerPC-based Mac from an
Intel-based Mac's discs, either by holding the C key at startup or
by using Startup Disk preferences.
"To start your computer from a disc, use the disc that came with
the computer."
Link: Mac OS X
Discs for PowerPC-based Macs Don't Work with Intel-based
Macs
Does My Mac Have an Intel or PowerPC
Processor?
A new Apple Knowledge Base article says:
Not sure if your Mac is using Intel or PowerPC processors? Here
are two easy ways to find out without opening your computer's
case.
Visit the About This Mac window
This is the quickest way to determine the type of processor in
your Mac:
- In the Finder, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu.
- Look at the Processor line to see which kind of processor is in
your Mac.
Use System Profiler
You can also use System Profiler:
- Open System Profiler.
- In the Hardware Overview pane, the type of processor is
displayed on the CPU Type line.
Link: Does My Mac
Have an Intel or PowerPC Processor?
Other Intel News
Intel Readies 'Yonah'-based Celeron M
Series, Ultra-low Voltage Core Duo
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel is preparing to launch a 2.33 GHz Core Duo chip, the
T2700, The Register has learned. The chip giant's product pipeline
also includes faster Core Solo chips, speedier low-voltage Core
Duos and the introduction of an ultra-low voltage Core Duo, the
1.06 GHz U2500.
"Intel's roadmap also calls for the introduction of Celeron M
4xx chips - single-core value parts derived from the 65nm Core
Solo."
Link:
Intel Readies 65nm 'Yonah'-based Celeron M 4xx Series
Intel 'Santa Rosa' Centrino to Sport 800
MHz FSB
The Register's Tony Smith reports:
"Intel's fourth-generation Centrino notebook platform, 'Santa
Rosa', will take the hardware's frontside bus speed to 800 MHz when
it ships, provisionally sometime in H1 2007.
"So suggests roadmap information seen by Japanese-language
website PCWatch. Santa Rosa will be based on the upcoming 'Merom'
mobile CPU, the first of Intel's next-generation architecture
chips, and the part that will bring 64-bit support to the chip
giant's mobile line-up."
Link: Intel
'Santa Rosa' Centrino to Sport 800 MHz FSB
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.
