Robert X. Cringely explores with fascinating logic the serious possibility that Apple may be joining Intel in an all out battle against Microsoft.

Photo credit: Igor Kasalovic

This is one true hot topic for anyone interested in the future of personal computing and one that could drastically change the way that the personal computer industry will evolve in the next few years.

Apple's Decision to Use Intel Processors Is Nothing Less Than an Attempt to Dethrone Microsoft.

Really.

Robert X. Cringely writes:

"The crowd this week in San Francisco at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference seemed mildly excited by the prospect of its favorite computer company turning to Intel processors.

The CEO of Adobe asked why it had taken Apple so long to make the switch?

Analysts on Wall Street were generally positive, with a couple exceptions.

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!?

Are these people drunk on Flav-r-Ade? Yes."

In his insightful essay published yesterday on PBS Mr Cringely exposes multiple questions to frame Apple revolutionary decision to move away from Motorola processors and to adopt the Intel CPUs used inside Microsoft Windows PCs.

• What happened to the PowerPC's supposed performance advantage over Intel?


• What happened to Apple's 64-bit operating system?


• Where the heck is AMD?


• Why announce this chip swap a year before it will even begin for customers?


• Is this all really about Digital Rights Management?

And, with his arguments and information he does a great job of cornering the key question:
"What is then the driving force pushing Apple to join Intel?"

And his answers is: Microsoft.

He writes:

"If Apple was willing to consider a processor switch, moving to the Cell Processor would have made much more sense than going to Intel or AMD, so I simply have to conclude that technology has nothing at all to do with this decision.

This is simply about business -- BIG business.

...

Microsoft comes into this because Intel hates Microsoft.

It hasn't always been that way, but in recent years Microsoft has abused its relationship with Intel and used AMD as a cudgel against Intel. Even worse, from Intel's standpoint Microsoft doesn't work hard enough to challenge its hardware. For Intel to keep growing, people have to replace their PCs more often and Microsoft's bloatware strategy just isn't making that happen, especially if they keep delaying Longhorn.

Enter Apple.

This isn't a story about Intel gaining another three percent market share at the expense of IBM, it is about Intel taking back control of the desktop from Microsoft.

Intel is fed up with Microsoft. Microsoft has no innovation that drives what Intel must have, which is a use for more processing power. And when they did have one with the Xbox, they went elsewhere.

So Intel buys Apple and works with their OEMs to get products out in the market. The OEMs would love to be able to offer a higher margin product with better reliability than Microsoft. Intel/Apple enters the market just as Microsoft announces yet another delay in their next generation OS.

...

How much would it cost Intel to buy Apple?

Not much. And if they paid in stock it would cost nothing at all since investors would drive shares through the roof on a huge swell of user enthusiasm.

That's the story as I see it unfolding.

Steve Jobs finally beats Bill Gates."

Please read the full article by Robert X. Cringely on PBS as it provides the full logic behind its brave predictions.

Source article:
Going for Broke - Apple's Decision to Use Intel Processors Is Nothing Less Than an Attempt to Dethrone Microsoft. Really.
June 9, 2005
By Robert X. Cringely