Technology Apple switching to x86

[bigmack]

I wonder why?

The rumored Apple move to x86 is true. Prior to publication of this, sources had told that a switch was in the works. More importantly, they also said that Apple was playing the AMD card at full force, so don't be too surprised if a green logo shows up on some models.

The Intel chips are almost assuredly going to start with a mobile part, probably Yonah, then on to Merom. Both use the same FSB technology, but Merom is faster so the switch will be a fairly painless one. The markets pointed out by CNet back up the idea that Yonah will start it all off, then Conroe and Woodcrest will take over. These sure are interesting times.


Source:The Inquirer

 

[Rukas]

Today, at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, Steve Jobs officially announced that Apple is finishing its partnership with IBM and plans to use Intel processors by this time next year, and to transition all of its Macs to using Intel microprocessors by the end of 2007.

Apple previewed a version of its critically acclaimed operating system, Mac OS X Tiger, running on an Intel-based Mac to the over 3,800 developers attending CEO Steve Jobs' keynote address. Apple also announced the availability of a Developer Transition Kit, consisting of an Intel-based Mac development system along with preview versions of Apple's software, which will allow developers to prepare versions of their applications which will run on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs


Many questions arise after the shocking announcement, one of them being if Apple would allow Mac OS X to run on any computer equipped with an x86 microprocessor. If so, Microsoft would finally have a serious competitor (sorry Linux lovers) for its Windows operating system in the desktop space. Until now, computer users were required to buy Apple hardware if they wanted to use Mac OS X as an alternative to Windows XP.

"Our goal is to provide our customers with the best personal computers in the world, and looking ahead Intel has the strongest processor roadmap by far," said Jobs. "It's been ten years since our transition to the PowerPC, and we think Intel's technology will help us create the best personal computers for the next ten years."

This announcement by Apple also comes as a surprise after the three console makers, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, have chosen the PowerPC architecture to power their next-generation consoles; a trend that should be considered as a red alert for both AMD and Intel, the two chipmakers behind the x86 architecture. One could have expected Apple to embrace the Cell processor, an IBM joint-venture with Sony and Toshiba, rather than switching to Intel’s camp.

So now we have a Windows kernel running on Apple hardware thanks to the development of Xbox 360, today’s announcement of Apple switching to x86 processors, and the publisher of Forbes recommending IBM to buy Electronic Arts. What else could happen this year?

************************ UPDATE ************************


Highlights

* "Mac OS X has been leading a secret double life the past five years". Every build of Mac OS X has been compiled for Intel x86 architecture for the past five years.
* "We've been running on an Intel system all morning" The computer Jobs used for the keynote is running on a Pentium IV 3.6 Ghz processor.
* Next Mac OS X build will be called "Leopard" and will ship in the same timeframe as the next Windows, codenamed "Longhorn".
* A new technology called "Rosetta" (in allusion to the Rosetta stone that allowed researchers to decipher the Egyptian hieroglyphs) will allow current applications written for PowerPC to run on Intel-based computers.
* The Developer Transition Kit is available starting today for $999 to all Apple Developer Connection Select and Premier members.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/8448/Apple-Switches-to-Intel-Updated-/

 

[bigmack]

thanks for that update.

Many questions arise after the shocking announcement, one of them being if Apple would allow Mac OS X to run on any computer equipped with an x86 microprocessor

Apple will not let Mac OS X run on just any x86 machine, the reason is, it would kill their mac computers business,since pcs these days are very cheap compared to mac's.

but what i can tell you is this, the hackers will have a hack to run mac os x on any x86 based machine in no time. Hell theres already a few emulators that will run mac OS on any PC(x86), but now that mac os will be made for x86 processors, there needs not to be any emulation. MAC OS will be running on any PC full speed soon.

Stupid move by apple. Its still gonna kill their mac computers business. The only thing they are gonna be selling is software,no more hardware