Apple Switching to Intel

It’s official: Steve Jobs has announced at the 2005 WWDC keynote that Apple will be switching to the x86 platform. This means Intel processors, not just WiMAX or PCI-e. It’s funny. The vast majority of user comments I saw on this topic over the past few days when the rumor started seriously leaking (on Cnet News.com, etc.) all state that Mac users did not expect this move.

One poster said, “This rumor comes up yearly,” and, “If Steve Jobs actually does this, Apple should fire him.”

It’s true. Apple hardware today cannot compete with PC hardware, be it from Dell or home-built, on price or performance. For the same price as a cheap Mac, you can get a blazing 64-bit AMD processor-based PC. Up to now, your main options as far as operating systems were limited: Windows or Linux. And most Linux distros can’t meet the needs of home users.

Will OS X soon be an option?

What made this even more surprising was that all of the major home video game consoles have decided to use IBM PowerPC chips. This includes Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo.

One thing that I suppose should be noted is that it’s unclear whether Apple will be doing a full scale switch, or just adding some Intel-based systems to their product line. However, I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t make a full switch to the x86 platform. It has been superior for a long, long time. Apple’s miniscule market share makes this clear. Consumers aren’t that stupid. Right now, PCs are a much better value than Macs. And their gaming performance is far better as well.

Keep an eye on AMD…