Slashdot Mirror
Apple Switching to Intel
Steve Jobs announced at the WWDC keynote today that Apple is switching to Intel processors. MacNN has live coverage. The bottom line is that Mac OS X for the last five years has been running on Intel, the switch is expected to be complete in two years, and Rosetta will allow PPC apps to run on Intel-based Macs, transparently. If you're using Xcode, it is small changes and a recompile; otherwise, you might be seeing a lot of work ahead of you. You will be able to order the 10.4.1 preview for Intel today.
This means NO MORE NEW SOFTWARE for you. No Mac OS X, no iLife, no Final Cut Express, no Photoshop. You will _maybe_ get another version or so and after that you're S.O.L.
This sucks so hard, it's unbelievable. Expect a flood of cheap Macs on ebay in the coming weeks.
I hate intel chips and won't buy anything even if it is an apple product. Way to screw things up Jobs. Well the dream is over. Looks like I will be using my mac mini for many years to come. I don't understand. Why go with a dying processor line at the end of its life cycle. There are better chips and manufacturers out there. This was an amazingly stupid move by Jobs. IMO Apple will be dead within 5 years.
But actually this is pretty cool. I'm just imagining an XServer on an Intel monster...and all of the Wintel fanboys who crow about the processor speed of their latest Fry's homebrewed beast. Now one more reason not to switch to a Mac has bit the dust. Can't wait to get a Mactel box and dual boot Linux on it. Schweet.
This guy is way out there
I'm one of them go ahead. PPC are far better. Unless we are missing something, this is a downgrade pure and simple.
As the Intel logo lowered on the stage screen, Jobs said, "We are going to make the transition from PowerPC to Intel processors, and we are going to do it for you now, and for our customers next year. Why? Because we want to be making the best computer for our customers looking forward."
I think he meant to say "we are going to do it to you now, and to our customers in the next year.
All those people saying Palladium didn't matter because there would always be Apple?
Ahem...
Better enjoy your freedom of expression now while it lasts, the corporations are coming quickly.
The thing no one is talking about is that Mac os X is now a containder to the OS hill again. Why use Windows when Mac OS X is so much better ? I know I know legacies... But i believe having a OS X on intel is far more dangerous for Microsoft than linux. (Sorry for the Linux fan I offended)
It's an ideological shift because for years the Mac Zealots have pulled the Apple line about why the PPC is superior to x86. Now they are forced to admit that PPC was a mistake.
Jobs is famous for his ego so I admire his willingness to own up to this instead of continuing to stubbornly push the PPC.
Further the hardware will remain proprietary, to ensure customers have to buy their sucky computers from Apple to continue doing what they did just fine before.
A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
Perhaps the Mac crowd will become the ultimate DRM apologists, claiming, with some credibility, that Mac couldn't survive if it didn't have TC/DRM involved.
Prior to iTunes and the iTunes store, almost every poster here agreed that DRM is pure dag nasty evil period, end of story, will boycott any vendor, etc. Once a few of us toked on the iTunes crack pipe, DRM suddenly became okay for quite a few people here. "Oooooooooohh shiney!". "This is reasonable DRM.... Don't beat up on Apple or the DRM will get even worse...." etc. etc. ad nauseatingly.
It all goes to show that the Reality Distortion Field is working just peachy. You're probably correct that we are about to see a lot more Apple inspired DRM apologists.
Using DRM for such is largely unnecessary anyway. Look at how long it takes for Linux and the BSDs to get drivers sometimes. Apple is only going to support their chipsets and will probably go after anyone who starts running "Darwin Driver" projects that let OS X out of the Apple cage.
Intel wins by public perception they are the de facto PC processor, but AMD must be smiling. There's no reason Apple can't just add or even switch to AMD processors when convienent.
Apple is starting its own life struggle, naked arm wrestling with Microsoft for control of Intel-based PCs.
I look for Apple to initially put in some proprietary hardware that their OS will detect and use at boot/runtime. This will make their hardware look "better" than vanilla PC hardware, but also make their software run on same vanilla PC hardware.
I suspect migration of Windows PCs to Apple OS will be downplayed for the first year, then in 2008 expect "compatibility kits" to be offered by Apple, free if you buy/have bought an OS license from them.
For its part, Microsoft will start sabotaging its implementation of Apple protocols and destroy interoperability between Windows and Mac platforms.
Intel smiles now, but this is another kick in the groin for their 64-bit processor. Another industry leader is moving to 32-bit x86. Don't expect another processor architecture shift from Apple anytime soon.
AMD laughs on the sidelines, expect Apple servers with AMD processors in 2008.
Windows 3.5 and 4.0 ran on PPC, MIPS and Alpha platforms in addition to x86 hardware. MS only discontinued those flavors because there just wasn't much of a market for those systems. Windows is plenty flexible enough to move to another 'non-standard' platform.
Again I call BULLSHIT.
Just look at what Apple has done with Widgets... as Jobs calls them. They were a significant part of his developer presentation.
I wonder what the folks from http://www.konfabulator.com/ think of Apple's developer support.
Yeah sure Apple will support you until like M$ we take the bext ideas from their developer base and fold them into their OSes as "new" features.
Yup... now that's what I call develoer support!
What an ASSHOLE! Steals from the Open Source community, steals from his developers and suck innovation out of the market at every turn... sound familiar.