Internet busy with talk of Apple-IBM parting

In response to news that Apple Computer is about to announce a switch from IBM to Intel microprocessors, thousands of consumers have expressed online reaction ranging from stunned to skeptical, and from psyched to sad.

Since the CNET News.com story broke Friday afternoon, technology Web sites have been abuzz with feedback. By late Saturday, almost 2,000 comments were posted in response to a related item on Slashdot.org; 175 posts were made in response to News.com's initial story; and almost 100 comments were posted in response to a related AppleInsider story.

People generally seem to be reacting in three ways: in favor of the change, opposed, or they are simply unwilling to believe its true until hearing it directly from Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs. He's expected to make the announcement at the company's Worldwide Developer Conference Monday in San Francisco.

Some, like News.com reader Sam Kass, are "psyched" about the news and see it as Apple playing catch-up from a performance standpoint, "while still being top-notch at (human-computer interaction)."

"Down the road (Apple) has the potential to take the industry by storm," he said.

Bob Zhu, who is both an Apple and PC user, also thinks it's a good move and questions IBM's commitment on Mac CPU development.

?Switching to Intel doesn't guarantee Apple to have more powerful machines in future than if they stick with IBM," the News.com reader wrote. "But the move will give Apple a level playground with all other PC makers."

In contrast, another News.com reader, John Bresnahan, is very upset about the news. "I will never buy Apple again, ever. If this is true, I am very sad," he wrote. "How will I get new software for my computer?"

An AppleInsider member was one of many to suggest that the switchover to Intel is likely just for its WiMax chips.

"I don't think Apple and IBM are parting ways as reported," the member wrote. "The WiMax theory fits the overall picture better."

Others found the Apple-IBM divorce news curious, given that Microsoft recently dropped Intel for its Xbox 360.

"Now Apple might be doing the opposite. Are the two events in any way connected?" a AppleInsider member wondered.

Some just pooh-poohed the news, calling it stock market manipulation or a fake story leaked by Apple to catch a spy, as a Mac Observer member suggested.

Also over 1000 msgs at MacRumors

There are also over 1000 messages at macrumors.com

[bbatsell]

CNet and MacRumors

CNet has historically simply ignored _everything_ at MacRumors.
When writing a story about an Apple technology several months
ago, they claimed that AppleInsider broke the story, when
MacRumors had broken the story 4 days earlier, and AI credited
them in the second sentence of the article. Attempts to contact
editors were markedly ignored, whereas I've had pretty good
success communicating new stories (and have had several
published) to editors in the past. Not sure where the bad blood is.

[Wolven Spectre]

APPLE PRCESSORS UNDERPOWERED?!? What idoit said that?

In my Blog, The Useless Information File ( http://www.UIFile.Bravelog.com ) I am running a story about the new x86 64 bit dual core processors that just came out a few days ago and I included a comparison of Opteron and Xenon CPUs in both linux and windows configurations to the G5 (PowerPC 970FX) which has been out several years and runs at a lower clock speed (3.6GHz x86 vs 2.7GHz G5).

It kicked both of their ***** royallyin all but memory register access, which was to be corrected in the next model.

[tlite722]

get back to me when the G5 notebook hits...

notebooks are what the future is about. DTs are lame.

[The_Raven]

Ditto.

I agree. The other spin on the study you mention pretty much go
on to say that the PowerPC is no good for server level use. Sounds
to me like if that one issue is addressed, the G5 will COMPLETELY
smoke any other CPU in its class.

So, the G5 needs to improve in one area, and the others need to
improve in two areas. Sounds like the G5's the all-around winner
to me.

[Terrance Laird]

What makes no sense....

What makes no sense in this deal is that switching to Intel leaves
the Mac open to heavy cloning. Second, it makes it to where people
with existing Macs will have to run seperate software that is
compiled for the Altivec Power PC processors. I think its a hoax,
and that Apple has played us for fools as revenge for all the rumors
circulating the net. They probably have something really cool in
store for Monday.

[OS11]

don't worry, generic intel boxes could never run...

even if the switch comes about, apple would never, ever build an
OS or a box that was generic enough to support a lower end OS (ie,
windows/linux) it will be fully an Apple controlled box with an Intel
processor, the idea of OSX running on current or future Wintel
hardware isn't going to happen. We've all seen what happened with
MS and Intel, and nobody wants to repeat that mess.

I pooh-poohed the story it seems...

Hmmm wow, I'm part of a New.com article! (un)fortunately they
didn't include my name.

Still in a way this article is describing how powerful their other
article is and how much impact it could have on the stock
monday...

Maybe it's not stock manipulation by New.com/Cnet itself, but
by their "source".

I wouldn't say that if I wasn't so sure that Apple wont switch to
intel CPU. There are many logic reasons why it wont happen, and
I'm tired of repeating them every time this rumor pops-up.

My point is, if some company would like to send Apple stock
down monday, this would be the best and safest way.

Waste of time

Posting about others posting messages at other sites is a waste of time.

Right!

Posting about posting about others posting messages at other sites
is even more so a waste of time. ;)

I do have time to waste, at least I admit it :)

[The_Raven]

Brilliant!

"People generally seem to be reacting in three ways: in favor of the
change, opposed, or they are simply unwilling to believe its true
until hearing it directly from Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs."

Tell me, how many more ways are there to react? What a dumb
statement.

[Jeff Lebowski 63]

Business issues not addressed

Most commentary regarding this rumor seems to be
concentrating on the technical issues. Sure, a move to x86 can
be accomplished. But, until someone offers up a plausible
scenario for how Apple can achieve this transition without
completely destroying it?s current revenue stream, I will remain
skeptical. Apple?s Mac business is growing for the first time in
years. They are on track for a 12 billion dollar year. If they
announce a multi-year migration to x86, current Mac sales will
plummet and revenues will drop by at least 75%.

Furthermore, what would motivate large developers like Adobe,
MS, Macromedia, etc. to go through another re-development
cycle on a platform with such a marginal market share after
spending millions of dollars recently to port their applications to
OS X on PPC?

I would love to hear any ideas on on these business issues. I, for
one, will sell my position in Apple and postpone any purchases if
a move to x86 is announced tomorrow. I have no bias against
the x86 and understand the bad position Apple is in regarding
the lack of laptop-compatible G5 CPUs, but I can?t see how this
transition can take place without devastating the company?s
revenue and valuation.

[paintedover26k]

I second that motion!

eom

[Llib Setag]

UNTIL MR. JOBS SAYS SO...IT AIN'T THE TRUTH.

The ONLY credible "inside source" at Apple is Steve
Jobs...PERIOD.

After the "rumormonger" sites mess in the past...MAYBE, Jobs &
Co. are simply messing with the press. Maybe they are just
"leaking" DIS-information to the press, so as to throw them off
on a "rant & flame" blog war BS, while they are working on what
WILL ACTUALLY be revealed at the WWDC KEYNOTE.

IT AIN'T OVER TILL THE MAN IN THE BLACK TURTLENECK SHIRT
SAYS...."AND ONE MORE THING..."