Comments on: Apple fails to meet (a columnist's) expectations

Who ever thought Apple would convert to Intel? Not CNET News.com's Michael Kanellos.

[majroth22]

Build my Own Thanks

Apple pulled the carpet from under feet when my PowerComputing and UMAX Apple clones were killed. I didn't like their G4$ as well and built an Athlon box to play games on for half the price. I've since added SUSE Linux to the OSX and XP Pro mix-depending on what I want to do I like to be able to use all the OSs but want to pick my hardware. I know Apple will never trust me to do that, myself. I'd rather do a home vasectomy than go with Intel hardware.

[majroth22]

Build my Own Thanks

Apple pulled the carpet from under feet when my PowerComputing and UMAX Apple clones were killed. I didn't like their G4$ as well and built an Athlon box to play games on for half the price. I've since added SUSE Linux to the OSX and XP Pro mix-depending on what I want to do I like to be able to use all the OSs but want to pick my hardware. I know Apple will never trust me to do that, myself. I'd rather do a home vasectomy than go with Intel hardware.

[douglastaua]

Get your FACT RIGHT for Apples sake!!!!

YOU SO CALLED NEGATIVE MAC USERS ARE GIVING APPLE A BAD NAME, GET OVER YOUR EGO!!!!!! This move to the Intel is actually the Solution for Apple to create a small and sleek G4 Lookalike PowerBook running G5. This is one of the reasons for the transition people. It is merely impossible to fit a G5 into a laptop running a PowerPC Processor otherwise the processor consumes the majority of the power for the G5, Come on people, Apple needs our co-operation, so keep on promoting our software?Hardware to get more population involved for our own benefit? If your Wondering, I am a Apple Technitian based in Auckland, New Zealand (Next to Australia if your Wondering)

[douglastaua]

Get your FACT RIGHT for Apples sake!!!!

YOU SO CALLED NEGATIVE MAC USERS ARE GIVING APPLE A BAD NAME, GET OVER YOUR EGO!!!!!! This move to the Intel is actually the Solution for Apple to create a small and sleek G4 Lookalike PowerBook running G5. This is one of the reasons for the transition people. It is merely impossible to fit a G5 into a laptop running a PowerPC Processor otherwise the processor consumes the majority of the power for the G5, Come on people, Apple needs our co-operation, so keep on promoting our software?Hardware to get more population involved for our own benefit? If your Wondering, I am a Apple Technitian based in Auckland, New Zealand (Next to Australia if your Wondering)

[corelogik]

Everyone is seeing this as too black and white,

The Apple switch to Intel isn't just about the CPU's it's about
platform. The reason Apple went with Intel is because they can
offer Apple CPU's, motherboards, chipsets and many other
components that AMD cannot. I am willing to bet that after a few
years, you will see AMD's showing up in Macs, AFTER, AMD has
had the time to develop the other components that Apple needs.

As for the OS boot question, why does it have to be fixed in the
old BIOS style? Everyone has known for a long time that the
"traditional" BIOS format is outdated and needs revamping. They
still support ISA for christs sake, when was the last time you
bought a new PC that had ISA slots in it? Years ago I'd wager.

My prediction is that Apple will partner with Intel to write a new
"BIOS" that will allow OS X to boot and that OS X will require to
boot, while eliminating support for the things that Mac's won't
need like ISA support. Thus preventing OS X from being loaded
on commodity PC's. At the same time some hacked up boot
loader will allow Windows to be booted on a Mac.

Apple on Intel is a good idea if it gets us to faster, cooler,
smaller laptops and desktops. As for the "noisy fans, Apple does
a damn good job of controlling the fan noise now, and G5's can
and do run hot. I see no problem with them developing some
kind of solution to maintain their quiet reputation.

As for the "Fat Binaries" I can forsee a time when "hybrid" disc's
become the norm. Companies will ship Mac and Windows
versions of all their software on the same disc. It will begin with
Intel/PPC versions for the Mac, and once the transition is
finished, why change just drop the "other" Intel version on there
and voila, less packaging, shipping and marketing costs.

Some companies do this already, mainly for games, but why
could it not be done for other software. With most PC's have at
least a DVD/CDRW drive these days, just package it on a DVD, if
you have a computer that doesn't have a DVD drive, you can
order a CD of which ever type you need.

All in all I view the switch as a good thing. Apple will not become
a commodity PC company, Intel will not take over the desgin
section of Apple, and Apple will continue to innovate. If
anything, it will generate more good news in the PC world. The
developments that Apple forces Intel to make will filter down
into the rest of the marketplace.

I just bought a new iMac and will be buying a new iBook soon. I
have no fear of buying "obsolete" equipment as both of my new
machines and my two old ones will be quite useful until well
after the transition. By the time I need a new computer the
transition will be complete, and all the software I need will have
been ported.

Life is good with Apple.

[corelogik]

Everyone is seeing this as too black and white,

The Apple switch to Intel isn't just about the CPU's it's about
platform. The reason Apple went with Intel is because they can
offer Apple CPU's, motherboards, chipsets and many other
components that AMD cannot. I am willing to bet that after a few
years, you will see AMD's showing up in Macs, AFTER, AMD has
had the time to develop the other components that Apple needs.

As for the OS boot question, why does it have to be fixed in the
old BIOS style? Everyone has known for a long time that the
"traditional" BIOS format is outdated and needs revamping. They
still support ISA for christs sake, when was the last time you
bought a new PC that had ISA slots in it? Years ago I'd wager.

My prediction is that Apple will partner with Intel to write a new
"BIOS" that will allow OS X to boot and that OS X will require to
boot, while eliminating support for the things that Mac's won't
need like ISA support. Thus preventing OS X from being loaded
on commodity PC's. At the same time some hacked up boot
loader will allow Windows to be booted on a Mac.

Apple on Intel is a good idea if it gets us to faster, cooler,
smaller laptops and desktops. As for the "noisy fans, Apple does
a damn good job of controlling the fan noise now, and G5's can
and do run hot. I see no problem with them developing some
kind of solution to maintain their quiet reputation.

As for the "Fat Binaries" I can forsee a time when "hybrid" disc's
become the norm. Companies will ship Mac and Windows
versions of all their software on the same disc. It will begin with
Intel/PPC versions for the Mac, and once the transition is
finished, why change just drop the "other" Intel version on there
and voila, less packaging, shipping and marketing costs.

Some companies do this already, mainly for games, but why
could it not be done for other software. With most PC's have at
least a DVD/CDRW drive these days, just package it on a DVD, if
you have a computer that doesn't have a DVD drive, you can
order a CD of which ever type you need.

All in all I view the switch as a good thing. Apple will not become
a commodity PC company, Intel will not take over the desgin
section of Apple, and Apple will continue to innovate. If
anything, it will generate more good news in the PC world. The
developments that Apple forces Intel to make will filter down
into the rest of the marketplace.

I just bought a new iMac and will be buying a new iBook soon. I
have no fear of buying "obsolete" equipment as both of my new
machines and my two old ones will be quite useful until well
after the transition. By the time I need a new computer the
transition will be complete, and all the software I need will have
been ported.

Life is good with Apple.