Re: Apple's ways

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

Roy Miller <millers@inebraska.com> wrote:

>Supertimer wrote:
>
>> An Apple-Intel partnership simply won't work because there
>> will be resistance not only from the Apple side but also the
>> Intel side which has a relationship of mutual blackmail with
>> Microsoft not to mention several key PC makers.
>
>As a matter of fact, Intel would have loved to have such a partnership, and
>might very well STILL like to have that partnership. An Apple-Intel team had
>a rough port of MacOS to a 486 early in the 90's, but the switch to the
>PowerPC killed that idea. Intel doesn't like having Microsoft control the
>future of their chips, which is one reason they like Linux. If Apple
>switched to the Intel platform, or at least ported to the Intel platform,
>I'm sure Intel would drop a ton of money on the project, as it would: 1)
>expand the market for Intel chips, 2) give Microsoft less control over
>Intel's future

Problem is, Intel is needs Microsoft more than Microsoft needs
Intel.  I remember reading about the whole X-Box double-dealing
last year when, after the Athlon hammered the Pentium III in
clock speed and per-clock performance, Microsoft was
supposed to announce that the Athlon would be the processor
for the Microsoft game console.  Instead, Microsoft dropped a
bombshell on AMD reps right at the press conference, that it
was putting PIIIs in the X-Box.

If Intel started allying with Apple, all Microsoft would have to do
is throw its support to AMD.  With Microsoft's support, I have
no doubt that it would quickly gain widespread acceptance in
corporate circles which have been Intel's traditional stronghold.
Then what's Intel left with?  Apple is too small a fish.

With AMD, it is different.  AMD is the underdog.  It does not
have Microsoft's full support in the first place so it has nothing
to lose if it helps Apple.

>AS for Motorola, as the news this week revealed, they may sell or spin off
>the chip division, as it isn't pulling it's weight. IBM may buy the
>division, or, AMD might. In either case, now it the time for Apple to decide
>to either add the X86 platform, or move closer to IBM, or both.

I have wondered about that myself.  With Motorola, it is kind of
like this big company with a name made of gold...if you think
of cell phones and pagers.  But the better parts of the company
are kind of dragging this dead weight around.  If AMD bought
Motorola's chip division, it could be the set-up for Apple's
transition to x86.  If IBM did, then the PowerPC chip may have
a future.  IBM would certainly be more likely to preserve the
chip as is but AMD might be better for the future of the Mac.