Apple - Intel Inside?

wolverinero79 · May 23, 2005

Wow...

<A HREF="http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050523/tech_apple_intel.html?.v=3" target="_new">http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/050523/tech_apple_intel.html?.v=3</A>

I'm just your average habitual smiler =D

dunklegend · May 23, 2005

If they're changing why not go with AMD?

Nothing is as easy as it looks

over_c · May 23, 2005

I don't think they are going to start putting Pentiums in the Macs. They are just going to contract with Intel to produce the chips of Apple's design. From the article, it appears that is their relationship with IBM currently.

slvr_phoenix · May 23, 2005

a spokeswoman for the computer maker characterized the Journal report as "rumor and speculation."

<pre>Jesters do oft prove prophets. -Regan in
King Lear (Act V, Scene iii) by William Shakespear</pre>@ 188K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

slvr_phoenix · May 23, 2005

They are just going to contract with Intel to produce the chips of Apple's design. From the article, it appears that is their relationship with IBM currently.

My understanding was that this was true of the G4 (which used to be produced by Motorola), but the G5 (that pulled Apple's butt out of a deep dark hole) was completely IBM's design.

It's possible that Apple is just searching for someone to fab their procs, like they always due, but it's hard to believe that they'd actually turn to Intel for that. :\ I think I'd sooner believe that Apple would allow 3rd party manufacturers to produce Mac-branded computers. :O

<pre>Jesters do oft prove prophets. -Regan in
King Lear (Act V, Scene iii) by William Shakespear</pre>@ 188K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

RichPLS · May 23, 2005

AMD is a small company producing small quantities compared to Intel. Apple already has supply issues with IBM, and to consider AMD would exacerbate the problem, instead of resolving it.

<pre>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre>

dunklegend · May 23, 2005

Yeah but I thought apple was interested more in quality than quantity as his share in the market suggests

Nothing is as easy as it looks

chuck232 · May 23, 2005

In any case, I don't think Intel does fabrication outsourcing. I'm pretty sure they only make their own chips in their fabs. Apple would have to go to the likes of UMC, TSMC, or National for that kind of outsourcing.

<A HREF="http://nfiniti.blogspot.com" target="_new">nfiniti plus one - my blog</A>

wolverinero79 · May 23, 2005

I would tend to agree with that - AMD needs to focus on getting AMD designed chips out their doors.

Intel's fabs aren't exactly sitting idle though - in fact they are absolutely packed (and I doubt they'd build a new fab exclusively for this business venture).

Edit: <Removed comment that mimics what is already said in the article>

I'm just your average habitual smiler =DEdited by Wolverinero79 on 05/23/05 04:44 PM.

jmwpom3 · May 24, 2005

Well, as said in the original linked article:

But it said the talks could break down or could be a tactic to gain negotiating leverage with Apple's current chip supplier, International Business Machines Corp. 

And the speculation has already boosted their numbers.

 AMD- Intel's choice for Best CPU manufacturer

wolverinero79 · May 24, 2005

Woah...i didn't see that part. Ooops!

I'm just your average habitual smiler =D

chuck232 · May 24, 2005

Much like Dell pulling Intel's string by saying they're talking with AMD and the sort?

<A HREF="http://nfiniti.blogspot.com" target="_new">nfiniti plus one - my blog</A>

P4Man · May 24, 2005

I've seen these so often. "Apple using Merced ?", "Apple porting to Hammer !",..

I assume its indeed just a tactic to turn the thumbscrews on IBM. If its not, at least my guess would be its not about x86 cpu's. Apple moving to x86 would be suicide for them, there is no way they can compete with the Dells and Alienware's of this world.

While far fetched perhaps, I'd rather see them moving to Itanium. Take a 90nm IPF chip, strip it of most of its cache, and you get the typical Apple cpu:
- more or less affordable
- almost no competition for that platform
- almost no software available
- not x86
- generally slower than x86 but good FP potential

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my wife. =

P4Man · May 24, 2005

>Intel's fabs aren't exactly sitting idle though - in fact
>they are absolutely packed

Thats not what I hear. AFAIK, like most companies in the business, they have a serious overcapacity, especially at "older" process nodes. Its not for no reason they make flash and dump it low, loss generating prices.

Don't confuse the lack of availability of their high end offerings with insufficient fab capacity.

= The views stated herein are my personal views, and not necessarily the views of my wife. =

RichPLS · May 24, 2005

"Don't confuse the lack of availability of their high end offerings with insufficient fab capacity."

Does Intel make "High End Chips" anymore??? Oh, you must be referring to high priced

<pre>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre>

dunklegend · May 24, 2005

Well that's high end at least in the price scale!

Nothing is as easy as it looks

jmwpom3 · May 24, 2005

Agreed, I don't think there's any way they would us an x86 based chip. If anything, it would just be thier chip produced by intel. (if that's even a possibility) Which, of course, is why it's probably just a leverage move.

 AMD- Intel's choice for Best CPU manufacturer

slvr_phoenix · May 24, 2005

While far fetched perhaps, I'd rather see them moving to Itanium. Take a 90nm IPF chip, strip it of most of its cache, and you get the typical Apple cpu:
- more or less affordable
- almost no competition for that platform
- almost no software available
- not x86
- generally slower than x86 but good FP potential

**ROFL**

Apple moving to x86 would be suicide for them, there is no way they can compete with the Dells and Alienware's of this world.

How would moving to x86 make Apple any less competetive against Dell and Alienware than it is now?

<pre>Jesters do oft prove prophets. -Regan in
King Lear (Act V, Scene iii) by William Shakespear</pre>@ 188K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

RichPLS · May 24, 2005

"Apple moving to x86 would be suicide for them, there is no way they can compete with the Dells and Alienware's of this world."

because of the coupe of thousand worldwide users of Apple, being mostly artistic liberal PC illiterates, they would then boycott Apple for swapping chip suppliers whether or not it improved the product or lowered cost or increased availability!

<pre>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre>

slvr_phoenix · May 24, 2005

because of the coupe of thousand worldwide users of Apple, being mostly artistic liberal PC illiterates, they would then boycott Apple for swapping chip suppliers whether or not it improved the product or lowered cost or increased availability!

I doubt that most would even know the difference, so long as you ported their OS and software and called it Mac OS XI (Puddy Tat).

<pre>Jesters do oft prove prophets. -Regan in
King Lear (Act V, Scene iii) by William Shakespear</pre>@ 188K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

RichPLS · May 24, 2005

But Intel inside would have to change their trademark from an Apple to a Jalapeño!

<pre>°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°`°¤o \\// o¤°`°¤o,¸¸¸,o¤°
And the sign says "You got to have a membership card to get inside" Huh
So I got me a pen and paper And I made up my own little sign</pre>

slvr_phoenix · May 24, 2005

Or maybe something as American as Apple Pi(ntel insid)e, you know with a nice new steaming hot logo. Maybe to cater to the nonconventional thinkers they can offer a model that also serves as a small convection oven to cook apple pies in. 😉

<pre>Jesters do oft prove prophets. -Regan in
King Lear (Act V, Scene iii) by William Shakespear</pre>@ 188K -> 200,000 miles or bust!

apesoccer · May 24, 2005

I doubt this will really happen...

A. They would have to port the software and OS, which would be a hellovan undertaking; risc to cisc processor...bleh; no way
2. The applestians would revolt because they weren't using koshier cpus, even though they wouldn't know the difference between the two;
III. It's an obvious ploy by jobs that ibm is probably laughing their arse off at...

Right now, jobs is probably cringing since this went so big. LOL. Oh and for what its worth...I have 2 apple's. apple IIe (long live lemonade stand!!!!) and a clone.

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+][2500+][2000+ down][1.3x2][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][P4 3.0x2][P4 2.4x5 down][P4 1.4]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL Time

apesoccer · May 24, 2005

I think the G4's were ultimately produced(designed?) by Ibm as well. The G3's may have been as well. I used to know...back when i was a appleist.

Edit: OK, i double checkedd that...The g3 and g4 were codesigned by IBM and Motorola.

F@H:
AMD: [64 3000+][2500+][2000+ down][1.3x2][366]
Intel: [X 3.0x3][P4 3.0x2][P4 2.4x5 down][P4 1.4]

"...and i'm not gay" RX8 -Greatest Quote of ALL TimeEdited by apesoccer on 05/24/05 04:05 PM.

jmwpom3 · May 24, 2005

Hey, BTW, one of you guys care to give me some kind of help on this thread??

<A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/mobile/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=4952#4952" target="_new"> here </A>

 AMD- Intel's choice for Best CPU manufacturer

Apple - Intel Inside?

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Splendid

Splendid

Champion

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Champion

Distinguished

Distinguished

Splendid

Champion

Splendid

Champion

Splendid

Distinguished

Distinguished

Distinguished

Share this page