WOW, my first post!
My $0.02, this is a real barnburner!
C|net, the Register, the WSJ, and that Scrotum guy all saying Intel Inside?
I'm sorry for you fanboyz, but there has got to be some major truth to this one!
1)\tYou all say, "Can't be true because none of the Mac Rumors sitez have any dirt." Duh, none of these sitez have access to Apple's top-level management, where do you think this decision is being made? Further, the normal rumors (hardware/software developments) must be known to a reasonable fraction to those on the Cupertino campus, thus Thinksecret "breaks" the PM update, what 7-10 days ahead of the actual announcement (that was hardware folks, actual tangible hardware shippable at that time). Obviously, that Criminally Insane Jobs (CIJ) is keeping a tight lid on things. Finally, donÂt you think its plausible that CIJ would want it to leak to the mainstream media (vis-Ã*-vis his dislike of Mac rumorz sitez), to diffuse the mass suicide that would occur at WWDC 2005 were he to blindly announce this nuclear option. Imagine, the faithful all seated, ready to hear the CIJ gospel, when poof, Beelzebub appears to announce his takeover of heaven. What a bummer man. My bet is that there is utter silence, followed by a heavy dose of RDF, followed by a mass conversion of biblical proportions. And look, whose that handing out Kool Aid at the back of the conference room, why itÂs Andy Grove. WTF, me first, me first!
2)\tWhatÂs the ratio of PC to Mac developers? Probably not to dissimilar to there respective market shares? How much work is it to port x86 appz to x86 appz? Zero! Their x86 binaries, are they not? Yes, I know, there are ÂlittleÂ things like the GUI and what not, but I will assume that CIJ will make every effort to make this as seamless as possible. The same argument goes for gamez. Hardware incompatibilities? What hardware incompatibilities, its x86 peripherals on x86 systems! Jeez, as it stands now, PC peripheral companies make just about 100% of Mac peripherals anyway! What about Mac only (especially Apple Corp.) developers? How about a 25-fold increase in potential sales due to the PC to Mac installed base? IsnÂt this enough incentive. If not, then go develop for Linux. Its do or die, sink or swim, put up or shut up, read Âem and weep, game over! Do you get it now? You have been assimilated; the dark side has got you by the cahones!
3)\tWTF, whereÂs the vaunted PowerBook G5, whereÂs the vaunted PowerMac Quad G5 (with PCIe, etc.), whereÂs the 970GX or 970MP? Yes, I know heat and production issues. WhoÂs making/selling dual core CPUÂs/desktopÂs now? Who will likely be the first to 65nm and then 45nm? Intel and AMD! I can fully understand why CIJ is pissed off! PowerBook? More like SlowerBook to me! ItÂs what, like 12-24 months behind the PC laptops now? And Counting! Why must I wait several months (years?), while my PC brethren get the latest hardware, and at a substantially lower price point? Can you say market share? I fully blame IBM; Apple must by now be such a 3rd tier player in their eyes (after itÂs own hardware needs and now the 3 game console makers). WhatÂs the installed PC base? 300-400 million. Over what time span? 10 years? 20 years? How many PS2Âs have been sold? 90 million. Over what time span? 3-4 years? Do the math! Oh, and forget about Cell on Mac, not going to happen now!
4)\tBTW, IÂve personally owned/purchased Macs over the past 12 years. My choice! Not because of the hardware, but because of the software. To paraphrase Slick Willie, ÂItÂs the OS, stupid.Â
5)\tHowever, my work environment requires that I use PCÂs, and I have done so for over the past 20+ years. Their choice! Times change however, and I can no longer afford the luxury of the Mac price point experience. Unfortunately, my next purchase will be a 64-bit dual-core AMD laptop, which is likely to cost under $2K! Hey Andy, how about another cup of Kool Aid? See yah, donÂt want to be yah! IÂm off to the crack house, then the meth lab, then the head shop, and then a final stop at the S&M Barbie Ho House!
6)\tTrool, trool, trool your boat. Gently down the streamÂ.