Apple Goes Intel

According to Apple PR and reports from the WWDC 2005 SteveNote this morning, Apple is going to make the switch to Intel processors beginning in June 2006. My first thought is that it could make for a very interesting future for the Mac -- in a good way -- it sounds like the transition will work pretty well if they've got their coding ducks in a row.

The question of the year, however, will be this -- with an Intel Mac dual-boot into Windows? If it does, then will application developers continue to write Mac versions of their software?

My assumption is a Mac will still be a relatively-closed-system Mac, just with a different processor. But exactly how different is an Intel-based Mac from an Intel-based PC? Isn't someone going to figure out how to get Windows to run on one?

Of course, there's a flipside to that, too...it's called world domination. What if the Mac OS could run on PCs -- and have many fewer viruses? It's possible, I suppose.

Is Apple taking on Microsoft? Think about it -- all the sudden there's an open source-based, standards compliant, highly secure operating system running on Intel processors...ouch, my head hurts!

Of course, along those same lines is a down-side -- there's the issue of how extremely difficult it's going to be for Apple to justify any price difference from PCs if they all run Intel chips. They'll be selling user experience -- and superior craftsmanship -- on its own.

For so long an Intel-based Mac has seemed like such a bad idea that actually reading about the announcement is hard to fathom. I guess all there is to do this that now is wait and see what Steve's plan is.

It's certainly an interesting world all the sudden.