The Apple and Intel Marriage: Another Viewpoint

Last week the rumor that Apple was talking to Intel about using their chips in Apple computers spread across the net. Intel has talked to Apple many times before but this time the rumor seemed to catch fire a bit faster then in the past. Why? Well it’s been said that Jobs is set to bring a tablet computer to Apple’s family. If that’s the case, then they certainly need a cooler chip then anything that IBM can give them. It’s also been said that Apple is using talks with Intel to spur negotiations with IBM. Then there is the possibility that it may be a distinct effort on Jobs part to become a real player in the computer market.

According to Fortune Magazine,  “Jobs’ options are many. For one thing, Intel badly wants to sell its chips to Apple. For another, PC makers realize that the Mac OS X operating system is superior to Microsoft’s Windows, and they want a piece of that market. FORTUNE has learned that Apple, Intel, and several PC companies already have the Mac OS X operating system working on Intel chips in their labs. And then there’s the fact that more PC users are considering switching away from Windows. There are more Mac fanatics now than ever before. The Mac OS X operating system is superb, especially in its new “Tiger” version, and Apple’s brilliant iPod is this decade’s signature tech device so far.

My colleague Brent Schlender addressed this in his excellent cover story back in February, “How Big Can Apple Get?”: “Most tantalizing of all is scuttlebutt that three of the biggest PC makers are wooing Jobs to let them license OS X and adapt it to computers built around standard Intel chips. Why? They want to offer customers, many of whom are sick of the security problems that go with Windows and tired of waiting for Longhorn, an alternative.” (I helped Brent report that part of the story.)

I for one would love to see Apple start to make a move in the computer field, they’ve spent a ton of effort and resources in the audio field with the iPod becoming the top MP3 player in the world. They have a great OS, it’s time more users have the opportunity to experience it. The bottom line is that whether there is any substance to the Intel talks or not, Apple continues to keep it’s name and brand in front of the public. That can only mean bigger and better things for the folks in Cupertino.