Reports about Apple exploring moving away from Intel processors for the Mac…

I still remember back when there were rumors about Apple considering the move to Intel when they were heavily entrenched in the PowerPC camp, including having just spent much time working with IBM to come out with the PowerPC 970 processor (which was derived from IBM’s then powerful workstation class POWER4 microprocessor) for the Power Mac G5.  That was back in 2003 and most staunch Apple supporters poo-pooed the idea.  As it turned out, the then difficult to verify Marklar skunkworks project (basically an Intel build of Mac OS X which Apple internally had been working on in secret with a select few engineers as a fallback contingency as well as Apple two years later outlining the quick hardware transition that would take place), means that one cannot so easily dismiss these continuing rumors.

For the immediate future though, Intel on the desktop isn’t going anywhere.  But just as the tech landscape has these unforeseen shifts, no one knows what Intel or Apple will be able to cook up over the next few years.  Intel could for example come up with a very compelling mobile processor design.  Or Apple’s own A-series designs could eventually become powerful enough for desktop usage (though there is the issue of the x86/64 compatibility that comes with using Intel when dealing with Microsoft Windows compatibility; a huge selling point which accounts for the continued success of the Mac platform since moving to Intel from the PowerPC).  Which brings us to Microsoft.

The Windows platform isn’t going away anytime soon since it is still entrenched in the corporate arena and still represents a sizable portion of the installed based of desktop computers in the home.  The growth opportunities there are limited though in the face of mobile platforms.  The question remains on whether or not Windows will maintain this overall dominance/relevance as time passes.  Windows 8/RT represents one of those seminal moments especially with the company now taking on two sides of the coin by developing its own ARM based tablet (and soon, its own portable that will run a full version of Windows 8).  It’s a clear shot across the bow to its long standing PC hardware partners which could end up backfiring on the company if neither Surface tablets (RT and Pro) gains the needed traction in the mobile space.  That potential shift with Microsoft’s overall dominance as a software solutions provider could end up playing in Apple’s favor in the future where Windows compatibility is no longer as key as it is now.  Furthermore, Android (and Google Docs versus Microsoft Office) continues to chip away and represents even a greater threat to Microsoft’s cash cows.