The word from the WWDC is that creating native Intel binaries is a breeze if you're on Xcode. Those on CodeWarrior will have it a bit harder. With a year to get ready, there should be a huge pile of Universal Binaries available when the first Intel boxes appear. Developers are saying it's going to be much easier than the Carbon transition.
I think Apple had to do this. IBM clearly wasn't going to deliver a portable-appropriate G5 (even wedging one into the iMac form factor caused reliability problems), and portables now outsell desktops. Plus, IBM is pouring all their R&D money into the next-gen Playstation and Xbox.
So look for a dual-core Yonah-based Powerbook next spring. Then a new Mac mini and iBook, probably based on the single-core Yonah. Probably a new iMac after that, when Intel's next-gen 64-bit chip arrives. Then they'll finish the job with a new PowerMac in late 2007.
There's bound to be some sort of hardware lock on the Apple mobos that enables OS X. This will be hacked, but I'm guessing not many people (in the big picture) will want to put up with the hassle of getting OS X to work on the typical FrankenPC. Hackers will do it, but not Joe User. The OS X-on-Intel-Mac experience will be seamless, and that'll be the selling point. We'll see how it works...
Ryan
[Jun 14, 09:40]Luke [e-mail] One point that someone made was that while processor costs might actually be a bit more, Apple will probably save in the long run, since they have done their own R&D for everything but the processor. That's in contrast to Intel who does the chipsets as well. So now they should be able to use what Intel gives them, vs. having to do it all themselves.
[Jun 14, 12:56]Rspaight That's true. One perceptive point I saw somewhere suggested that it will be similar to OS X: on OS X the grunt work is done by Darwin (not an Apple thing), which frees Apple to spend money on the stuff they do well (the UI, QuickTime, Cocoa, Automator, Spotlight, Expose, etc, etc). With the Intel deal, Intel will be handling the hardware grunt work, leaving Apple free to think up cool differentiating hardware ideas...
[Jun 14, 09:34] Rspaight
The word from the WWDC is that creating native Intel binaries is a breeze if you're on Xcode. Those on CodeWarrior will have it a bit harder. With a year to get ready, there should be a huge pile of Universal Binaries available when the first Intel boxes appear. Developers are saying it's going to be much easier than the Carbon transition.
I think Apple had to do this. IBM clearly wasn't going to deliver a portable-appropriate G5 (even wedging one into the iMac form factor caused reliability problems), and portables now outsell desktops. Plus, IBM is pouring all their R&D money into the next-gen Playstation and Xbox.
So look for a dual-core Yonah-based Powerbook next spring. Then a new Mac mini and iBook, probably based on the single-core Yonah. Probably a new iMac after that, when Intel's next-gen 64-bit chip arrives. Then they'll finish the job with a new PowerMac in late 2007.
There's bound to be some sort of hardware lock on the Apple mobos that enables OS X. This will be hacked, but I'm guessing not many people (in the big picture) will want to put up with the hassle of getting OS X to work on the typical FrankenPC. Hackers will do it, but not Joe User. The OS X-on-Intel-Mac experience will be seamless, and that'll be the selling point. We'll see how it works...
Ryan
[Jun 14, 09:40] Luke [e-mail]
One point that someone made was that while processor costs might actually be a bit more, Apple will probably save in the long run, since they have done their own R&D for everything but the processor. That's in contrast to Intel who does the chipsets as well. So now they should be able to use what Intel gives them, vs. having to do it all themselves.
[Jun 14, 12:56] Rspaight
That's true. One perceptive point I saw somewhere suggested that it will be similar to OS X: on OS X the grunt work is done by Darwin (not an Apple thing), which frees Apple to spend money on the stuff they do well (the UI, QuickTime, Cocoa, Automator, Spotlight, Expose, etc, etc). With the Intel deal, Intel will be handling the hardware grunt work, leaving Apple free to think up cool differentiating hardware ideas...