Dark clouds ahead...
It doesn't matter whether Apple uses Intel or ARM chips. They have already shown with OSX and iOS they can support both architectures on a low-level. The interface elements and support services for those operating systems are optimized for the primary platforms they are targeted to support - iOS for portable touch interface devices, OSX for more complex applications which require more detailed user interaction. There are those applications that span both platforms, like Safari, but for the most part you don't want to run apps optimized for iOS on OSX, and vice versa. The sticky parts are the "in-betweens" - there are times you would like a tablet to function more like a laptop, or a desktop use some sort of touch interface. Apple's development tools and core libraries have come a long way, and are some of the best in the business, and with the explosion of iOS apps there are a lot more Apple developers now. Most developers do not need to access the OS at a level that would matter whether there was an Intel or ARM CPU in it. Or at least Apple does not want them too. The whole issue of FAT binaries is moot to Steve, because of the App store. You will download the version of the software that runs on the architecture you are using. Developers want to connect to customers who will provide a steady income stream. Like Stream has done with games, you will be able to run the same app on multiple platforms depending on your license. The app store model helps fight software piracy for developers too. The big fight won't be over the chips, the operating system, or the applications. It will be over your data - will you control it locally, or will you give control of it up to Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook and the "cloud"?
