Intel Tweet Asking Why Former Mac Users Switched to PC Backfires

[cicalinarrot]

Quite pathetic, Intel.
AMD finally got competitive again, Apple has M1… so Intel CPUs are pretty great too right now.
But their marketing and social media management departments are a disgrace.

 

[ruka.snow]

Intel really needs to be more worried about AMD having much better processors than them and on a tighter budget than Apple. I know they are concerned about the possible demise of AMD64, but everyone else would benefit from more processor instruction sets about that aren't tied to a single country.

 

[DanBig]

Interesting that Intel's Marketing Team thinks it is a good investment of their Marketing dollars to say critical things about their former customers (Apple), whiled ignoring their true competitors (AMD, etc.)

I think it is highly unlikely that Apple would ever become a CPU supplier to outside firms. So the only thing Intel loses to Apple is the business Intel would have had with Apple if they remained a customer. Conversely, their entire existence is put in jeopardy by their competitors.

If I were an Intel shareholder, I'd be pissed at them.

There scared! Simply put.

 

[MauiPa]

It's funny to see Intel going after Apple so hard considering how low the percentage of Mac users is. Just makes them look very desperate. Maybe they should really focus on chip development to keep the other computer makers like Microsoft from jumping onto the ARM/AMD bandwagon.

Excellent point. I just got an M1 MBP, runs cool, long battery life, excellent performance in the price range. My Intel MBP from 2014 is still alive and well, but dang runs so hot (comparatively, I haven't seen it thermally throttle) when using wifi and using the video card. my M1 is over twice as fast at half the price I paid for the Intel (OK, it is a 2014, but Geekbench wise it's faster than an i9 from 2019 - yeah, Intel - low performance, LOL. Let's not forget, the M1 is with a processor with only 4 high performance cores.

 

[Techwatcher]

As pointlessly cringe Intel is being, I do prefer Windows 11/10 over macOS. Typing this from my Intel chipset based windows gaming desktop that I built from the ground up. But Intel should focus on catching up in the nanometer process rather than bashing Apple every second. Even AMD is far ahead of Intel right now and that shouldn't be the case.

 

[MauiPa]

Interesting that Intel's Marketing Team thinks it is a good investment of their Marketing dollars to say critical things about their former customers (Apple), whiled ignoring their true competitors (AMD, etc.)

I think it is highly unlikely that Apple would ever become a CPU supplier to outside firms. So the only thing Intel loses to Apple is the business Intel would have had with Apple if they remained a customer. Conversely, their entire existence is put in jeopardy by their competitors.

If I were an Intel shareholder, I'd be pissed at them.

And a good thing to keep in mind is all the other firms developing ARM or ARM like CPUs. Qualcomm just hired away Apple chip designers, expect them to come out roaring soon. x86 is a great architecture for the 90s

 

[bkendig]

I recently switched from Mac to PC. I had an old MacBook Pro that was no longer useful for gaming, so a few months ago I replaced it with a Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. (I blogged about it, too.)

Yup, I switched ... from an Intel Mac to an AMD Ryzen PC. I recently replaced my Intel i7 desktop PC with an AMD Ryzen desktop PC, too. Those AMD chips are boss. Leaps and bounds over Intel, who hasn't had any major advancements in years.

(Don't worry, I still have Macs. I'm platform-agnostic for the most part.)

 

[twolf2919]

Well I wish Apple all the best of luck with the new MacBook 16, good luck getting you hands on one due to the chip and logistics problems going on. Reminds me of some 20 year ago when Apple was taking a year to deliver a Mac powerbook top of the line computer. I will continue to use my MacBook Pro 16 i9 for many years.

Those M1X chips are souped up A15 processors that come out of the same TSMC chip factory. Given that Apple is, by far, TSMCs biggest customer, Apple won't be suffering any CPU chip shortages. Given how many A15s TSMC produces for Apple, M1x production is almost a rounding error in terms of additional load.

By locking down everything with no upgrades, you are pretty much on the path of Apple dictating when you will need to up date you computer just like the iPhone.

Macs have been 'locked down with no upgrades' for a few years now. It didn't seem to have affected Mac sales - quite the opposite, Apple's PC market share has gone up substantially. Why would a change to M1x change anything?

Will Apple do well with the New MacBook Pro 16? Yes they will but the long term value is now gone, And resale will go into the waste bin. When I can build a state of the art desktop computer for under $3000 that will last me for over 7 years with Windows 11 and have a $650 Chromebook for portable use. I am no longer seeing a great value in Mac Hardware sales.

I will most likely still buy a low end used Mac mini down the road just so I can use Mac OS for my personal business but everything else I once did on the Mac is moving on to other system platforms.

All I can say is that you're not Mac's target market. Apple's target market are folks who don't solely measure value in terms of initial cost and eventual resale return. And as mentioned earlier, Apple locked down the Mac awhile ago. It didn't affect sales nor did it make much of a difference (at least when I resold my old macs) resale wise.

 

[KenAbdul]

Intel is happy to use the block button, so be aware. Not that I cared, but YMMV.
View attachment 1865919

Curious to know what was your tweet? @walterhpdx

 

[twolf2919]

Intel has an idiot in the marketing department.

1. Apple is still a customer. Although I suspect not so much after Monday.
2. intel outsells Apple. it is marketing 101 to never mention your secondary competition.
3. People don’t choose Mac or PC based on the CPU.

Intel outsells Apple? That hasn't been the case for, what, a decade?

 

[throwaway572937]

Intel's inability to move on is borderline r/niceguys content ... might as well rename themselves Incel Corporation

 

[twolf2919]

Get Real. Intel can pack 100x transistors in their CPU's than Apple can. Its not about the size of the CPU its about density.

Nonsense. Apple/TSMC are at 5nm going towards 3nm - Intel has had trouble going below 10nm for years now.

 

[Sullivan0930]

i cant wait for Intel to get a new PR team and see their 2022 rebrand.

I could see them ditching the corporate image they have and going RGB crazy to pull in gamers away from AMD.

 

[theluggage]

Confessions of former Mac users. What made you #GoPC?"

AMD. (Would be the simplest and best response).
But seriously...

Interesting that Intel's Marketing Team thinks it is a good investment of their Marketing dollars to say critical things about their former customers (Apple), whiled ignoring their true competitors (AMD, etc.)

Intel and AMD have played technological leapfrog for years - at the moment AMD have the advantage, but if the dominance of x86 and Windows continues, those tables will turn again... and AMD only have the license to produce x86 chips through the historical accident of IBM demanding a second source - it’s not like any other contenders will emerge, and AMD probably help give Intel a fig leaf against anti-trust claims.

Apple Silicon, however, is the poster child for not just ARM, but for any other non-x86 architecture. It is also demonstrating the power of binary translation software, and also demonstrating how modern software doesn’t need to be written in a CPU-specific way. A successful Apple Silicon could encourage Qualcomm et. al. to make better laptop-class ARM chips and - even without it’s already clear that ASi has the potential to be a better showcase for Windows-on-ARM than the Surface-X should MS decide to support it.

ARM has already denied the mobile market to Intel and Windows. There’s a lot of interest in ARM in the server world - especially where Linux dominates, since it’s far less CPU centric than Windows. ARM (and/or more portable software) getting traction in the laptop and desktop market would be an existential threat to Intel - or at least the cushy deal they’ve enjoyed ever since IBM picked the 8086... So this isn’t about Intel trying to attract Mac users - it’s about attacking the credibility of non-x86 processors.

 

[iFan]

I think the Intel marketing group is being incentivized by engagement, retweets, etc. Bad comments count the same as good comments.

All of this is very short-term thinking, however, because you'd think Intel might be competing against TSMC with their brand new foundry business. 2025 Intel may want to make A series processors, for example. Very odd high-level decisions.

 

[Ethosik]

Apple started their 2016 MacBook Pro designing effort back in 2014. At that time Intel promised Apple would get cooler running chips for that series and moving forward based on the 10 um process they had in the lab. It took them over six years to get to a point they needed to be at back in 2016!

Given Intels failure Apple put in the effort to move to their own chips. How is it Apple is offering a more powerful chip that runs cooler than Intel today, and they still have room to grow!

Intel lost the window and Apples business. Sorry Intel only now are you getting better designs out the door and they are still not running cool enough. AMD is still ahead in the high end CPU designs.

Thank you. At least someone else gets it. I’m tired of hearing the reason why 2016+ are too hot is on Apple. They created it with the thermals of Intel’s roadmap in mind. And like you said, designs are usually a couple years at least prior to release.

 

[Black Magic]

Well I wish Apple all the best of luck with the new MacBook 16, good luck getting you hands on one due to the chip and logistics problems going on. Reminds me of some 20 year ago when Apple was taking a year to deliver a Mac powerbook top of the line computer. I will continue to use my MacBook Pro 16 i9 for many years.

By locking down everything with no upgrades, you are pretty much on the path of Apple dictating when you will need to up date you computer just like the iPhone.

Will Apple do well with the New MacBook Pro 16? Yes they will but the long term value is now gone, And resale will go into the waste bin. When I can build a state of the art desktop computer for under $3000 that will last me for over 7 years with Windows 11 and have a $650 Chromebook for portable use. I am no longer seeing a great value in Mac Hardware sales.

I will most likely still buy a low end used Mac mini down the road just so I can use Mac OS for my personal business but everything else I once did on the Mac is moving on to other system platforms.

I disagree with this statement.

1. Apple MacBooks and iMacs are very durable and can last a decade or longer. They can receive a new OS for at least 7 years. Windows plastic laptop variants are not durable and as you see with Windows 11 your PC/Laptop may not be able to get the new/next OS.

2. Apple users tend to spec out systems they purchase if they intend on keeping it many years. Even if they don't keep it long term, resale value easily blows away anything Windows or Google has to offer.

3. Microsoft and other vendors (as usual) are starting to follow Apple's lead and lock down on hardware upgrades after purchase.

If I was in the market for a system, I would recommend getting a beefy Mac system based on Intel technology so you can do VMs or bootcamp to have the best of both worlds. Resale value will be your friend in the end and it gives you at least 7 years before you need to transition away from Intel.

 

[Kbankjr]

Intel has really been taking shots at Apple lately, meanwhile AMD is their real competition. Apple just stopped using them, AMD is their windows counterpart and Ryzen is on the rise! I know my next windows machine will be AMD.

My son wanted a gaming computer, I hadn't built a computer in quite some time. After doing the research, I decided to go Ryzen, it was the best decision.

 

[MauiPa]

I recently switched from Mac to PC. I had an old MacBook Pro that was no longer useful for gaming, so a few months ago I replaced it with a Lenovo Legion 5 Pro. (I blogged about it, too.)

Yup, I switched ... from an Intel Mac to an AMD Ryzen PC. I recently replaced my Intel i7 desktop PC with an AMD Ryzen desktop PC, too. Those AMD chips are boss. Leaps and bounds over Intel, who hasn't had any major advancements in years.

(Don't worry, I still have Macs. I'm platform-agnostic for the most part.)

You gamed on a MAC? I didn't know people did that. Seriously, More power to you, but I'd rather waste my time on other time wasters, haven't played computer games since space invaders

 

[illitrate23]

This text takes it as a forgone conclusion that the event on Monday will be solely focus on the MacBook Pro and that there won't be, say, a larger iMac announcement. While that's a relatively safe assumption rumor-wise, I would not regard it as a forgone conclusion.

What could possibly go wrong? It’s not like they’ve ever gone all-in on a rumor only to then discover that the watch sides aren’t flat after all…. Oh wait…

 

[Ethosik]

They seem to think the average customer cares about the chip … if I want a MacBook I want a MacBook. I am sure those people don’t give two beeps if it has „intel“ or a „M1“ inside. The new Macs just happen to no longer be using Intel 💁🏼 Good luck Intel

Their arguments are also pointless. Intel doesn’t decide the gaming, or form factor of a device. I doubt you can game with Cyberpunk at 4K on the base Surface Pro. Heck I can’t even do complex After Effects on my Surface Pro.

 

[mattopotamus]

They seem to think the average customer cares about the chip … if I want a MacBook I want a MacBook. I am sure those people don’t give two beeps if it has „intel“ or a „M1“ inside. The new Macs just happen to no longer be using Intel 💁🏼 Good luck Intel

But, the new chip is the reason my 2021 Air runs circles around my 2017 Pro.

 

[DownUnderDan]

I think the real worry Intel has is that Microsoft observes the success of Apple Silicon and decides they would like to get in the CPU/GPU game and design their own ARM based hardware or partner with someone else to do so and emulate Apples tight integration of the hardware with a new optimised version of Windows. After all while Apple silicon is a great hardware platform, it also locks in and funnels all the users dollars straight back to Apple, including what use to be Intels share. It is a cash cow for Apple. Á business stratergy Microsoft and possibly others must be looking closely at.

 

[VulchR]

Sure Mac's have been overpriced. Hasn't one of the reasons for that been expensive Intel processors?

 

[Scotticus]

No one in the history of the world (with full sanity) has gone from Mac to PC, unless forced.

As someone in the music world who's watched dozens make the switch, I can confirm just how wrong you are. You may not have been paying attention, but over the last 5+ years Apple has basically abandoned its creative base. They're trying to make up for it now, but for many it's going to be too little too late.