aloofman said:
Why announce the move so far ahead of time, even though it will hurt current sales?
To give people a lot of time to get used to the idea, and to give developers a lot of time to change, so they don't feel like they've been kicked to the curb.
As for the dreaded "osbourne effect", I have it on good authority (you heard it here first!) that Apple has plans to introduce another product line. Something to do with media, almost like a "walkman for the new millenium". They're hoping if they market it right, it will practically dominate the personal music sales, and maybe even provide a revenue buffer if computer sales drop a bit for a year.
😉
Even more than that, I also have it on good authority that they have put a few dollars in the bank that they've been saving for a rainy day.
And why not AMD? I do think that Intel has good reasons to hook up with Apple because of the OS factor. It gives them potential ways of reducing Microsoft's leverage over them. THAT part Cringely didn't just pull out of his ass.
Okay, this is the part that really bugs me, because people are so caught up in the "counterculture, rebel fit" of AMD and Apple that they seem to be missing the really really really really obvious point that:
1. Apple for almost it's entire existence has been plagued by CPU shortage problems.
2. Intel is the only company in the world that can guarantee these problems go away.
I don't know, maybe I'm thinking differently than a lot of people, but I can't see why so many people are missing this incredibly obvious point. Steve Jobs is sick and tired of having to stand up on stage and promise that they will catch up with everyone else "real soon now" (tm).