Steve announced today at the WWDC that Apple will start a transition again. After coming from 68k to PPC, from OS 9 to OS X, it's time to move on another processor AGAIN. And I thought we could live happy ever after now transitions were finished with Tiger at last...
Apple will release Intel based computers next year. "Our goal is to provide our customers with the best personal computers in the world, and looking ahead Intel has the strongest processor roadmap by far," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "It's been ten years since our transition to the PowerPC, and we think Intel's technology will help us create the best personal computers for the next ten years." Gimme a Power5 and we'll see! You're just killing your hardware market for a year now and what do you think the switchers will feel?

What does it means for us? Well, first that software will come in a double binary form (remember the fat binaries from the 68k/PPC transition?). And developers will have to recompile to have a compatible Intel binary note that I don't say x86 ;). It is supposed to be very easy by using Xcode. We'll see. By the way, all the demoes were on a PIV during the keynote.

Now, why? Apple waits for long time after 3 GHz CPU and more that IBM can't build. Apple waits for a long time for a laptop friendly G5 that IBM can't build. Apple waits for a long time for a bigger, badder, meaner compiler that IBM is making at last for its PPC line. Apple just said, it's over, we move forward were the grass is greener. So long the Power5 and Power6 derivated Gsomething CPU which have a clear and fast roadmap ahead (Power6 in 2007 will start at 6 GHz, see).

Now, one thing to know about Intel, even if they are the largest founder out there and are known innovators. They lag still on a known to be dead x86 architecture. Save if Apple know Intel has something juicy behind his back, the x86 road even if faster now is still not a road for the future. I'm rather confused on this issue. I wonder...

The good news is we have still one of the best OS out there, and that, it won't change, fortunately.

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