Apple is fond of Intel's future vision

Steve Jobs' keynote speech at Apple's WWDC was quite a shock for many people because it confirmed the rumours about a move to x86 processors from Intel. It's one of the most surprising announcements in the computer industry for quite some years. A switch from IBM PowerPC to Intel processors? Most people would have called very unlikely a few months or weeks ago.

AnandTech has published a new article about Apple's move to Intel. Covering some important topics such as compatibility with PowerPC applications on the Intel platform. They take a quick look at the possibilities of Rosetta, Apple's PPC to x86 binary translation software.

They also make a guess about which x86 processors Apple will start using. Initially it could be the upcoming 65nm single-core Cedar Mill and dual-core Presler desktop processors and Yonah, a dual-core Pentium M that will be launched in the first quarter of next year.

But AnandTech believes we shouldn't solely look at the current and next-generation fo processors. They say Apple is very fond about Intel's future vision for the next five to fifteen years. This includes Intel's Platform 2015 vision, the successor of the Pentium 4 NetBurst architecture and Intel's mobile processors starting with the dual-core Yonah in Q1 2006. Intel believes that by 2008 notebooks with the Pentium M will run for eight hours on a single battery charge.

It's still note sure whether Apple will use Intel's current Pentium 4 processors. It could be that they will completely skip the NetBurst architecture and wait for Intel's next processor architecture which might be launched with the Conroe in late 2006.

They also took a look why Apple didn't choose for AMD. Read more at AnandTech