Did Apple ditch IBM - or was it otherwise?

Some analysts believe the real reason for Apple's switch to Intel processors might be IBM's unwillingness to further supply standard products to Apple and to support a relatively broad lineup of processors.

X-bit Labs writes that analyst Boris Petrov, from Petrov Group, believes Apple's disappointment in the PowerPC wasn't the only reason for the 180-degree turn around. He thinks it is likely that IBM's business approach was one of the reasons for the switch.

“IBM no longer sells standard products – Apple’s processor was the last product. IBM’s exit from semiconductor products started several years ago and is now fully completed,” Mr. Petrov he added.

The Petrov Group analyst thinks that the Cell processor is important, but that is now done and over. However, Power architecture and Linux continue to be critical fuel to IBM’s corporate revenue growth – from $100 billion to $200 billion in the next ten years, according to Petrov Group. Petrov says the cellular computing concept approach is the direction of IBM for the near-future. Read more at X-bit Labs