Update on the Apple-Intel Alliance

So it's official. Apple and Intel will be working together to create the new generation of Macintosh products. While this isn't wholly unexpected, I think it will be interesting to see how Apple handles the transition this time around.

Those of us who can remember the transition of Motorola's 680XX chips to the PowerPCs could speak on the subject of painful transitions, software incompatibility and perhaps most annoying, peripheral hell.

Apple has made it clear however that while their new platform should be able to install Windows XP, you will not be able to install Mac OS X on just any PC hardware. This answers an early question of mine which centered around Apple's direction as a "systems vendor" or just a "software vendor". Looks like Steve Jobs has confirmed that Apple is aiming to leverage their aesthetic designs to push systems rather than rely on purely software sales.

John Dvorak wrote up his views and contends that this direction of Apple will also affect Linux adopters. While I agree in part with Dvorak's assessment I feel as long as the Apple software is locked (be it firmware or other hardware integration) to a set platform, Linux will be slightly more flexible. I do agree that OS X has made a much better showing at Desktop adoption than Linux has in the last year. On the server-end (which is pretty much where I spend my focus) I feel the Linux kernel still has an edge.

I certainly wish Apple well, as an early Mac user, but I only hope that this rough-ride doesn't cost Apple even more marketshare.