Comments on: Really? Apple should acquire AMD?

By: Kendall Tawes

Kendall Tawes — Tue, 15 May 2007 19:14:20 +0000

I don’t know if that would be too good. Intel is making some good stuff right now. I’m just worried Apple would be getting it self into another PowerPC conundrum and if it was an owner there would be even more trouble if the time comes to switch again. I think Apple will stay away just so it can keep it’s options open so if Intel starts screwing up they can quickly jump ship before worst come to worst.

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 05 May 2007 03:18:28 +0000

To me this is more like a AMD Vs Intel questions.
AMD dont make better processors. Power Consumption wise and small form factor wise Intel is a lot better in those area where apple are interested.
AMD dont have the capacity. Where with Intel apple can go and order how much they want and Intel would have NO problem keep up with it.
Engineering Resources. Apple have limited resources and therefore will need as much help as they need. Intel has provided engineer to help from tuning Objective-C Compiler to OSX code base.

By: g

Fri, 04 May 2007 01:25:07 +0000

I don’t know how this could help Apple right now. OK, AMD makes better processors (except for the last few months where CoreDuo is found better in most benchmarks). So what ? Apple finally understands that, if they want to be ultra-profitable ala Dull or Micro$oft, they have to act like them. Having the better product doesn’t really matter as long as good marketing will sell millions. Strong guts and shareholders greediness were required in order to drop a superior platform (PowerPC) for the unspectacular, already peaked, but benchmark-friendly x86 platform in the first place, it’s highly unlikely Apple would switch from Intel now. Since by going Intel only also helps Apple hurting HP’s and Dell’s businesses.

But, if AMD comes with better CPU family, chicken-hearted companies such as HP and Dell embrace it and the state acknowledges Intel’s monopolistic practices, things could change.

By: mdmunoz

mdmunoz — Thu, 03 May 2007 22:34:22 +0000

I am all in favor of Apple making their hardware in-house. I’d actually be pleasantly surprised if they bought AMD.

By: nfoo

nfoo — Thu, 03 May 2007 19:55:10 +0000

Why not go all the way and after switching to AMD drop OSX and move to Linux. This is the bs direction these ideas come from.

Apple had a good reason to switch to Intel: very fast Chips with low energy consumtion, faster than the AMD and look at the MacPro: eight cores now. It’s a great platform and will even improve in the very near future.

It is the best Platform right now. And that’s why Intel is more successful than AMD. No reason hating a company for the success they have by making a great product.

AMD fanboys: go buy a Dell with Linux and have fun starring at you boot up terminal text output … he he …

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 03 May 2007 18:03:26 +0000

“Unless the acquired AMD is unable to keep up with Intel and Apple once again has slower computers on the market than its Windows-based competitors.”

Wait, we’re admitting that Macs were slower than PCs now? What happened to the architecture argument?

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:48:27 +0000

This guy doesn’t have a great track record of insightful articles about Apple. The Macalope took apart one of his articles here http://www.macalope.com/2007/04/03/arrogance/ in which Hora complains about Apple not showing up to some trade show most people have never heard of. (John Gruber points out that iPhone actually *was* shown in the Keynote) http://daringfireball.net/linked/2007/april#tue-03-arrogance

By: Ricki

Ricki — Thu, 03 May 2007 14:27:07 +0000

Well mind experiments are always funny.
But seriously if Apple were to go out an purchase a company for the benefit of having components produced in-house, then I would recommend them buying a company that makes a living selling flash based RAM. That would be an investment, CPU’s are overrated…especially AMD CPU’s. Last i checked Intel is actually not that expencive, not in a £1000 notebook anyways.
There are tons of speculations on why Apple choose Intel “back in the day” but they still get the most mileage per watt so why do the whole “spend billions on transporting OS X to another chip” again.

Here is a strategy for Apple, get all the strange flaws out of the notebook line, then they will have a foundation to build on for years. Like the iBook and Powerbook, those things are sturdy as ****. People buy notebooks, not CPU’s IMHO.

I dont think the CPU is such a big piece in the notebook puzzle, there are thousand of other components that have influence on the finished system and they are all produced by 3. party vendors.

By: Lime

Lime — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:48:00 +0000

Sounds more like some AMD fanboy is worried they’re going under