Looks like Apple finally made the leap and announced the worst-kept secret in technology history: they’re officially moving OSX to an Intel platform. MacNN has the WWDC keynotes covered which provide for some interesting reading, namely:
- OSX has been leading a “double life”, with each of the releases having been secretly ported to and run on Intel hardware since the initial release of Mac OSX
- A compatibility layer called “Rosetta” will allow old PowerPC binaries to run, with a small performance hit, on Intel-based Macs. Those who have used the early OSX “Classic” mode will probably have a decent concept of what this will look like.
- Using Apple development tools, software devs will be able to compile PPC, Intel, or dual architecture binaries. The only downside of the dual arch compile will be binary size, IMNSHO. However, with next-gen DVD formats on the horizon, I doubt anyone will care (at least until they have to run Software Update and download 300MB binaries…).
- As good as this might sound to PC addicts, Apple has been quick to quash any notions of OSX running on anything other than a Mac.
More thoughts later…
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I’m not at all sure what to make out of this. My first thoughts refer back to all statements I have heard and read declaring the exceptional performance of the IBM chips.
After the switch, will there really be any difference between computers other than the operating system running them?