Jobs likely to unveil laptop with new processor
Jim Jamieson
Province
Speculation is rampant that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will unveil his company’s first Intel Corp.-based computer today at Macworld Expo.
Jobs dropped the bombshell last June when he announced that Apple would shift from a processor platform that has been built by Motorola and IBM for the past 21 years.
Jobs traditionally makes a least one major product introduction during his opening keynote speech at Macworld and it’s expected by analysts and numerous industry watchers that he’ll show off an Intel-powered laptop, either the iBook or the PowerBook, about five months earlier than expected.
Intel chips cost less, run faster and generate less heat than the products built by Motorola and IBM, meaning higher performance machines with a smaller footprint and possibly at a lower price.
Richard Smith, professor of communication at Simon Fraser University, said the relationship will benefit both companies.
“Intel in the last years has turned the tables on PowerPC [Apple’s current processor type] by coming in with lower power consumption and faster processors,” said Smith.
“For Intel, it gets on board with a company that has a small, but important share of the market. This could be an excellent business partnership.”
© The Vancouver Province 2006
