Since WWDC I've been thinking about this. There are many ramifications involved with Apple moving to Intel. But one that confounds me, and certainly concerns Apple, is how to preserve its grip on hardware sales while doing so.
Apple has always been about the hardware. Mac OS X is about selling computers. iTunes is about selling iPods. This might seem cold at first, but I think it keeps them on track. Many of us have a passion for Apple's software. To me this means they've done a good job of analyzing the situation and executing upon it.
But how's this equation going to hold up with the Intel switch? One solution seems to be creating tamper-resistant code. Whew. That's a steep mountain to climb. And how much resource will it require?
At a time when Apple hardware sales are on the rise, the Intel switch seems, well, shall we say "bold"? Of course, dumping the iPod mini for the nano took some cajones. Maybe they can get away with this one too.
Derrick Story is the author of The Photoshop CS4 Companion for Photographers, The Digital Photography Companion, and Digital Photography Hacks, and coauthor of iPhoto: The Missing Manual, with David Pogue. You can follow him on Twitter or visit www.thedigitalstory.com.
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