Apple Switched to Intel to Go Head-to-Head with Microsoft

I've been seeing more speculation on the Web about the motivation for Apple's switch to Intel's CPUs and the reasons why they shouldn't have switched. Ars Technica gives one more reason why Apple could have stayed on PowerPC if it wanted to, although Apple would have had to wait another year for a new processor if it had, in fact, gone with PA Semi. The more I think about it, though, the more I think Apple deliberately switched to the x86 architecture, with every intention of competing head-to-head with Microsoft.

Imagine how green with envy (or mad with jealousy) the folks at Yellow Dog Linux must have been. Yellow Dog Linux has struggled to remain compatible with Apple computers for years, with no direct support from Apple. It would often take months for Yellow Dog Linux to cobble together support for the latest changes in Mac hardware. And now, with the switch to Intel, Apple provides its own official (beta, but still official) product for dual-booting.

Apple knows its products are cool. Apple knows that no Mac user is going to give up Mac just because they can now run Windows (those cowards left the Mac a long time ago). Many Mac users already run Windows through emulation using products like VirtualPC. In other words, Apple has nothing to lose.

What can Apple gain? Simple: any Windows user that thinks it will be cooler to run Windows on a Mac. Any gamer that thinks it will be cooler to play their Windows games on a Mac. Any iPod user who is attracted to the Mac by the ease of use of the iPod.

So, Apple will have a bunch of previous Windows PC users running Windows on a Mac. What's going to happen to this demographic over time? They'll experience all the frustations of running Windows. Apple says as much on their Boot Camp Public Beta Web page:

Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world.

After experiencing the frustations of using Windows one final time, these users will give MacOS X a try and they'll get hooked!

Don't think this will happen? Think again! PC Mall, a large online PC vendor, has already started selling Intel Macs with Windows XP installed. Go to their Web site and do a search on mac windows and you'll get hits on Intel Macs preinstalled with Windows XP. Yes, these product are about $100 more than the same Mac without Windows, but to a buyer who is sick of generic, unreliable PC hardware, $100 buys them the reputation and style of Apple.

Funny thing is, the short-term effect of this may be that Microsoft's Windows XP license sales may temporarily spike from all the users deciding to run Windows on their new Intel Mac.

With Windows Vista being delayed yet again and Apple gaining mindshare through the iPod, there has never been a better time for Apple to challenge Microsoft head-to-head. This is it. They are doing it now. You read it here first.