Apple to Adopt Alternative Chipsets for Next Laptops?

what?! this probably kills the rumor that the new macbook pro's will be released in august...since apple isn't using the montevina platform, there's no need to compete with other computer companies new montevina laptops. It looks like we will have to wait till late september for new laptops...looks like I'll be buying a new sony vaio for college =(

AppleInsider claims that Apple will forgo the use of Intel's Montevina chipset in their next generation laptops. Instead, Apple will either design their own chipsets or could adopt 3rd part chipsets from AMD or Via.

It should be said however, this does not mean that Apple will be moving away from Intel's processors. The chipsets are simply the support chips required to interconnect the processor and the rest of the computer. Intel's Montevina platform (now known as Centrino 2) consists of a Penryn processor, the Montevina chipset and wireless networking interface. Future laptops will continue to use Intel's most recent Penryn processors which provide improved bus-speeds (1066MHz).

To the customer, Apple's decision to use 3rd party or custom chipsets is not of great significance, as all the chipsets should be functionally identical. However, AppleInsider speculates that Apple must believe there is some competitive advantage in pursuing alternative chipsets, such as improved power consumption.


Article Link

You mean AMD, the almost bankrupt company? I'd rather bet my stakes in Via or some other alternative provider...although I fail to see the advantage in using ANOTHER chipset with Intel chips, when the best chipset integration possible will most probably come from Intel itself...:rolleyes:

Since when does AMD produce chipsets for Intel CPUs???

And why is NVIDIA not mentioned?

Page 2 material.

Design their own chipset? Wouldn't they need experience in CPU design and fabbing...

Oh wait, WHO did they buy a little while back?

NAAAH. I can't see them doing this. Not at this stage of the Intel switchover...

Surely not...???

so....montevina...remember when?


Weird.

If Apple does this it will effectively be aiming the gun at their feet, blowing off each toe individually, blowing off both feet entirely and then hobbling around on stumps.

One of the major reasons Apple is seeing an increase in marketshare right now is because of recommendations by techheads. If you buy a Mac, you have a failsafe: you can always run Windows or other common OSes at native speed if things don't work out. Few people do this, but having the OPTION has given Apple the leeway they needed to make inroads into the greater consumer market.

Now, by the sounds of it, they're either going to do their own chipsets or possibly avoid Intel entirely. Boneheaded move, and it'll send their stock price into the reverse direction.

I know that I personally will not buy a Mac if they leave Intel. I bought one *specifically* because they moved to Intel. I recommend them now *specifically* because they're Intel. If they do their own chipset, I'm heading back to the HP/Dells/etc. of the world. I won't like it, but I'm not going to get tied into a platform only one OS uses.

Apple used to design their own chipsets for PPC.

And why does this speculation stop there and does not consider Apple doing the whole design and just going to someone like TSMC for fabbing?

Despite the explanation in the MR article, people will insist on confusing "chipset" with "processor" :D

They're two different things. Chipset does not = CPU.

This would more likely mean addition acceleration of certain things ALONGSIDE the standard Intel CPUs.

Sounds good to me!

And sounds right in line with Snow Leopard's developer optimizations (OpenCL, etc.)

Or additional chips not considered the "chipset" could come from Apple's recent acquisitions. Either way, why not create hardware benefits that plain Windows PCs can't do? I hope it's true.

Now, by the sounds of it, they're either going to do their own chipsets or possibly avoid Intel entirely. Boneheaded move, and it'll send their stock price into the reverse direction.

I know that I personally will not buy a Mac if they leave Intel.

Who said anything about leaving Intel? Where is that coming from?

The MR article itself says otherwise.

(Maybe people read only the headline--and think "chipset" means "processor"--and then vote or comment? :p )

umm..re-read the original post.

I can't help but think this rumor is totally wrong. Intel makes the BEST chip sets around, hands down. Why Apple would want to monkey around with VIA (which has sucked since 1999) or AMD (who is almost bankrupt but they acquired ATI who made decent chip sets before the acquisition). nVidia could be an option but trust me, nVidia chip sets use MEGA power so that is doubtful too. If Apple wanted something 'special' they would be idiodic not to look right to Intel. This rumor makes no sense to me whatsoever.