There's been a rush of Apple on Intel discussion/speculation over the past few days in the Mac Media. Mac OS X on Intel/Non-PPC is not a new topic of discussion and crops up almost as frequently as the Apple PDA rumors.
The recent surge was triggered by one analyst's opinion (CNet)... and is certainly not an original thought. Speculation began in March 2000, ever since Darwin was first compiled for Intel... since then, the topic has returned on numerous occasions but without even a rumor as a foundation. Historically, there is some basis for it - as Apple did have a project (Star Trek) bringing Mac OS to Intel.
Rumor-wise, the most striking trend that appears is Apple pursuing further independence...
Some have felt that the recent introductions of iCal and an updated Mail client are attempts to replicate Entourage functionality. While, conspiracists continue to believe that a Sun-Apple StarOffice is in the works... and other signs point to an Apple Office suite may be a direction.
Phasing out OS 9 can also be seen as a move to isolate Mac OS as a platform independent entity... but would also serve the purpose of pushing developers and users to adopt the new platform.
NVidia has also received much attention as a possible chipset on which to base a new platform. The PowerPC has been the assumed processor on such a motherboard, but a new columnist at Spymac speculates that it may be a complete departure. An NVidia-Apple partnership is not a new concept in the Mac rumor scene - with an April, 2002 Architosh article hinting at an NVidia-Apple partnership, as well as subsequent nForce 2 and Apple hints.
In the end, no true specifics are presently available, but Apple seems dedicated to PPC... for now.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
