So how much of a dent is this going to put into Apple's profits/market share until the switch over is complete?<br><br>I was seriously considering buying a new iMac G5, my first desktop in years, and giving my iBook to my wife. That was up until a few days ago. Now, I know that if I am careful and a little lucky, I can squeeze another few years out of my iBook. Because who wants to buy a soon to be obsolete PowerPC Mac regardless of how seamless "Rosetta" is supposed to make things for us? <br><br>Anyone else out there changed their buying plans over this "switch"? I love Apple, and maybe they needed to make this change, but I hope they can survive flat sales for the next 2 years, and the partial loss (for the foreseeable future) of a sense of product differentiation that has always drawn people to Mac.<br><br>

Rosetta is for the new Intel Macs so it can run older applications not yet compiled for Intel not the other way around<br><br>If you need the iMac, buy it today.<br><br>I have several Macs that are not brand new and if Apple were to switch to Intel today, I woundn't run out and buy new Macs just because they have a new processor. Software vendors will still support your PowerPC Mac when the Intel Macs arrive so you'll have plenty of software to run on it. You'll get many joyful years from that iMac.<br><br>

Yeah...I'm getting an iBook in the next week or so. I could care less what the processor is. As long as it does what I need it to do!<br><br>

I was debating, but a few more years is just too much to wait- I have the money now, and my machine is just not cutting it any more. I borrowed a friend's copy of Tiger and installed on a 2nd HD just to see if it would run well, and it really doesn't. Time to upgrade. Could be at least 4 years before this all shakes out in Apple's favor, and I ain't got that kinda time..<br><br><br>Back in Black...

Good call. <br><br>Look how long it took for the transition from 9 to X to really stabilize and the good versions of X software to start coming out. <br><br>That was just a new OS...we're talking an entirely different architecture here. I agree with you...4 years before it shakes out. <br><br>

The switch to Intel will do absolutely nothing for Apple's market share, and only a small help to their profits. This move to Intel was strictly to remain in the game, so to speak.<br><br><br><br>CreativeGuy: For your "fix" of design software tips, tricks & commentary.

That's pretty a bold statement considering we haven't seen a) one piece of hardware with the new chips, or b) what the new price points will be...<br><br>Back in Black...

A bold statement, perhaps; but likely closer to the truth than the opposite. If this change produces some dramatic results in the professional fields, we may see an increase in market share over the long haul. I fear there'll be a significant drop in the short term.<br><br>- alec

Well if he had specified 'short term', I might have been quick to agree as well...<br><br>Back in Black...

The small price drop in the cost of the processor isn't going to amount to much for the consumer... maybe a few bucks. Not much else on the inside of the machine is going to change, so the price isn't going to drop. Remember, this is Apple we're talking about. They aren't exactly known for passing savings on to customers.<br><br>And since we're still talking about the Mac OS, the fact that it's an Intel processor really isn't going to mean much to the average company that is already Windows based. Thus, the market share will most likely grow at the same pace as it would if it were still a PPC chip, with the exception that you may get a few "fringe" buyers that are attracted to the speed of the chip, regardless of what OS it runs.<br><br><br><br>CreativeGuy: For your "fix" of design software tips, tricks & commentary.