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AMD wants to worm into Apple

AMD believes that Apple will eventually buy its CPUs in order to offer an alternative to Intel.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Contributing Writer
Until AMD comes out with something that can come close to the Core 2 Duo, why should Apple bother?
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Some bold words from AMD yesterday:

Hector Ruiz, chief executive officer of Advanced Micro Devices Inc., said Apple Computer Inc. will eventually buy its semiconductors to provide an alternative to Intel Corp. chips.

Apple started selling computers based on Intel microprocessors in February, and its exclusive use of them will drive it toward using Advanced Micro parts, Ruiz said in a speech yesterday at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.

"Everybody wants choice,'' Ruiz said in the speech, in which he added that larger rival Intel's practices have stifled the PC industry's growth. "Knowing Apple, why would they want to be held hostage like everyone else has been?''

I just don't see this happening, either now or any time in the next 3 - 5 years.  There's just not enough that separates AMD and Intel to make having two product lines competing against each other worth the fuss. 

To be honest, I really don't think that Apple users want a choice, especially a subtle technical choice.  And I can't see Apple being able to explain to their customers what the difference between an AMD CPU and an Intel CPU.  To be honest, it took Apple years to make the leap to Intel even though the only place where PowerPC microprocessors were faster than Intel and AMD was in Apple's own mind and in their commercials.

And anyway, until AMD comes out with something that can come close to the Core 2 Duo, why should Apple bother? 

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