“Though the transition [to Intel processors in Macs] is likely to be rocky at first for Apple, programmers and customers, the move could lead to Macs that are both more competitive and more compatible with Windows. It could even open the Mac to software titles now available only to Windows users,” Greg Sandoval and Matthew Fordahl report for The Associated Press.

“At the same time, Apple would retain as much control as it wants over its software and brand… Intel has been touting a hardware-based security plan called LaGrande Technology as a way to keep systems secure by locking data with a key that’s embedded in a hardware chip. But LaGrande also could be used to ensure that certain software only runs on permitted machines, such as Mac OS X only running on systems built by Apple,” Sandoval and Matthew Fordahl report.

“But there’s a much bigger opportunity for Apple beyond faster, more efficient chips. Though it will prevent Mac OS X from leaking non-Apple PCs, it could allow Apple systems to run Windows – and its universe of programs – at full speed. Currently, running Windows programs on Macs requires emulators that slow down performance,” Sandoval and Matthew Fordahl report. “‘It seems to me that Jobs is putting himself in the sights of Bill Gates,’ said Don Yachtman, a Salt Lake City-based software developer. ‘Microsoft may act like they don’t care about Apple’s move to Intel but you never know until they launch an attack.’ But Microsoft isn’t likely to complain. After all, Apple or its customers would still have to buy a copy of Windows.”

Full article here.

In a related article, Thomas Claburn reports for InformationWeek, “David Moody, VP of worldwide Macintosh product marketing at Apple, says emphatically that this does not mean that anyone with an Intel-based PC will be able to install the Mac OS X. However, he notes that while Apple will not sell or support other operating systems with next year’s Intel-based Macs, the company has no plans to prevent users from concurrently installing a second operating system like Windows XP. The possibility of running Mac OS X and Windows on the same Intel box may make Apple hardware more appealing to enterprise customers.”

MacDailyNews Take: Apple Mac users won’t be the ones buying many copies of Windows if this comes to pass. We already know which OS we prefer. It’ll be Windows users who like the idea of getting two machines for the price of one that will be buying that copy of Windows to run along with the included Mac OS X on their new Intel-based Macs. The question for which Microsoft might not like the answer is: how many of these initial dual users will decide Mac OS X does everything they need better and forego future versions of Windows altogether? Is Apple setting up the ultimate “Switcher” campaign by preparing to let Mac OS X speak for itself?

Related MacDailyNews articles:
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – June 10, 2005
Twin Mac website debuts, dedicated to dual booting Intel-based Macs running Mac OS X and Windows – June 10, 2005
Cringley: Apple and Intel to merge; Steve Jobs finally beats Bill Gates – June 09, 2005
Fortune: Apple’s switch to Intel processors to accelerate Windows users switching to Mac OS X – June 09, 2005
Will developers stop writing Mac applications if Apple ‘Macintel’ computers can run Windows? – June 08, 2005
Why buy a Dell when Apple ‘Macintel’ computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows? – June 08, 2005