> "Apple can pull it off because they already own entire stack from hardware to operating system to cloud services and the can swap out a component like CPU for a different architecture and release new version of OS that supports it."
Note that this is the same model that Sun Microsystems, DEC, HP, etc. had and it didn't work out for them.
I'd venture to say that it currently only works out for Apple because Intel has stumbled very, very badly and TSMC has pulled ahead in fabbing process technology. If Intel manages to get back on its feet with both process enhancements and processor architecture (and there's no doubt they've had a wake up call), this strategic move could come back to bite Apple.
Without Linux, they would've lasted longer but still would've lost out on price/performance against x86 and Intel's tick-tock cadence well before Intel's current stumble. We might all have wound up running Windows Server in our datacenters.
Note that this is the same model that Sun Microsystems, DEC, HP, etc. had and it didn't work out for them.
I'd venture to say that it currently only works out for Apple because Intel has stumbled very, very badly and TSMC has pulled ahead in fabbing process technology. If Intel manages to get back on its feet with both process enhancements and processor architecture (and there's no doubt they've had a wake up call), this strategic move could come back to bite Apple.