Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Apple Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: HerbVic who wrote (23942)	4/14/1999 1:23:00 PM
From: Richard Habib	Respond to of 213177

HerbVic, PPC has had a distinct advantage over X86 based on fundamental technicals. However, Intel is rapidly eliminating that advantage with superior processes and various "workarounds". (Keep in mind I'm talking about X86 here not IA-64) My own read of G4 specs is that it will launch with a reasonable advantage over x86 and rapidly have the advantage shrink as Intel continues to roll out .18 micron products. Look at portables. Even there, where the PPC has a clear advantage, AIM has dropped the ball. Intel's Geyersville technology will result in portables running at 600 Mhz with AC power and 500 Mhz with battery by year end. This will result in rough parity with Apple's Lombard running at 400 Mhz which will likely be contemporaneous. IBM has been an R&D powerhouse and I'd feel much more comfortable with them as the lead PPC supplier. But if you follow the company you can't help but get the feeling that the Apple PPC relationship is very tenuous. The last word we heard was an IBM manager in Dec saying they would work something out with Apple & MOT. No matter how you paper it over, MOTs emphasis such as it is on embedded and IBMs emphasis on servers can't be reconciled. Apple's PPC business is just too small a portion of MOT or IBM for either to really invest PC centric PPC R&D $. Apple R&D $ can't make up the shortfall. That said, this isn't something I'm losing sleep over. First, it's a relatively long term concern (For a trader). Second, Apple management is at least as smart as me and I'm sure they see the picture clearly. I do think this is one of the vague concerns that keeps somewhat of a cap on Apple's stock price. Rich