Apple goes Intel. Why?, Apple Options

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Apple goes Intel. Why?

[lepetitmartien]

The 64 bitness of an OS is at multiple levels, OS X started with the memory, and Tiger goes further (I don't remember the details). G4 are basically 32 bit chips, but the data path is 128 as all PPC. G5 is a 64 bit chip, which understand 32 too, still with the 128 bit data path (that's the chunks moving in).

In fact on a 32/64 processor (I hope I won't say to many stupidities, it's from memory) to get the advantage of 64 bits (which are only important for big numbers crunching as in audio) you need for the most part in the OS and the apps, only the parts that are really worthy to be 64 to do. the rest written for 64 bits will only boost things marginally of at all (it may even slow down things).

So with a memory organized in 64, parts of the OS (and more to come) in 64, and part of apps too, it's a good way to make it easy on developers and benefit still from the boost.

I won't go further, I'm not able too, and also, it's not that important for us. what is important is:
- we have a partly 64 bits system, and it's build in the parts that benefit the most of it (unfinished yet but still further already than XP 64 as far as I know)
- our memory is 64 (that was why we could have 8 GB or RAM on G5 uh!)
- developers can code part of their apps in 64
- G5 are made for it.
- the Intel 64 CPUs are coming next year (don't search the coincidence, it's not one!)

note there's ONE drawback with 64 bit, in memory it takes live estate. 64 eats RAM!