Apple on Intel, Everyone Just Chill Out!

Apple is switching to Intel chips over the course of the next two years, that's what we know. I have had a few days to digest this information and to put on my pundit cap and try to figure out what it all means for Apple as a company.

However, I noticed something a little odd. Commenters on everyone of our Apple/Intel posts since the announcement have been asking, 'Should I buy a [insert any Mac model here] now or wait until the Intel Switch is done?'

Let me try and answer that simply: if you need a new machine now, buy it. If you weren't going to buy a new machine for another few years, wait. This shift should have no real effect on your purchasing decision. Apple has made it clear that they will be supporting their PowerPC code base for a long time, and that the switch isn't going to happen over night. This will take time, and during that time it would be very silly not to buy a Mac because it will soon be obsolete.

Here's an open secret in the computer business: machines are built to be obsolete the minute they are sold. Mac users are a little spoiled in this respect because our computers manage to hang onto their value much longer than our Wintel brothers and sisters, however, the moment you buy a Mac you should know that sooner or later a newer, shinier Mac is going to be announced. This annoucement hasn't changed that, it has only made it a matter of what chip is kicking around in that newer,  shinier Mac.

Go forth and buy Macs, people!

The picture used in this post is courtsey of Eric Conveys an Emotion.