[Ti] Let The Platform Wars Begin

[T Molnar]

Apple and Intel

Apple implies bleeding edge, edge  implies cliff, cliff  implies rock 
face, rock face..... they are to be climbed of course :-)

Is Apple:

1. Sport climbing on a fabricated wall?
2. Free climbing with out aid?
3. Traditional climbing placing gear
4. Other?

Anyway....

Apple-Intel causes me to think Trad rock climbing for some reason, ya I 
like metaphor :-)
Little logic ...just what resonates :-)   That good old gut feeling 
that defies logic every time and usually isn't too far from the truth 
(whatever that is LOL)

So Jobs has lost the "line" on his route hitting some un-passable roof 
(or so he says) in some tech chimney,  and there's seems only one 
option really if he wants to keep moving up.  Trouble is (or maybe not) 
he's carrying us along in his backpack, virtually that is :-) or maybe 
we are all tied in with him and
like early Eiger climbs in the 30's if one peels off...well.....send 
roses to my mom, cremation please (that's if you find the body).

He seems to be going for a big dyno over to what he hopes is a solid 
"mother" of a hold, a big intel "wako" hole or nice positive ledge from 
which he can keep going up. (this i suppose is the scenario he is 
relating).  Though he might just be pounding in pitons (which is what 
he wants us to believe, nice and steady and secure)   However, I have 
the feeling this is a lunge or big jump even with OS X on intel for 5 
yrs.

I guess we will see if Apple comes peeling off or sticks it, or sort of 
slowly slides off the face of desktops  as they scrabble to find some 
other holds (to which some of us will be the traumatized witness no 
doubt).

My observation (and yes, sadly experience) is if you try too many of 
these big dyno moves in too short a time (transitions) you've got so 
much lactic acid built up, you just might seize up even if  you know 
what you are doing technically and have all your gear in [ not sure 
what the lactic acid might be in this case -  maybe just the energy 
needed by developers and the public to accept another significant 
change - or  Mac Zealots picketing Apple ;-)  ].

Maybe Apple's is all tied in with a nice comfy belay (Rosetta, Univ 
binaries etc...) but you never know just how good a belay is until you 
actually take a ripper.   Ropes sometimes look just fine but then you 
realize they have been out in the sun too long or have grit in them, 
which compromises their integrity or they have taken a few falls 
already and maybe the next one is the "one too many".  Or all their 
placed gear could zipper on them, not as secure as they thought and so 
their % tank as they peel off into the valley irrelevence below.

I think the Intel "hold" is solid even if its not all that positive in 
places, though it seems flaky in places.

Apple seems to have some good purchase aka grip and hold, but timing is 
everything when you take such chances and
regardless there is always unknown things, no matter how well you plan.

Of course this assumes if you do the big dyno you are on some area of 
the rock face that you really want to be, not just where something has 
pushed  you offline (waves at IBM) and you dont' have the best footing 
or hand placement you would like.   s

Despite planning this is all unknown stuff (what Jobs is planning) you 
can scope it out all you want below but making the move always brings 
surprises.

I keep having this vision of Stevey on the rock face, he scoped out a 
route (IBM) but its played out and now he is standing with Sewing 
machine arms and legs (all a tremble from the lactic acid).  He's a 
great climber, but he's really going "waaayyyy" out there to make the 
lunge and place some gear into the hopefully more secure and bomber 
placement near the big Intel Wako.

I hope he sticks it, I am rooting for him, but despite his calm 
demeanour I am nervous for Apple [ as nervous as a non multi 
millionaire can be LOL  :-) ]
He's really telling us to get ready on Belay as he does his thing.  He 
has pulled off some brilliant moves in the past and flashed (climbed 
something site unseen with no beta - info) the whole Ipod thing.
Still I am bit worried but not in a nostalgic kind of haze.

Regardless I will keep buying Apple until Stevey transitions to 
Longhorn ;-0

This is just fascinating to watch whatever happens.

regards
tm


tim.molnar
http://www.digitaltao.ca
tam at em.ca
tmolnar at uvic
phone: 250.472.5289