THE RUNAWAY SUCCESS of Apple"s iTunes for Windows shows that when it"s a matter of software versus hardware, the fruitcakes have it. But we couldn"t avoid noticing that last Friday, Dr Craig "Intel Dude" Barrett was more or less inviting Steve Jobs to start running the Macintosh OS on future CPUs Chipzilla might make.
Of course, the OSX will run on X86s fine right now, if there was a will or a way, but the good Dottore Barrett is telling the world that his firm"s "Vanderpool" project could let Mr Macintosh run the Apple system as well as Microsoft Foghorn Leghorn Longhorn. Of course, this is a clear signal to Microsoft that Intel won"t put up with its nonsense any more, although clearly and absolutely Chipzilla will put up with any kind of rubbish the Vole throws at it.
Intel could make a decent operating system but its senior executives are too frightened of hearing Steve Ballmer whisper quietly to say boo to a goose, never mind Bill Gates. Intel is no doubt also giving the subtle finger to IBM, which seems to have a better kind of chip than it has, judging from the last Microprocessor Forum. With the Alpha now out of the way, there"s only IBM to dispose of, and AMD of course, and the world will be safe for the Wintel Corp once more.