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Not really
The promise of PowerPC from IBM and Motorola was that it would be faster and cheaper than equivalent Intel chips. For the most part, they were but never to the extent that Apple hoped.

The Power architecture isn't dead, nor is it inferior to Intel's latest - the latest G5s are damn good chips. However they are not for PCs anymore - Motorola lost interest and IBM has other fish to fry, so Apple chose a chip supplier who actually cares about PC chips. Intel may have had an inferior achitecture and even made some bad decisions, but overall they are very competitive and PC chips are their bread and butter.

Your statement:

"Apple switches its computers to use those Intel chips that it ridiculed for years"

is complete rubbish. The Core Duo chips used by Apple are vastly different from the Pentiums and Celerons that PowerPC chips competed against. I have no doubt that if IBM wanted to, they could create a PowerPC with better price/performance, but they haven't. After all, the Power architecture has been using quad-core chips for ages and 8 core chips are used in IBM's big iron. Apple has been using dual-core G5s for about 2 years.

Note also that PowerPC multiple-core technology is being used in the latest Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo game consoles. The architecture is alive and very, very well - it's just not inside Apple PCs anymore.
Posted by: Fred Fredrickson   Posted on: 07/19/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Many consumers, especially Mac owners, don't know the difference between a  HypnoToad | 07/19/06
One thing consumers know  tic swayback | 07/20/06
A lot of people don't want to know  Ken_z | 07/20/06
I-word...  macbill | 07/24/06
G5 IS vastly superior  IronCladChicken | 07/25/06
hogwash  ewelch | 07/24/06
People wanted anything but Motorola  IronCladChicken | 07/25/06
I think he has answered that already  quantumstate | 07/25/06
Isn't it funny how Apple championed the PowerPC over Intel for years on end  PB_z | 07/19/06
Not really  Fred Fredrickson | 07/19/06
Errata...  Fred Fredrickson | 07/19/06
Isn't it funny how Microsoft and Sony championed the x86 over PowerPC...  tic swayback | 07/20/06
Or perhaps different things do different tasks  quantumstate | 07/25/06
It's not spin, it's reality  BitTwiddler | 07/20/06
What have you got against Intel?  voska | 07/20/06
old man time  ewelch | 07/20/06
Holy Macs  Chiatzu | 07/26/06
Just show what a company can do when they develope new products  Richard Flude | 07/19/06
Hehe, nice dig!  NonZealot | 07/19/06
Of course  Richard Flude | 07/19/06
Um, no  NonZealot | 07/20/06
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Hehe, true by my standards  NonZealot | 07/20/06
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Heh.  A_Pickle | 07/20/06
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Synergy  tic swayback | 07/20/06
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Windows XP is trouncingly awesome enough as it is.  IronCladChicken | 07/25/06
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Wireless  tic swayback | 07/20/06
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Doh!!  NonZealot | 07/20/06
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Really?  tic swayback | 07/20/06
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cute  voska | 07/20/06
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