

Why Doesn't Apple Buy Intel? - DaNmarner

I saw it here: https://twitter.com/asymco/status/260181615911776256<p>and I think it makes total sense.<p>Update: here's why.<p>Currently Apple is doing well with chips designed in-house on their mobile devices. It's not a stretch to believe that they would like the same thing to happen on Macbooks and Mac Pros.<p>Buying Intel obviously will benefit them in that they'll have finer control on the chip designs for these non-mobile devices than what influence they have now.<p>The alternative is Apple leaving Intel platform by championing some ARM architecture, which means they'll spend a lot of resources playing catch-up with Intel designs. I believe this situation not only isn't good for Apple, but also bad for the whole industry.
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brian_cloutier
For one, all of apple's best-selling products use ARM chips.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_A4>

Macs sell well, but most of Apple's revenue comes from iPhones and iPads.

Buying Intel would require spending most of Apple's fortune, they're just not
important enough to Apple to be worth it.

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bifrost
It would be stupid of Apple to do so, because they have no core competency in
running a semiconductor business. Apple's margins will be much better if the
design and outsource the chip fab, rather than bringing it in-house. Apple
purchasing Intel would also cause a large problem for the market since nobody
really wants to buy from a competitor.

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DaNmarner
Acquiring Intel doesn't mean replacing it's business operation. What if Apple
kept Intel running as is, but merely use their designing and manufacturing
ability to get better chip for their hardware?

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michaelpinto
A. My understanding is that at this point Intel isn't that good at making
mobile chips which is what Apple needs -- my other guess is that you'd also
get into some government concerns about a monopoly

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bifrost
Intel basically owns the mobile chip market, they're in a significant portion
of the non-Apple smartphones.

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DaNmarner
Apple is the biggest player in the mobile market, they aren't using Intel
chips in iPads or iPhone/iPod Touchs. Kindle Fires have TI chips in them. The
best selling Android smartphones from Samsung/HTC/Motorola all use ARM chips.
Only of late, a couple of small mobile manufacturers announced that they are
releasing Intel-based devices along side of their ARM devices.

I don't see what market Intel owns.

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iamdave
Please God no.

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DaNmarner
Can you provide your reasoning?

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Zenst
He just added not infront of all your logical arguments.

I will add that it makes no sence at all for Apple to buy Intel.

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DaNmarner
I did not provide any arguments above. At this point this thread is nothing
but a bunch of 'yes' and 'no's.

See my update in op.

