Rumor: Apple ditching Intel chipsets for unknown alternative

While the Core and Core2 Duo processors have been very good to Apple and have almost certainly driven sales, there are murmurs that the chipset it’s running on is perhaps no longer adequate. As Apple Insider suggests, it may be that Apple has had enough of thinking not-so-differently from other laptop makers. They may be headed to another provider for the boards, integrated graphics and sound, and so on, hopefully setting Apple’s laptops apart from the pack.

I don’t know what the alternatives really are (and Apple’s not commenting), but if they do pick one, that provider will need to have a licensing deal with intel to work with their processors. Awwwkward! I doubt Intel will take a move like that lying down, and in fact may be holding all the cards in this situation. We’ll keep tabs on it and let you know if anything develops.