Apple's unexpected move to migrate its entire product line to Intel microprocessors stunned the industry.  The technical explanation for this decision given by Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, centered on the greater efficiency of Intel's microprocessors in terms of performance per watt relative to the PowerPC architecture that Apple had committed to over a decade earlier.  The business case revolved around on the limited ability of IBM to produce a low power version of its Power PC G5 processor for use in Apple's lucrative line of notebook computers.

This case study explores Apple's decision and suggests that it was made primarily for strategic rather than tactical reasons.  Specifically, the move is seen as an opportunity to build a partnership with Intel that will increase Apple's presence in the "digital home" over the long-term and grow market share in the short-term.  It also addresses the technical issues underpinning a move to Intel hardware including the co-development of Mac OS X on both the X86 and Power PC platforms.