Mac transition to Intel processors: Difference between revisions

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The '''Mac transition to Intel processors''' was the process of switching the [[central processing unit]]s (CPUs) of [[Apple Inc.]]'s line of [[Mac (computer)|Mac]] and [[Xserve]] computers from [[PowerPC]] processors over to [[Intel]]'s [[x86-64]] processors.{{efn|Initial models featured a [[IA-32|32-bit x86]] CPU, and were subsequently replaced with an [[x86-64]] CPU.}} The change was announced at the 2005 [[Apple Worldwide Developers Conference|Worldwide Developers Conference]] (WWDC) by then-Apple CEO [[Steve Jobs]], who said Apple would gradually stop using PowerPC [[microprocessor]]s supplied by [[Freescale]] (formerly [[Motorola]]) and [[IBM]].<ref name="apple-pr-2005">{{cite web |title=Apple to Use Intel Microprocessors Beginning in 2006 |url=https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2005/06/06Apple-to-Use-Intel-Microprocessors-Beginning-in-2006/ |website=[[Apple Inc.]] |access-date=23 June 2020 |date=6 June 2005 |archive-date=January 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130185804/https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2005/06/06Apple-to-Use-Intel-Microprocessors-Beginning-in-2006/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The transition was the second time Apple had switched the processor [[instruction set architecture]] of its personal computers. The first was in 1994, when Apple discarded the Mac's original [[Motorola 68000 series]] architecture in favor of the then-new PowerPC platform.<ref name="CNET1">{{cite news |last1=Shankland |first1=Stephen |title=Apple gives Macs a brain transplant with new Arm chips starting this year |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-gives-macs-a-brain-transplant-with-new-arm-chips/ |access-date=23 June 2020 |work=[[CNet]] |date=22 June 2020 |archive-date=December 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217001241/https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-gives-macs-a-brain-transplant-with-new-arm-chips/ |url-status=live }}</ref>