Apple Computer Inc plans to announce on Monday that it will switch to using Intel Corp's microprocessors and phase out its current chip supplier, International Business Machines Corp, CNET News.com reported late on Friday. The technology news Web site said that Apple plans to move lower-end computers like the Mac Mini to Intel chips in mid-2006 and higher-end models such as the Power Mac in the middle of 2007, Cnet said, citing anonymous sources.
Apple's Chief Executive Steve Jobs is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech on the first day of its annual conference for software developers on Friday, a venue the report said would be appropriate for an announcement that would require significant changes to the way Apple software is written.
Spokesmen from Apple, IBM, Intel and Freescale Semiconductor Inc all declined to comment on the report. Apple also uses Freescale chips.
Analysts said that Apple might have considered switching to Intel because IBM hadn't been turning out a broad enough line of chips. IBM has reached deals to supply chips to next-generation video game consoles for Microsoft Corp, Nintendo and Sony Corp.