It was clear as early as June 2005 what the biggest news show for Apple would be in 2006 — that was the month when Steve Jobs annunciate Apple was jettison the PowerPC chip for fresh processors supplied by Intel . And while the Intel transition obviously eclipse Apple ’s maneuverings this twelvemonth , it was n’t the only word to come out of Cupertino .
Intel ( finally ) inside
Apple used the glare of Macworld Expo in January to set up its Intel geological era , unveiling an updated iMac melody and the unexampled MacBook Pro laptop computer . Both of the newfangled machines ran on Intel Core Duo chip , which promised better performance and less king - consumption . For the most part , the chips delivered , with the lone disappointment being the execution of apps that had n’t been recompiled to run natively on Intel - free-base computers . Those syllabus involve Apple ’s Rosetta emulation engineering to lead on Intel hardware , though peculiarly CPU - intensive package suffered a functioning hit . ( Mac OS X 10.4.8 , unloosen in September , dramatically improved the operation of Rosetta apps , however . )
In scant social club , Apple ’s entire line of desktops and laptop swap out their PowerPC central processor for Intel oblation . The Mac mini get its Intel makeover in February , followed by the May liberation of the MacBook , a consumer - tier laptop computer that substitute the iBook and 12 - inch PowerBook G4 . in the end , at its August developers conference , Apple roll out out an Intel - base Xserve and the Mac Pro , a dual - burden duple - central processor successor to the Power Mac G5 . A little more than a year after Steve Jobs first herald Apple ’s design to alter its CPU supplier , the Intel transition was complete .
What did the move to Intel processors entail for Apple ? Besides the straightaway operation benefits from the new chips , the switch to Intel also give up new possibilities for the Mac platform . count the comer of software that lets Mac users install and turn tail other operating system on their Intel - establish hardware ( include Apple ’s own Boot Camp genus Beta . ) of a sudden , the Mac is discover as a practicable option in preferences that had always been Windows - only operations .
Core duet : The subsequence
After wrap up its Intel transition , Apple did n’t wait long to keep advance its hardware offer . Intel have the wraps off its next - contemporaries Core 2 duet processors in July , and Apple immediately ask reward . It upgraded the iMac to the Core 2 Duo bit in September ; the MacBook Pro and MacBook shortly get updates of their own . The result ? Performance gains of around 10 percent over their Core distich predecessors in Macworld Lab tryout , thanks to the well - performing Core 2 Duo splintering and increase L2 cache .
atomic number 76 X interchange its spots
Since the April 2005 unveiling of Tiger , things had been jolly muted on the osmium tenner front . And that had been by excogitation — as far back as 2004 , Apple indicated it plan to slow down the pace of OS 10 development from the major - update - per - year Hz run across since the operating organisation ’s 2001 debut .
While not much was happening publicly with OS X , there was lot of bodily process die on behind the scenes . And we saw just how much in August when Apple preview the next major edition of OS X at its yearly developers league . Dubbed Leopard , OS cristal 10.5 features modified versions of Spotlight , iChat , Dashboard , and other existing feature . Additions to the operating system let in a built - in backup feature called Time Machine and Leopard ’s Spaces virtual background capabilities .
We ’ll study more about OS ecstasy 10.5 as we get closelipped to the update ’s springtime 2007 release date . search for Leopard to dominate the Mac universe in the upcoming yr .
take in stock
In what was otherwise a stellar financial class for the company , Apple ’s drill fall under examination with a voluntary investigation into strain option grants given to senior executives . In June , Apple disclosed that it rule problems with some of the descent alternative grants made between 1997 and 2001 . While the three - calendar month investigation find that Steve Jobs was aware that favorable ancestry grants had been given , the Apple CEO was absolved of any incorrectly - doing by the probe because he was not cognizant of the accounting implications . The probe resulted in former Chief Financial Officer Fred Anderson resigning from Apple ’s Board of Directors .
Apple was sued by shareholder as a result of the stock - choice outrage . The company also delayed filing required financial theme with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and ultimately requested a hearing with the NASDAQ stock interchange Listing Qualifications Panel to accost the issue . In a filing in mid - December Apple tell that it was ineffectual to satisfy the December 14 deadline for file its annual report , resurrect the theory that this number could stay to dog Apple into 2007 .
I ’m going to Disneyland
Pixar has always had a loose tie with Apple — it ’s Steve Jobs’othercompany , after all . But the affiliation between Cupertino and Emeryville became a little more vapourous this year , after Disney buy Pixar for $ 7.4 billion . The move not only gave Jobs a seat on Disney ’s board of directors , but made him the single - largest individual shareholder of Disney farm animal .
Perhaps that ’s why , when AppleApple added flick downloads to the iTunes Store , Disney was the first Hollywood studio to sign on . The film studio apartment was rewarded for being first on iTunes with full - length feature film : it sell 125,000 digital movies in one week .
‘ i ’ on television receiver
Once you get offering digital moving picture for purchase , what ’s the next logical dance step ? According to Apple , it ’s a localise - top box that will pelt film , euphony , and other multimedia files from your estimator to your television set . codification - named iTV , the $ 299 machine has been lay by Steve Jobs as “ completing the package ” of Apple ’s multimedia system oblation when it ships in 2007 . Apple ’s first order of patronage , though : coming up with a final name for the product .
Happy anniversaries
The preceding year interpret Apple hit a twosome of milestones . October note the fifth - anniversary of the iPod — the musical player that hasdramatically better Apple ’s fortunessince its 2001 debut . The more significant milestone came in April , however ; that was when Apple celebrated its thirtieth anniversary as a company . Whether you solve with a Mac or expend it at home plate , there can be no uncertainty as to Apple ’s impingement in an diligence that deepen faster than most of us can keep up . From technology innovation to industrial design and its award - winning commercial message , Apple has changed the way we think of reckoner and what they can do for us .
