Intel's Core i7-6700K CPU In Short Supply

[the8thark]

Intel's Core i7-6700K CPU In Short Supply
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9879/price-check-i7-6700k-short-supply

Do you think Apple has pre-purchased enough of these to go around? Do you think this will affect the industry or anyone you know?

 

[maflynn]

Apple has a tiny marketshare compared its competitors. I highly doubt 7% marketshare would cause CPU shortages. Intel's manufacturing capability is probably higher then the total CPU need of Apple

 

[jayducharme]

Intel's manufacturing capability is probably higher then the total CPU need of Apple

I'm wondering if Apple has backed itself into a corner, as it did with IBM in the '90s. It's completely reliant on Intel now for its computer line. With its mobile devices and ATV, Apple can release updates for those whenever it pleases. But for its computers, it has to wait for Intel to innovate. And with devices like the Mac Pro, Intel doesn't seem to be producing advanced chipsets that would provide meaningful upgrades (especially for the Mac Pro) in a timely fashion. It's not just that there aren't new Intel chipsets for the 2013 Mac Pro, there are very few upgrades of any kind for it (that are half-way affordable).

I think you're right, though -- Apple's small market share isn't enough for Intel to justify a huge amount of R&D for them.

 

[MadDane]

I'm wondering if Apple has backed itself into a corner, as it did with IBM in the '90s. It's completely reliant on Intel now for its computer line. With its mobile devices and ATV, Apple can release updates for those whenever it pleases. But for its computers, it has to wait for Intel to innovate. And with devices like the Mac Pro, Intel doesn't seem to be producing advanced chipsets that would provide meaningful upgrades (especially for the Mac Pro) in a timely fashion. It's not just that there aren't new Intel chipsets for the 2013 Mac Pro, there are very few upgrades of any kind for it (that are half-way affordable).

I think you're right, though -- Apple's small market share isn't enough for Intel to justify a huge amount of R&D for them.

Looking at the rate Apple is currently advancing with their A-series chips, I think it is a reasonable guess that sometime in the not so distant future, we will see Apple start moving towards those chips for their computers. I am thinking that they will either roll it out with the lowest powered devices first (MacBook comes to mind here), and then later to their other more powerful devices or they might do as in 2006, where all devices where switched to Intel within a year.

I might be wrong. But seeing the power that are now in those chips, I do not see why Apple would not do this.

 

[maflynn]

I'm wondering if Apple has backed itself into a corner, as it did with IBM in the '90s.

You mean like the entire desktop, and server community has backed itself into the corner with intel?

The difference between the 90s and IBM (and Motorola) is that for both of those companies PPC based CPUs for computers were not their primary focus and for the most part Apple was their only (at least largest) customer. Both failed to roll out advancements in the PPC processor in a timely manner and/or provide the chipsets in the volumes that Apple needed.

I'd go out on a limb and say that Intel has neither of those problems. I'd also go out on a limb and say if Apple dropped intel for their desktop computers, they would lose a lot of customers, (including me). While the A series CPU is impressive, I don't want to have that in my desktop computer.