Intel, as of February, has itself a new CEO. Pat Gelsinger is now the man in charge of things at the chipmaker and while February is a few weeks ago at this point it doesn't seem to have given Gelsinger enough time to find his own advertising people. Because the left hand is very much unaware of what the right hand is doing right now.
Just days after Intel went on the offensive and bashed Apple silicon, Gelsinger now says that he wants Apple back on board. Which seems unlikely given recent events. And the fact Apple silicon is currently showing Intel's chip design folk up in all kinds of ways.
But that isn't going to deter the new CEO. He's got bit plans for the firm's new silicon factories. And they involve Apple.
Gelsinger just said that Intel, which is ramping up a foundry business to manufacture chips for other companies based on their designs, will court Apple as a customer. The age of the Intel Mac might not be over just yet.Gelsinger just said that Intel, which is ramping up a foundry business to manufacture chips for other companies based on their designs, will court Apple as a customer. The age of the Intel Mac might not be over just yet.— Harry McCracken 🇺🇦 (@harrymccracken) March 23, 2021March 23, 2021
I for one would very much have liked to be a fly on the wall when Tim Cook and the team heard about that. Much chortling was surely on show.
It's really funny to hear Pat Gelsinger at #IntelUnleashed name drop potential collaboration with Apple on the new foundry business after Intel spent the last week on an ill-advised ad campaign dunking on Apple.
I don't think the bridge is burned, it's just eyebrow-raising.It's really funny to hear Pat Gelsinger at #IntelUnleashed name drop potential collaboration with Apple on the new foundry business after Intel spent the last week on an ill-advised ad campaign dunking on Apple.
I don't think the bridge is burned, it's just eyebrow-raising.— James Sanders (@jas_np) March 23, 2021March 23, 2021
See, Apple doesn't need Intel anymore. Before the Apple silicon announcement last year we were told that Intel didn't need Apple, too. Apple accounted for a minuscule percentage of Intel's chip orders and I was told that the company simply didn't really care whether it lost Apple as a customer, or not.
Fast forward a few months and it seems Intel really cares about Apple. Or is it just trying to save face and, more importantly, stop the likes of Samsung from getting ideas and switching its own computers to something produced in-house?
Whatever the reason for Intel's ill-judged and ill-informed attacks on Apple silicon, they were just poor form. Especially if Intel was going to go courting for Apple business once again.
Assuming that new CEO knew the attack ads were coming, of course.
