Apple is said to be considering a move that would see the company step away from Intel and towards its own solution for processors in its Mac computers. Bloomberg cites people familiar with the company’s research that say Apple is exploring ways to replace Intel processors with a version of the chip technology it uses in the iPhone and iPad.
Apple has been using Intel chips for the last seven years but its mobile devices have been powered by its own solutions for two and a half years. According to Bloomberg's sources, Apple engineers are confident that the chip will eventually be powerful enough to run its desktops and laptops. Though it's not going to happen in the immediate future, Bloomberg's sources believe it's only a matter of time.
Apple debuted it's first custom chip in the form of the Apple A4, which powered the original iPad and later the iPhone 4, in 2010. A year later, the company introduced the A5, which powered the iPad 2, the iPhone 4S, and the fifth generation iPhone touch. The third generation iPad is based on the A5X, while the fourth generation tablet, released just last month, is based on the A6X. The iPhone 5 runs on a regular A6 chip.
