Apples transition from the PowerPC processors to the new Intel Core Duo processors has sparked massive interest the world over. It seems anything that Apple does these days, is a pretty big deal.

So why did Apple who always famously touted the PowerPC platform make the switch to Intel architecture?

First of all, performance. Although the G5 processor is 64-bit, the new Intel chips feature 2 cores on the same die. That means a theoretical double the performance. When Steve Jobs made the announcement at the MacWorld keynote in January he claimed that one of these cores has better performance than the fastest G5 processor. The demos at the keynote for iLife 06 showed barely any slow down in any of the applications. That may not mean much for those who are using say a PowerBook G4. Running the same suite of applications, the performance lagged tremendously.

My tests with iLife 06 on my PowerBook (see Specs on my Hardware page) using applications such as iMovie and iDVD prove that performance of the new Intel machines holds some truth. The template themes for iMovie did not run as smooth on my PowerBook as they did on the Keynote using the Intel Macs. I’ve also seen a video of the G5 iMac and Intel iMac powered on at the same time but the boot time of the Intel Mac completely wiped the floor clean. It took about 30 seconds to boot from cold, whereas the G5 took over a minute and a half to boot.

Second of all the applications - transitioning of software isn’t the easiest of things to do on even the best of days, no matter what tools you have available. As proven already, the iLife 06 suite combines a good feature set with great performance. Pro apps are on their way and are supposed to be finished for March. It’s important to note that it is Apples own set of Pro apps that will have this completed transition. The latest news from Adobe is that their suite won’t be complete until 2007.

Third of all is energy consumption - one of the major set backs for the Apple laptop range in performance was that the PowerPC did not scale down well. Steve Jobs made a comment in his keynote that they tried everything to get the G5 in to the PowerBook range. The PowerBook G4 has been way overdue for a performance overhaul. Now aptly renamed the Mac Book Pro, this issue has now been solved with the following compromises:

No FireWire 800, a port that many pro users will want for high speed transfers to external hard drive.

No Dual Layer 8x DVD burning, simply because there is no such thing on the market that would fit the Mac Book Pro’s 1-inch thick chassis.

Most users can probably overlook these issues. And chances are if you needed those features, you’re probably using apps that haven’t been ported to Intel yet anyway. So I don’t think it’s too much of a concern.

The new features and upgraded features on the Mac Book Pro now come in the following:

High performance dual core processor

Front Row and iSight camera built in

15-inch widescreen display that is now 67% brighter than previous generation - now equal to brightness of Apple 30-inch cinema display

New magnetic MagSafe connector to prevent tripping over the power connector and sending the unit flying of your desk.

Faster graphics with ATI X1600 and up to 256MB GDDR3 RAM

Larger track pad - now the same size as the 17-inch PowerBook G4 model.

Having used the PowerBook G4 for nearly a year now, I have to say the form factor is superb. You simply don’t get the same quality build or user experience from any other manufacturer. Whilst not perfect, it still puts to shame all other competitors, who still after several years don’t come anywhere near to the quality of a PowerBook. And with the recent launch of the MacBook Pro which ships this month, Apple clearly have touched on a successful formula for mobile computing