Apple's Transition To Intel Processors - Timeline

Timeline

• June 6, 2005: Apple announces its plans to switch to Intel processors at the Worldwide Developer Conference and released a Developer Transition Kit, a PC with a Trusted Platform Module in a modified Power Mac G5 case, to all Select and Premier members of the Apple Developer Connection at a price of $999.

• January 10, 2006: Jobs announces the first two computers in this series, the 15" MacBook Pro and iMac Core Duo line, both using an Intel Core Duo chip and offers to trade in the Developer Transition Kits for iMacs.

• February 28, 2006: Jobs announces that the Mac mini now also comes with an Intel Core chip, in either the Solo or Duo varieties.

• April 5, 2006: Apple announced the release of Boot Camp, which allows users of Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP.

• April 24, 2006: Apple announces the 17" MacBook Pro, replacing the 17" PowerBook.

• April 27, 2006: Intel announces that processors with the Core microarchitecture would be released months sooner than previously thought.

• May 16, 2006: Apple announces the 13" MacBook, replacing both the iBook line and the 12" PowerBook.

• June 26, 2006: Intel announces the Xeon 5100 series server/workstation CPU.

• July 5, 2006: Apple announces a special educational configuration of the iMac, replacing the old G4 eMac.

• August 7, 2006: "Transition Complete" - Apple announces the Intel-based Mac Pro and Xserve, replacing the Power Mac G5 and Xserve G5, at the Worldwide Developers Conference; both use the Xeon 5100 series ("Woodcrest") processors.

• August 28, 2009: Apple ships Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow Leopard," which is the first OS X version that does not support the PowerPC family computers.

• March 1, 2011: The beta version of the upcoming Mac OS X Lion drops "Rosetta" and will not be able to run PowerPC based software.

• July 20, 2011: The release of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion formally ends Apple's support of PowerPC-based software.