Apple went back on a verbal agreement to source processors from Start-up manufacturer PA Semi in order to take up Intel processors, according to a report on The Register .

PA Semi makes low-power chips that are compatible with PowerPC software, fast, and use considerably less power than Intel’s. Its first chip, PA6T-1682M, which is due to launch in the third quarter of 2006, has a 2GHz clock speed on a dual-core processor with two DDR2 memory controllers, 2MB of L2 cache and PCI Express support.

These chips would have given Apple the grunt it wanted for its notebook chips and low power consumption (7 watts with PA Semi vs. 21-25 watts with Intel, apparently) without the pain of transitioning software to a new architecture. The only problem: PA Semi would not have been ready to produce the chips until 2007.

The article claims that high-level conversations between PA Semi and Apple had given PA Semi a very strong sense (maybe even an “understanding”) that Apple would take its chips:

“PA Semi was counting on that deal. They had lots of guys walking around in a daze when Apple went to Intel. They had no idea that would actually happen.”

If you are intrigued by Apple’s Dr Jekyll and My Hyde behaviour or simply follow the company’s choices for the future, you will find this article very interesting.intel, pa semi, chips, powerpc, apple, what might have been

Ankit Sud has posted a list of the stories behind some top IT companies and brands.

You can read how RedHat got its name from a Cornell University lacrosse cap. Learn how apples are Steve Jobs’ favourite fruit and how he “threatened to call his company Apple Computers if the other colleagues didn’t suggest a better name by 5 o’clock”. Find out – or even remember – that Hotmail was once called “HoTMaiL”.

Ponder how things would be if Intel had ended up being called “‘Moore Noyce”.

Marvel that the whole post, packed with pop-up clicksor ads, is ripped off without attribution from a longer list on day2day activities.

What is it with some Indian bloggers ? A cultural thing for which I should show more respect or something else?apple, steve jobs, intel, hotmail, redhat, cornell, lacrosse, it companies, Internet, email

Nathan Zeldes is the computing productivity manager for Intel, based in its Israel division.

Intel employees world-wide collectively receive 3 million emails a day, as many as 300 messages each, and spend an average of two-and-a-half hours a day processing them. Not very productive, Nathan decided.

He developed a training program to help employees regain control of their inboxes, revolving around team discussions on working together and how to improve efficiency. He also offered them tips on using email better.

Here are the Ten Commandments of Email he used (towards the end of the article). Apparently his method has been very successful.

[Via FastCompany]productivity, email, intel, tips