Former rivals Apple Computer and IBM will announce today an alliance to create a common computer.
The new PC will be powered by a microprocessor chip called the PowerPC - developed by Apple, IBM and Motorola. It marks the first time Apple and IBM will sell PCs that can run computer programs designed for either company's PCs. That versatility "makes tremendous sense for both of us," says Apple Executive Vice President Ian Diery.
The new PC will not be ready until 1996, but the implications are big for:
-- Apple. Some people avoid buying Apple Macintosh PCs because there are more computer programs available for IBM-compatible PCs. But with a common design, that problem fades.
-- IBM. Unlike Apple, it doesn't now sell a PC powered by the PowerPC chip. Its plans to do so have been stymied by indecision about which operating system - which controls basic PC functions - to offer. Some experts expect Apple to agree later to allow IBM to use Apple's famous easy-to-use operating system in future PCs. "Licensing Apple's operating software is key," says Richard Zwetchkenbaum, analyst at research-firm IDC. An IBM PC that runs the Mac's operating system could be a hit, analysts say.
-- Motorola. It makes PowerPC chips and aims to break Intel's dominance in the microprocessor market. More than 80% of PCs sold use an Intel microprocessor. So anything that will make PowerPC computers more popular will lift demand for Motorola's chips - especially if other PC makers adopt the new design, creating clones of the Apple-IBM PC.
