IBM commits to Intel Macs

Mac users have spoken and large companies are listening. IBM Software will announce updated Mac OS X support in the latest Notes client as well as announce a commitment to Apple's Intel-based Mac architecture at next week's Lotusphere conference, as Mac users refuse to be treated as second-class citizens. InformationWeek reports that despite the transition away from IBM's PowerPC chips--which may have caused a rift with Apple--IBM will announce "big-time support" for the new Intel-based Macs, as both battle Microsoft on many fronts. The commitment comes as one user says that the extremely small percentage of Mac users exert a great influence. "The older Notes 6.5 client supports Mac OS 10.3 but thus far the current Notes 7 client has not. While Macs comprise a small percentage of business desktops, their users constitute a very vocal and influential minority, solution providers said."

"Mac support for Lotus is a check-box item," said Jim Murphy, practice manager for Strategic Computer Solutions, a Syracuse, N.Y.-based IBM partner told InformationWeek. "We have a lot of health-care customers and maybe one percent of a company's research department is on Macs but they have 99 percent of the influence."

by MacNN Staff