Apple’s “continued technical disadvantage” — which we assume means the race for computer processing speed — against Intel is expected to force it to adopt x86 technology by the end of 2003, according to a new report by Giga Information Group Inc., a global technology advisory firm.
Giga claims the new research looks at trends for 2003 and covers more than 85 IT areas from security, telecom, mobile and wireless to human capital management and CRM. The company says the research indicates a continued conservative investment climate that in some cases is sacrificing strategic planning for short-term ROI (return on investment).
Besides their questionable Apple prediction, the research says that the personal computer market remains soft, and poor back-to-school performance in 2002 does not bode well for the fourth quarter of 2002 or for 2003, according to Giga Vice President Rob Enderle. Companies are driving out non-standard hardware and increasingly view Linux as a better alternative platform and UNIX as a platform they don’t want to resurge on the desktop, he added. Also, IT security budgets will officially remain flat relative to 2002 levels, their research shows.
And devices offering multiple services will blur the device landscape says Giga Director Ken Smiley. Delineating the difference between PDA, cellular phone, smart phone, communicator and even what constitutes a laptop “will become more difficult as devices take on aspects of other categories in an effort to grow market share,” he said. “And as market flux exposes vendors to increased risk from competitors, vendors that miss even one product cycle or new technology may find themselves quickly reduced to a minor player in the market,” Giga Information Group said.