ah, Aves I've finally won you over to the dark side, eh?
Apple in the wings ... it's not out of the question.
Could it happen?
Absolutely yes.
I know for a fact that AAPL is aware of POET, and has been aware since the laser NR (MS3?). I have personal knowledge of this being a fact. No, I will not disclose the source.
That Mansfield has been their semiconductor guy for 20 years is also a fact. Mere days after POET rebrands itself, suddenly, he gets re-prioritized onto something "special", and there's been the typical Apple absolute bloody $%^#$ing secrecy since then.
They're definitely not afraid to switch CPU architectures (recall, Mansfield was the guy who led the shift from Motorola to Intel).
That they _need_ some post-Jobs innovation is clear.
consider:
Apple:
(general media consensus) “is under heavy competitive pressure to create something new”
Mansfield:
- "is the anchor of Apple’s hardware organization"
- shifted to 'special projects' at his own request.
- led Apple's previous chip transition, from Motorola to Intel
- key areas of technology development, including ... Apple’s long-term chip strategy
- has pressured executives at Intel ... or risk having the company use (others' chips)
barely 3 days after POET launched the new bold web and branding presence last year, Mansfield (the AAPL chip guy) goes to work on something "special".
To me, the fit couldn't be better.
Will it happen?
That's anyone's guess.
