To recap, here are the reasons, I believe that Apple will choose the ARM platform for their upcoming Netbook/Tablets.
- Apple has an internal PA Semi team working on future ARM chips for the iPhone/iPod Touch
- ARM chips cost an order of magnitude less (to license) than Intel equivalents
- ARM chips take up less space on a motherboard
- ARM chips use many times less power, enabling much longer battery life and much sleeker design.
- You won’t need to virtualize Windows on these types of devices. Most other Apple applications can be easily ported between chips.
- Apple wants more control over the processors, which it can’t have with Intel.
- While a variant of the iPhone version of OS X is the most likely of candidates, Snow Leopard’s optimization release might also be for ARM as well.
I agree. Apple has used ARM in the past (the Newton) and presently inside the iPhone and iPod Touch. The mobile version of OS X already runs on these (and quote well, frankly). If Apple makes a netbook/tablet based on the mobile OS X, then an ARM chipset will be the engine running it.