Apple's Intel Transition (2005-2006)
Steve Jobs announced Apple would transition Macs from PowerPC processors to Intel chips after IBM failed to deliver power-efficient chips for laptops. Apple completed the transition in just 210 days, shipping Intel-based Macs by January 2006 and discontinuing the last PowerPC models by August 2006.
Mac sales accelerated as the machines gained compatibility with Windows through Boot Camp, expanding Apple's addressable market.
The Intel era lasted 14 years until Apple began transitioning to its own silicon in 2020, demonstrating the company's willingness to make platform shifts when strategic.
Apple's current modem transition follows the same playbook: identify a supplier dependency, acquire talent and intellectual property, execute a multi-year transition, and ultimately gain control over a critical technology stack.