Monday Note:

Why should Intel worry about Apple’s decision to base future Macs on homegrown Apple Silicon SoC (System on a Chip) devices? According to Dataquest and IDC estimates, Apple owns no more than 7% of the PC market. Furthermore, Apple doesn’t buy the expensive Xeon chips, used in millions of Cloud servers, that represent a growing proportion of Intel’s revenue. And the company is a headache: It makes demands and complaints way out of proportion with the amount of revenue it generates. Losing Apple is more symbol than substance.

Not so fast. The impact on Intel — and the entire industry — will be felt beyond Apple’s small share of the PC market.

Specifically, what are Dell, HP, Asus, and others going to do if Apple offers materially better laptops and desktops and Microsoft continues to improve Windows on ARM Surface devices?

I’ve read various pundits saying this transition will have little to no effect on Intel. But Gassée argues it may create a seismic shift at Intel.