After the recent announcement that Apple would begin to incorporate Intel chips into their computers over the next few years and the subsequent freakout and calm-down, I still only have one question - will those little "Intel Inside" decals make their way onto the outside of Apple's historically clean boxes? The "Intel Inside" program is not mandatory, and merely acts as a co-op marketing opportunity for boxmakers to leverage the Intel brand while sharing the cost of advertising when the Intel name is used. However, just as many PC owners had no clue what kind of processor they were using in their machines for years and years, there are probably many an Apple user who have the same issue - except the hardcore Apple folks, of course.

If this move has anything to do with adoption rate of Apple machines by non-Apple lovers, then jumping on the "Inside" bandwagon isn't a bad idea. Unfortunately, it's sure to turn off quite a bit of those 'hardcore' folks, or so I've heard and believe myself. Fortunately for us here at AdJab headquarters, we have access to some serious Apple people, and I was able to survey them to see what they have to say. Details after the jump.

Thanks to my cohorts from TUAW, The Unofficial Apple Weblog, for contributing their thoughts on the subject. I'm placing the comments from the TUAW folks in quotation marks, and will intersperse my comments with their own, outside of the quotes.

C.K. Sample, III: "I seriously doubt that Intel Inside stickers will appear on the actual machines (although they will undoubtedly appear on the packaging), just because I haven't seen Apple ever use any stickers other than the big Apple logo stickers that come with every Mac.  I also think they are all about the design and stickers aren't the way to go with that.  I personally would really be perturbed if there were an Intel Inside sticker on the machines." - I'd say that C.K. represents one of the people I spoke about above, who wouldn't be interested in seeing anything like the Intel Inside program. Though he's not totally against some Intel branding... - "What I could see happening is a little engraved / embossed variant of the Intel inside logo put on the casing of the machines (much in the same way that iPods have custom engravings on them).  All in all though, I think if Intel pushes for stickers, it would be a mistake. Apple-users tend to be hyper-aware of their hardware, and how nice it looks.  A sticker would simply detract from the appearance and detract from the branding they would already be receiving from the little processor text that appear under Apple Menu-->About this Mac"

Scott McNulty: "I'm with C.K. as far as a sticker on the Mac, that just ain't going to happen (but like C.K. I think it will certainly will be on the packaging like the current packages have G5 logos and such).

Plus, let's keep in mind that some of Apple's products already have 'Intel Inside,' though they are using in the Xserve Raid I do believe, and they aren't the processors (obviously).

One final thought, I imagine the average Mac user really has no idea who makes the G5 anyway (or that IBM doesn't manufacture the G4), so this switch to Intel is of little consequence to the average Mac user."

Jay Savage: "We all love Apple, but the paltry number of processors they'll be buying won't give them much bargaining power. My hunch, or course, is that we won't see stickers on the keyboards of iBooks any time soon, but you never know. I'm sure, though, that it will be on the packaging, and probably on the serial number decals on the back/bottom of the computer." - But Jay isn't so sure this is out of the question, though - "Part of it, too, will depend on where Apple design is headed.  It's about time for some serious case redesigns, I should think, especially for the laptops. I'll be interested to see where the low-end consumer products--and even server products--head, too.  Pentium chips open up a lot of options where form factor is concerned.  If a sticker would fit into the next generation cases without causing too much grief, why not?"

Laurie Duncan: "For a fledgling PC maker, etc, having that case badge gets them the name recognition by association that they wouldn't have otherwise. Despite Apple's miniscule personal computer marketshare I don't expect they will be eager to slap an Intel logo on the outside of the case. I'm sure there will be a logo /somewhere/ - but I doubt we'll see it externally, except maybe on the actual retail box where some of the other technology logos (plug&play, firewire, etc) appear. Other than that, the only people who will probably ever see an Intel badge on their Mac are people like us who can't wait to dismantle it before the FedEx delivery truck even leaves our block." - much of the focus from Apple followers seems to stick around the case designs that Apple has put out to this day - they're consistently very clean, so why would Apple want to ditch that?

But Laurie has one important thing to drop in on the relevance of Intel to the Apple machines - "For developers, the Intel move is huge. For the folks doing most of the buying, it's just a snippet of news they may or may not have heard about during the recent media swarm, but since they really had no context for it, they didn't pay much attention and it won't influence their buying decision one way or another."

Dave Caolo: "I just can't imagine there will be ANY Intel branding out the exterior of future Macs.  Apple has demonstrated such a fanatical devotion to aesthetics, even to the cost of function (note the location of the power button on the G4 and G5 iMacs and to a lesser extent, the eMac) that the idea of a sticker, laser inscription. . anything other than an Apple logo placed on a Mac seems impossible to me.  If it happens, I'll be very surprised."

So what do we think, marketing and advertising lovers? Will Apple go with "Intel Inside" branding on the outside of their machines, or do they have enough pull that Intel will be begging them to do so?