Apple Guards Chip Stash

Apple Computer's (AAPL Quote) move to Intel (INTC Quote) chips may take a bit longer than expected, if a deal announced by the computer company on Friday is any indication.

Apple has reached a new purchasing agreement with longtime supplier Freescale Semiconductor (FSL Quote), which produces the PowerPC G4 chip for the computer maker, according to a regulatory document filed Friday by Apple. Under terms of the new deal, Apple has the right to buy -- and Freescale has the obligation to supply -- PowerPC chips through the end of 2008.

That's a full year after the date when the company plans to move its entire line of Macintosh computers from PowerPC to Intel processors. Apple uses Freescale's G4 chips in its notebook computers and in its lower-end desktop models such as the Mac Mini. ...