Imagine you're a car manufacturer. You are looking for a fast single-board computer with fast GPU for your FSD capabilities (say). The Apple Mini might fit the bill. How are you going to do this without rebranding everything about the Mini? You want the car to start up without the Apple logo on the screen, nor the Apple startup chime. Nor do you want system update notifications. Basically you want to remove the entire OS.

Replace car manufacturer by medical equipment manufacturer, etc.

None of what you're describing is "general-purpose computing".

It is general purpose computing from the perspective that a client company can build anything they want with it. Which is not true for Apple products. They are end user products aimed at the end consumer.

Right, but increasingly many of those “end users” are large businesses.

You are very wrong about this statement. You can't take a Dell/HP/Thinkpad laptop and transform it in the car multimedia device.

You are confusing computer parts with devices. Yes, it is true Apple won't sell you a CPU to put it on the motherboard of your choosing, but it is also true they don't operate in this market.

Feels like you really moved the goalposts a few times there within the same thread. Bit of a wild ride. First, you were talking about desktop users:

    80% of worldwide desktop users are business users.

Then you moved on to:

    general purpose computing

Which could mean a lot of things, but based on the context -- a thread about the latest chips that Intel has created for the desktop/notebook market -- it sure seemed like we were talking about that.

Now you've focused on a subset of general purpose computing: embedded computing options.

Well, you are correct. Apple, like many computer manufacturers and chip makers, does not compete in the embedded space. Seems like a curious thing to point out since nobody was talking about it and nobody was under any illusions that competes there but hey, you're right.

Can I play too? Apple does not compete in the toaster oven market. Apple does not compete in the inertial guidance systems market for cruise missiles. Apple does not manufacture sneakers. Look at me, being correct over here.

You’ve described really narrow embedded niche which has nothing to do with general computing.