The Intel bit seems *VERY* unusual. Intel had committed fully to ARM, they only sold off their ARM line (the then-current chips called "XScale") to Marvell in 2006. Not to mention Jobs had fully embraced Intel over other architectures at NeXT years before; and obviously continued the connection with Intel, in secret, for years while back at Apple. (Even Rhapsody was available for Intel through 1998.)

I've always suspected it was a combination of "Jobs hates Scully" combined with cold hard business decision. After all, Newton was apparently a massive money-losing operation, and Apple needed to get back in the black. Jobs dislike for Scully probably made the Newton an even easier target.