Intel would be worth a lot more if it divests its fabs. That said though I think the current valuation is too low. Intel will benefit from the current geopolitical trends. As long as they can execute (big question) there is a lot of upside.
In winter the electricity cost is offset by the savings in heating. Where I live the heating is electric only, so the mining electricity cost is practically free. You won't be gaming on it 24/7, mining is practically a no-brainer to offset the cost. Even if it were to fail it will be under warranty.
I think they get volume and preorder discounts. ASIC miners are mostly for large-scale miners, not for us small potatoes.
There may also be some tax shenanigans going on between business expense, depreciation, and how easily capital gains on the coins are avoided.
Apple (and others) manufacture in China and India for very different reasons. China's labor cost is lower than the US but it is expensive now in comparison to Vietnam, India etc. Even environmental regulations are much more stringent than before. The advantage is mostly in the scale of...
Hard to bet against Apple at this point. They have a ridiculous amount of resources to throw at talent and tech. Apple is like double the market cap of Nvidia, Intel and AMD combined.