Apple to Move from Intel to ARM Processors in Future Laptops?

[MacRumors]

SemiAccurate claims to have heard that Apple will be transitioning from Intel processors to ARM processors in the not too distant future.

The short story is that Apple is moving the laptop line, and presumably desktops too, to ARM based chips as soon as possible.

The site seems to believe that the transition will take place after ARM has moved to full 64-bit cores which won't likely be until at least mid-2013.

At that point, Apple can move to ARM without worrying about obsoleting code with an [instruction set architecture] that is on the verge of changing, and no memory overhead worries either. Basically, it looks like the perfect time. Ironically, SemiAccurate’s moles tell us that the boys on infinite loop are planning to move laptops to ARM at about that time. Coincidence? Nope.

Apple has made a heavy investment in the ARM architecture which presently powers their iOS line of products. Apple even made the bold move to take ARM processor design in house with the acquisition P.A. Semi and Intrinsity.

Still, a transition of their Mac line over to a different processor architecture is hard to accept. While Apple did previously succeed in such a transition in the past with the PowerPC to Intel transition, it was not without an incredible amount of engineering to ease the process. Existing Mac applications would be unable to run on the new ARM processors without some sort of emulation layer. Mac applications would have to be recompiled to support the ARM processors.

While ARM is known for their low power processors, last year they announced plans to move into high-performance computing in the future, and has been rumored to moving into the 64-bit space as well.

Codenamed "Eagle," the A15 architecture is ostensibly aimed at netbooks and tablets, but a look at the spec sheet leaves no doubt that ARM is absolutely gunning for the server market that Intel and AMD currently dominate.

SemiAccurate has not been a frequent source of Apple-related rumors, but they do point out they were correct in predicting that Apple would move away from NVIDIA GPUs in their computers.

Article Link: Apple to Move from Intel to ARM Processors in Future Laptops?

[DakotaGuy]

Moving away from Intel in their notebooks and desktops would be a HUGE mistake in my opinion. Intel is the big dog and they have the resources to keep innovating. I guess if they plan on making everything iOS then it makes a little more sense, but for true blue OSX machines Intel has the muscle.

[Eidorian]

Oh Charlie, you so silly.

[wjlafrance]

I was about to say, "What?! And lose the Windows compatibility they bragged on so much with the Intel transition? You're kidding me!", then I remembered that Windows 8 is also rumored (confirmed?) to run on ARM.

This might actually happen..

[iphone3gss]

I can't think of a worse idea!

[bananaboi]

it's unnecessary rumors like these that make the market overreact and force intel stock prices to fall..

There's no way that Apple is gonna switch to ARM for their Mac lines when it already took them a decade to make the transition from IBM to Intel processors.

[lPHONE]

Even if ARM DID get ahead, it wouldn't take Intel long to catch up... Then what?

[DakotaGuy]

Originally Posted by wjlafrance

I was about to say, "What?! And lose the Windows compatibility they bragged on so much with the Intel transition? You're kidding me!", then I remembered that Windows 8 is also rumored (confirmed?) to run on ARM.

This might actually happen..

So I just bought a new 4 core Sandy Bridge iMac tonight and now this news breaks. Is ARM actually building anything in any way shape or form that competes with the Intel X86 stuff right now or is this just vaporware at this point?

[CosmoPilot]

How does this affect T-Bolt? How about the tri-gate technology released by Intel the other day. Sounds like Intel is making huge strides in their processors.

I hope this is just a rumor.

[macduke]

This seems like an inevitable move in the convergence of iOS devices and Mac computers. They will eventually be the same thing. Powerful, robust, thin, power efficient, easy to use touch interface. Lion is moving in the direction of the iPad and iOS in general. The iPad has been gaining more Mac-like features and robust applications. I think the time tables are probably off. I don't see this happening for 4 to 5 years at the earliest. But with billions upon billions in cash reserves, Apple can pretty much do whatever they want!

[Anonymous Freak]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Image

Article Link: Apple to Move from Intel to ARM Processors in Future Laptops?

Yeah, but making the prediction "Apple is going to continue their long-standing practice of alternating between GPU vendors by switching to the other one!" is a heck of a lot easier to make than "Apple is going to throw away tons of user goodwill by screwing them through yet another architecture change!"

Just last week, there was a rumor that Apple would have their custom ARM chips fabbed by Intel. That strikes me as a *LOT* more believable than Apple switching away from Intel now.

Originally Posted by DakotaGuy

So I just bought a new 4 core Sandy Bridge iMac tonight and now this news breaks. Is ARM actually building anything in any way shape or form that competes with the Intel X86 stuff right now or is this just vaporware at this point?

At this point, pure rumor, not even vaporware, as vaporware implies the company has actually announced something.

ARM does have chips that can compete at the very lowest end of x86, such as with the chips presently running Netbooks. But it doesn't have anything even remotely competitive with the mainstream chips. (To use names: They compete with Atom, not with Core.)

[Cougarcat]

Originally Posted by wjlafrance

I was about to say, "What?! And lose the Windows compatibility they bragged on so much with the Intel transition? You're kidding me!", then I remembered that Windows 8 is also rumored (confirmed?) to run on ARM.

Yes, Windows 8 will have ARM support.

I don't buy this rumor, though. It's too crazy.

[lPHONE]

Originally Posted by bananaboi

There's no way that Apple is gonna switch to ARM for their Mac lines when it already took them a decade to make the transition from IBM to Intel processors.

I thought the transition was noteworthy. Not quite flawless, but who else has switched architecture so perfectly?

[VPrime]

Originally Posted by DakotaGuy

So I just bought a new 4 core Sandy Bridge iMac tonight and now this news breaks. Is ARM actually building anything in any way shape or form that competes with the Intel X86 stuff right now or is this just vaporware at this point?

No.. They make mobile processors. Low power usage.
If you read the article again, it ays the rumor is for laptops. Very doubtful apple will move the desktop line to an ARM processor as there is nothing that competes with the current tech.
For laptops (specifically the air), the move may make sense. I don't see apple moving the whole macbook pro line to ARM. maybe the airs and the regular macbooks.

[Capt Underpants]

I can't see them making another architecture transition. The switch to intel was enough...

[DakotaGuy]

Originally Posted by macduke

This seems like an inevitable move in the convergence of iOS devices and Mac computers. They will eventually be the same thing. Powerful, robust, thin, power efficient, easy to use touch interface. Lion is moving in the direction of the iPad and iOS in general. The iPad has been gaining more Mac-like features and robust applications. I think the time tables are probably off. I don't see this happening for 4 to 5 years at the earliest.

So basically what you are saying is that in a few years Apple will make everything an iDevice and if you want a computer that is actually a Personal Computer you will have no choice but to buy a Windows PC? Goodbye Thunderbolt. Hello Apple 30 pin connector!

[arn]

Originally Posted by Anonymous Freak

At this point, pure rumor, not even vaporware, as vaporware implies the company has actually announced something.

ARM does have chips that can compete at the very lowest end of x86, such as with the chips presently running Netbooks. But it doesn't have anything even remotely competitive with the mainstream chips. (To use names: They compete with Atom, not with Core.)

to be fair, the rumor puts this out 2 years, and ARM does have higher-end chips planned.

arn

[lPHONE]

Originally Posted by Cougarcat

Yes, Windows 8 will have ARM support.

I don't buy this rumor, though. It's too crazy.

Why is it crazy? A few developers write some lines of code and let Toshiba or whoever fail in the hardware beta testing. I heard HP is trying to "Think Different" these days.

[reiggin]

This is the most ridiculous thing to appear on the MacRumors front page in quite some time.

[chowmein]

switching to ARM means no more boot camp

[xraydoc]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_8 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8E401 Safari/6533.18.5)

And go through the whole ARM-native app vs. Rosetta mk. II emulation thing again, with transitional machines that never live up to their full potential? Unless ARM can compete with the resources of Intel and their 3D 22nm chip fab technologies, I think it'll be a rough transition giving us several years worth of under-performing Mac hardware.

Can't see using an ARM processor for Final Cut Pro by 2014.

[Durendal]

This is a non-story, folks. Charlie is well-known as a professional troll who is regularly full of crap.

[toxic]

the PPC-Intel move is not comparable - Steve Jobs intended to switch to Intel from the beginning. this is just a backwards move for anything beyond the netbook space, which Apple isn't competing in.

[lPHONE]

Originally Posted by arn

to be fair, the rumor puts this out 2 years, and ARM does have higher-end chips planned.

arn

Very true. Listen to the man.
There's many analysts that believe ARM will supersede Intel.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by arn

to be fair, the rumor puts this out 2 years, and ARM does have higher-end chips planned.

arn

And Intel will have way better chips than ARM will have 2 years from now.

Not to mention the additional software transition this would require.

This rumor makes no sense at all. Absolutely no sense.