A-series as a product

[Sydde]

I have been pondering whether Apple would benefit from shipping a version of their SoC on its own. Since MS has full Windows-on-ARM, it is looking like Intel could be foundering in the broader market, and ARM may overtake them fairly soon.

Which means that Mac could go to Apple processors in the near future (oh, what an original thought), and would it not be better to have the rest of the non-server industry moving that way as well?

I envision something like a A14c model, that is almost as good as Apple's own model, more suitable for full-on computers than for hand-held devices, better than most of the competition, just to get everyone acclimated to post x86, so that when Apple changes over, they would move into the same space as everyone else.

Perhaps they could disguise the product under a different vendor, but is there any way this could make good business sense?

 

[vigilant]

I'd love to see SOMEONE put Intel in a tight spot, so things could get better on the x86 side.

The problem with the processor industry is the amount of technical debt left from building things one way for so long. Apple is more likely to overcome this technical debt since they wield more control over the final product. Apple has probably abstracted enough of the operating system, frameworks, languages, and tools enough to make porting of apps following "Best Practices" to be smooth.

Microsoft on the other hand has decades of trying to please everyone, from manufacturers, to Processor vendors, to peripheral vendors (GPU, audio, cameras, printers), to software makers that getting all of the many vendors they please to move in lock step will take a tremendous amount of effort.

I agree Intel long term isn't going to do as well as it has in the past. But they also aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

I don't think Apple wants to serve to the needs of the many the way Intel and Microsoft do today. I had at one point thought that AMD was the perfect acquisition target for Apple. Apple would gain the #2 provider of x86 CPUs and world class GPU design firm. AMD develops mass market and custom x86 parts that span a wide variety of cases across many of the same types of groups that Intel and Microsoft services.

Apple with AMD could solve the #1 problem they have with Intel, lack of control. They could in a year or 2 have custom x86 chips that fit the form factor, performance, and power requirements that Intel can't all while getting control back and eliminating the need to migrate from x86. It does seem that this isn't wants going to happen.

I'd expect the migration off of Intel is going to be a slow one if they are actually going to move to ARM. Consumer could happen pretty quickly, but without direct support from Adobe the professional slide could lag behind.