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Does not make sense to me. It takes effort to port a chip to another PDK. It is costly. Last time Apple was doing this was with the A8 to actually compare Samsung and TSMC processes for that generation.
Costly yes, but probably still cheaper than tariffs, or not having a chip manufacturing alternative if Taiwan is invaded by China.
 
For a few hundred dollars you can have a whole Windows laptop. Why settle for the lesser evil when you can have Cthulhu?
Because I don't want to keep two laptops around. I'm kind of doing that right now: I'm keeping an old Intel-based Mac with Parallels laying around just for that. But it would be nicer if I could have it all in one modern laptop.
 
Apple has its issues, but I completely gave up on ALL Microsoft products by the year 2000 and never looked back. Just got sick and tired of being sick and tired of doing Microsoft's weekly patches.

YMMV

and you aren’t using Microsoft Azure platforms for anything in your daily web use? I bet you still use something from Microsoft in some form without realising it.
 
Obviously if Microsoft is a hidden part of some hardware or software, then that operator is living with the Microsoft upgrade world versus end users using whatever. The end user is usually unaware of the continuous support issues unless a show stopper issue comes up.

So as I said, I knowingly never use anything Microsoft today. They rank down there at the bottom of my trust list along with anything Google.
 
Please not M-series just use A-series you can binning A-series chip for Intel foundry as long not premium product
 
and you aren’t using Microsoft Azure platforms for anything in your daily web use? I bet you still use something from Microsoft in some form without realising it.
Microsoft isn't *that* widespread. I'm pretty sure that I"m not using MS Azure for anything in my daily web use. Sure, some rinky-dink web site I might click to might use Azure or other MS stack under the cover, but that's not me using Azure - it's those web sites using it. The difference? As the OP explicitly complained: I idon'thave to deal with constant MS bullsh1t.
 
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When reading the headline, I had a thought: wouldn't it be nice to have a small x86 coprocessor as an optional add-on for a MacBook Pro? I still have a need to occasionally run x86 VMs (Windows 10 and Ubuntu 24) to do builds for our product and, once a year, to run TurboTax for Business, which is only available as an x86 Windows app. I imagine others might be in a similar boat. At one point I had hopes that Parallels would step up and provide "good enough" emulation for x86. Although they did, eventually, it's god-awful slow. Anyway - I would pay a few hundred dollars to have an x86 coprocessor add-on in my next MBP.
Macs in the early 90s used to be able to install a DOS compatibility board which was essentially a PCI card (NuBus at the time) which essentially had a stripped down PC motherboard on it that could boot into DOS or Windows.
 
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Knowing Cook 🧑‍🍳 it’s to cut costs in the supply chain. 💻
If it was just this, he is doing a great job. The problem is that he will cut cost on the supply chain and then make the product more expensive. And maybe also remove something from the box on top of it.
That’s why they became an obnoxious company.
 
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As I understand it, Intel acquired the latest machine from ASML before TSMC. Typically, ASML assembles this enormous machine in the Netherlands and then disassembles and ships it. Intel requested that they assemble the components at their facility. Consequently, they gained a year’s advantage.
However, having a hammer is only one aspect. Hitting the nail on the head is another.
 
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As I understand it, Intel acquired the latest machine from ASML before TSMC. Typically, ASML assembles this enormous machine in the Netherlands and then disassembles and ships it. Intel requested that they assemble the components at their facility. Consequently, they gained a year’s advantage.
However, having the latest machine is only one aspect. Operating it is another.
The bigger issue is that TSMC has lots of experience making chips for external customers, while Intel has none. Their current CEO might be the guy to help with that... but he's also a bean counter who pulled back hard from Gelsinger's hail mary to save the company. Firing tons of people, cancelling fab projects, hinting he might cancel development of next-gen process nodes... I expect Intel to turn into either AMD or Boeing. I'd be very cautious about relying on Intel too much as a fab. TSMC has fabs in the US, too.
 
I know the chance of it happening is virtually zero but hoping we will be able to run Windows natively on a Mac again after hearing this.
If it were Windows 10 yes but not Windows 11 which is an abomination and would also expect Windows 12 to be horrendous as well. At least Windows 10 was a great experience on my 2015 MacBook Air.
 
Intel 18A should be competitive with upcoming TSMC 2nm and is well ahead of TSMC 3nm used by Apple M5 chip. A lot of companies are already avoiding TSMC 3nm due to cost and TSMC 2nm is going to further raise costs. People who object to using Intel's upcoming process node are objecting out of ignorance because they equivocate Intel with previous process node struggles (eg being stuck on 14nm for so long), security concerns (which won't exist with Apple designing the chips), or thinking it's a return to x86 (which, again won't happen with Apple designing the chips).
 
Part of me wanted Apple to purchase intel. And yes, to actually keep making x86 chips. Let them "run" it the way they did before. And, being they are a fab. To then do exactly what they are going to to now. Leverage it to produce their M and A chips. Keeping the fabs feed is the best way to keep costs low. But, they want nothing to do with x86. And I don't blame them for that. But, it would have been pretty interesting to see if that could have worked out.
 


While all Macs are now powered by Apple's custom-designed chips, a new rumor claims that Apple may rekindle its partnership with Intel, albeit in a new and limited way.

New-Intel-Logo.jpg

Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said Intel is expected to begin shipping Apple's lowest-end M-series chip as early as mid-2027.

Kuo said Apple plans to utilize Intel's 18A process, which is the "earliest available sub-2nm advanced node manufactured in North America."

If this rumor proves to be accurate, Intel could supply Apple with M6 or M7 chips for future MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad Pro models at a minimum. However, while previous Intel chips for Macs were designed by Intel and based on x86 architecture, M-series chips are designed by Apple and use Arm architecture. Intel would only assist with manufacturing.

TSMC would continue to supply the majority of Apple's M-series chips.

Kuo said that Apple choosing to have Intel supply its lowest-end M-series chip would appease the Trump administration's desire for "Made in USA" products, and it would also help Apple to diversify its supply chain for manufacturing.

Apple began transitioning away from Intel processors in Macs in 2020, and its own M-series chips continue to provide industry-leading performance per watt.

Apple previously announced that macOS Tahoe will be the final major macOS release that supports Intel-based Macs with x86 architecture.

Article Link: Apple and Intel Rumored to Partner on Mac Chips Again in a New Way

M5 Celeron MacBooks 😂

(yes, I read it’s still Apple’s architecture)
 
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