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nutmac

macrumors 603
Mar 30, 2004
6,043
7,286
If true, and I am quite certain Apple has had OS X running on ARM for some time now, I suspect Apple won't be switching their entire Mac line-up to ARM overnight. Specifically, MacBook Airs will be the initial seed for ARM-based processors, offering iPad-like battery life and fan-less operation.

As for MacBook Pros, power users depend on virtualization (to run Windows and Linux), so I think 15" MacBook Pros, 27" iMac, and Mac Pro may stick with Intel CPUs for some time, especially if Intel manages to greatly reduce power consumption while improving performance.
 

DrumApple

macrumors 6502a
Jan 30, 2009
546
1,417
This is going to be a huge can of worms if they do. Like back to the Power PC days, when the rest of the world is on Intel. :confused:
 

BornAgainApple

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2009
605
304
Massachusetts
I don't understand all the vitriol. I think this is great news. What's wrong with going back to the way things were with the Mac? Apple already integrates their own mobile processors into their iOS devices. I'm willing to bet Apple will still be able to figure out a way to run Windows. It would be to Apple's detriment not to. I myself have no need for Windows since I switched to Mac.
 

MRU

macrumors Penryn
Aug 23, 2005
25,368
8,948
a better place
And now we will hear the exact same vitriol that we heard when the rumours of intel partnership began (late 2003/2004 rumours) before releasing device late 2005.

It's like going back in time nearly a decade.
 

thestickman

macrumors regular
Nov 21, 2010
219
18
Jacksonville, FL
Mercy, I really don't want to have to switch back to Windows to run Pro Tools & Studio One. If Apple makes this switch do they just assume Avid, Presonus, etc are just going to up & write compatible versions for ARM?
 

nuckinfutz

macrumors 603
Jul 3, 2002
5,537
398
Middle Earth
The die has already been cast.

Apple's made the transition from GCC to LLVM for compiling. LLVM is a virtual machine that takes intermediate code and then JIT compiles it for the target platform (Say X86 or ARM :D)

Next up the transition to 64-bit cleaned up frameworks and now we're moving forward with better frameworks that run on ARM (thanks to the iOS devices)


Just waiting on ARM to get their 64-bit house in order.
 

nuckinfutz

macrumors 603
Jul 3, 2002
5,537
398
Middle Earth
I don't understand all the vitriol. I think this is great news. What's wrong with going back to the way things were with the Mac? Apple already integrates their own mobile processors into their iOS devices. I'm willing to bet Apple will still be able to figure out a way to run Windows. It would be to Apple's detriment not to. I myself have no need for Windows since I switched to Mac.

Stockholm Syndrome? Intel and Microsoft have abused people to the point of pathology

LOL
 

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
Apple's made the transition from GCC to LLVM for compiling. LLVM is a virtual machine that takes intermediate code and then JIT compiles it for the target platform (Say X86 or ARM :D)

I think you're not understanding LLVM and what it does exactly. It's not a virtual machine at all.
 

extricated

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2011
448
65
Arkansas
And now we will hear the exact same vitriol that we heard when the rumours of intel partnership began (late 2003/2004 rumours) before releasing device late 2005.

It's like going back in time nearly a decade.

Agreed.
Apple won't do anything that isn't (in their view) the best move for the products.
 

Small White Car

macrumors G4
Aug 29, 2006
10,966
1,463
Washington DC
Isn't Microsoft currently selling a Windows tablet that comes as either ARM or 486?

And so if Apple is thinking about doing the exact same thing that Microsoft is doing...that's the end of the world?

People need to get a grip.
 

KnightWRX

macrumors Pentium
Jan 28, 2009
15,046
4
Quebec, Canada
Just waiting on ARM to get their 64-bit house in order.

64 bit isn't magical. We've had 64 bit processors for more than a decade. In terms of performance, those processors sure as heck don't come near modern Intel chips (I still have a Ultra 5 with an UltraSparc II+ 233 mhz chip, full 64 bit SPARC processor. It's barely on par with a Pentium II of the days).
 

BSU2006

macrumors newbie
Nov 5, 2012
1
0
Please Dont

I switched to the Mac OS specificially because the BootCamp option made it easier to use Macs when I wanted, but still had Windows if necessary. If Apple did this, without BootCamp functionality, my 2011 MBP would be my last Apple product. I already skipped iPhone 5 because of no Google Maps. It seems like Apple is intent on making it harder to integrate our technological lives with their devices and I just cant continue to go down that road. Sorry Apple, my MBP is the best built laptop I have ever owned. It will probablly also be my last with out unless it becomes much easier for the consumer to do work with your products.
 

nick_elt

macrumors 68000
Oct 28, 2011
1,578
0
and Apple isn't the only one. Microsoft is experimenting with it too, with it's ARM version of Windows 8; Windows RT.

not to mention all the android based products that are also running on ARM processors. I think Intel is going to have a tough road ahead!

Don't see it happening for anything else than macbook air . Isn't only windows rt on arm? They don't come Close to i7 and the likes
 

nuckinfutz

macrumors 603
Jul 3, 2002
5,537
398
Middle Earth
:rolleyes: There is nothing surprising about Apple having a portable codebase if a bunch of open source hippies can do it.

But ARM ? ARM ? What's the value there ? Performance per watt is no better than Intel. The reason ARM processors are so energy efficient today is because they lack the sheer number crunching capabilities of x86 chips. Intel proved with Medfield that x86 is as power efficient as ARM, if they also sacrifice number crunching. There's even an Android phone that runs on a Medfield SoC!

http://www.extremetech.com/computin...-to-64-bit-will-enter-the-server-room-in-2014

Little reason to tie your product line to Intel and the cruft that is in X86. Intel is now a gnat compared to Apple.

In the near future the OS will be so tailored for the custom hardware that Apple will be able to design in house it won't take a huge Intel chip to deliver fantastic performance.
 
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