Apple Expected to Announce Arm-Based Mac Plans at WWDC, Transition Away From Intel to Begin in 2021

[dspdoc]

It's just one of my theories. It would make sense to release souped-up iPad Pro as an ARM-based Mac, touch screen and all. It doesn't matter what they call it. iPad Pro, MacPad Pro - doesn't matter. It's all about the form factor and portability.

Apple have been positioning the iPad Pro as a Mac replacement for a while. They took a giant stride with iPadOS. They just need to refine iPadOS some more & greatly enhance the desktop experience and it's an ideal candidate as a replacement for macOS.

macOS development has been on a severe decline for years, so it just adds to my theory that is isn't the future OS for the Macs of the future.

Gutting macOS like this would strike at the very core of what Apple lovers adore. Not to mention the insult to the memory of SJ and everything he stood for and poured his heart into. I could be mistaken, but I think I recall Federighi stating they would not cannibalize their lineup. This would be doing exactly that.

I for one am a die hard macOS person (even though Catalina). It would be painfully nostalgic to see macOS abandoned in any way shape or form.

 

[satchmo]

Many are naturally concerned with losing the ability to run Windows. For those who truly need Windows for a specific application, I suggest getting a cheap PC laptop or desktop (for gaming).

However, if your use is more the occasional Office 365 type, I suggest using Microsoft's cloud versions. They're actually not too bad.

 

[Spock]

I half hope I'm proven wrong on this and half very excited, but I have a feeling that the transition has already begun, we just haven't noticed it yet. The iPad Pro with keyboard is an ARM computer, Apple even market it as such. I believe the fabled ARM Mac will not be a Mac, but a 2 in 1 iPad Pro with a beefed up version of iPad OS. Apple have been improving iPad OS to the point where it's a strong desktop replacement for a decent section of the market.

Why port Mac OS to a new architecture when you already have a perfectly good OS on that architecture?

I’ve thought the same thing, I think we are more likely to see a desktop oriented iOS platform that lives along side MacOS for the time being until ARM can fully replace Intel or iOS fully replaces MacOS.

 

[gsurf123]

If this transition means more affordable Macs across the board, I’m in!

They will not be more affordable.

 

[IIGS User]

This makes sense on so many levels.

Part of the original strategy (besides the development path of PowerPC to be a dead end) was to draw as many Windows users away by giving them the option to install windows on a Mac if they moved to Mac and couldn't adapt to it.

That has become a moot point. The important points are:

Taking complete control of the hardware development cycle.

Migrating all devices in the Apple lineup to the same processor, architecture, and development framework.

Maximizing profits by making more components "in house". A LOT of the profit made from these devices (laptops, desktops, etc) comes from the production and sale of the processors. If Apple is all ready developing and making superior ARM based processors, it just makes sense to use them in as many Apple devices as possible. It keeps more money in house and gives Apple the chance to dominate another field of the market.

Eventually, you'll see one App Store, and one operating system. Mac OS, Ipad OS, and iPhone OS will all be variants of the same beast, on parallel upgrade schedules. Sharing features.

Laptops will be specialized pieces of kit for power users, most portable computing will be done on iPad. The iPad pro 2018 being the first round of what's to come. Including the squared off design set to be the next iteration of the iPhone.

I've had my iPad Pro 2018 since February of last year. I think I've used my laptop 20 times since then, and only to remote in to work due to COVID and print reports for Court. Otherwise, I use my iPad for everything. I have considered selling my MBP for a while, but I'll probably keep it due to the expense of replacing it, and it's only a year old. I don't see purchasing another laptop in the foreseeable future.

 

[jinnyman]

Longer battery + faster then ok.
If not faster, no way.
And no. Ipad performance doesn't matter. I've never seen any mac performance running Mac OS, the real OS with true multi tasking. If Apple can prove on performance, I'm inclined to try their mobile offering.

As far as a desktop goes, I'm not convinced. I need virtualization.
I was waiting for their small mac pro or a new intel iMac for my desktop needs, but I guess I will no longer be using a mac desktop anymore.

 

[3xBoom]

So much panic in the thread. First, let's wait and see what the actual announcement will be about and the timeline of the transition. Second, don't assume that Apple is a vile idiot. Sure, they want yours and mine hard earned shekels but they are not retards and there will be a plan. Finally, if anyone here assumes that their Pro-level machines should be just as fine for performing tasks five years from now as they do at present, then you should have your heads checked. New technologies and the respective soft will be major drivers forcing you to get better desktops and laptops, not the depreciation due to the lack of support, which will not happen in the first place. So relax, stay calm and keep on watching cat videos.

 

[nol2001]

I hope the ARM MacBook has 120fps display.

(and a no Touch Bar option)

 

[guzhogi]

With the advent of faster and faster iPads, I've been concerned of late that Apple has taken their eye off the Mac. Especially now the keyboard/trackpad, mouse support, and more desktop-like experience have started to be built around it. All I was waiting to see was that the ability to plug it into multiple 4k screens would see MacOS development just die. If this transition is going to happen, as it seems it is now, is this only going to be the low-end? If the reason is Intel's stagnation and inability to present sufficient next-gen performance each time a new update comes along, then at least iMacs and MacBook Pros are going to be in Apple's inventory for some time to come, surely. How much more power could there be to come out of these ARM chips compared to the Intel lineup, presuming that the only reason for changing over isn't just thermals. Are they scalable so that more and more cores can be added as time goes on?

Macs will stick around for as long as iPads can't create full, complete apps. To my knowledge, Xcode is the only "official" IDE for making iOS/iPadOS apps, and is Mac only. Once that's ported to iPad, I can see Apple phasing out Macs. Why spend the time, money, and effort on Macs when iOS/iPadOS is your cash cow?

Something I would like, but seriously doubt I'll ever see, is for Apple to simplify the product lines. Make a "regular" line (IE MacBook, iPad, etc.) that's thin and light, and a "Pro" version that's a little bigger, but more powerful. I feel Apple's current lineup is too complicated & fragmented.

 

[Mac Rules]

There could be a chance where Apple doesn't even advertise GHz or cache or anything. The issue in the PowerPC days is people saw a 733MHz G4 vs a 1.5GHz Pentium 4. This time it might just be "A14" and that's that.

That is very possible, even going as far as A14X thorugh A14Z if they want to differentiate Macbook Air to Pro as an example - much more consumer friendly.

 

[xxray]

With the advent of faster and faster iPads, I've been concerned of late that Apple has taken their eye off the Mac. Especially now the keyboard/trackpad, mouse support, and more desktop-like experience have started to be built around it. All I was waiting to see was that the ability to plug it into multiple 4k screens would see MacOS development just die. If this transition is going to happen, as it seems it is now, is this only going to be the low-end? If the reason is Intel's stagnation and inability to present sufficient next-gen performance each time a new update comes along, then at least iMacs and MacBook Pros are going to be in Apple's inventory for some time to come, surely. How much more power could there be to come out of these ARM chips compared to the Intel lineup, presuming that the only reason for changing over isn't just thermals. Are they scalable so that more and more cores can be added as time goes on?

“The company plans to eventually transition the entire Mac lineup to its Arm-based processors, including the priciest desktop computers, the people said.”

From the Bloomberg article.

 

[citysnaps]

So much panic in the thread. First, let's wait and see what the actual announcement will be about and the timeline of the transition. Second, don't assume that Apple is a vile idiot. Sure, they want yours and mine hard earned shekels but they are not retards and there will be a plan. Finally, if anyone here assumes that their Pro-level machines should be just as fine for performing tasks five years from now as they do at present, then you should have your heads checked. New technologies and the respective soft will be major drivers forcing you to get better desktops and laptops, not the depreciation due to the lack of support, which will happen in the first place. So relax, stay calm and keep on watching cat videos.

For sure on that. Cracks me up.

It's like many here are just itching to tell the world about hidden gotchas and issues only known to them. And Apple's just bumbling along unaware.

 

[Larabee119]

Rewind to this, Steve's words still preach a decade on

Yes and Mac OS has lived a double secret life with arm processors for a very long time since the A4 too... just in case.

 

[PortoMavericks]

How about the Thunderbolt situation? Will Apple implement USB 4 right off the bat? I’m asking because no one but Intel uses a dedicated PCI lane because of licensing issues. AMD has it on the desktop because it’s a Thunderbolt to PCI adapter, but no Ryzen notebooks have Thunderbolt and I don’t think Intel is willing to make Apple’s life easier right now.

 

[Stella]

Apple needs to be transparent about the CPU switch so we can make an informed decision of whether to buy Intel now, or wait for ARM.

We need to know how far into the future Intel based Macs will be supported, with up to date releases of Mac OS.

There is no place for secrecy during this transition.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

An iPad Pro has a faster processor than most Intel laptops, why do you associate them with being slow?

iPadOS isn't handling over 1000 threads constantly that x86 processors do for macOS. Sorry, but this ``ARM Mac'' won't replace their x86 line.

 

[xxray]

Even though I’m hoping to go all iPad sometime within the next couple years (I can’t now - Excel on iPadOS is too limited), I‘m super excited for this. As per the Bloomberg article, Apple’s chips will have “sizable” improvements in power AND will be more power-efficient than the Intel chips. More powerful and uses less battery? That’s nuts. And it will give Apple more freedom to release products when they want. Whenever Apple implements more vertical integration, it seems to always benefit both the consumer and the company. I’m all for this.

 

[Tsepz]

Random guessing here, but iPad Pro makes sense as a dev transition kit. Has a keyboard, touch, trackpad, A12X/Z chip and perhaps there will be a special image of macOS for it. It's also portable. A G5 Tower made sense in 2005, but my guess is they'd want this to be portable.

I’m guessing that we are seeing the beginning of Apples plan around iPad Pro and Mac then? The move to iPad OS on the tablet side and move to ARM on the PC side, looks like we are in for some truly amazing stuff.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Man, Intel has not been having a good year or so. They seem to have really squandered their dominance.

More like the past 5 years. This began with Broadwell.

 

[Schizoid]

It’ll be interesting to see what they’ve got up their sleeve, if it’s say, an ARM mac mini that runs OS and graphics around 4 times quicker, then I’m up for it.

Maybe the ‘double life’ CPU scenario has produced a monster system without the thermal constraints of a slim ipad.

Otherwise, as a certain person once said, “It has no reason to exist.”

 

[Steve121178]

Gutting macOS like this would strike at the very core of what Apple lovers adore. Not to mention the insult to the memory of SJ and everything he stood for and poured his heart into. I could be mistaken, but I think I recall Federighi stating they would not cannibalize their lineup. This would be doing exactly that.

I for one am a die hard macOS person (even though Catalina). It would be painfully nostalgic to see macOS abandoned in any way shape or form.

But that's what Apple has been doing. There's been little advancement in macOS for years. Project Catalyst has allowed the Mac to start running some core iOS apps and a few mainstream ones have followed such as Twitter. It all points to a convergence of some kind in time for the ARM based Macs.

macOS hasn't been a priority for many years & I don't think there's a long term future for macOS either (hence the lack of development and advancements).

I'm not one for nostalgia or looking back as that's exactly the wrong thing to do. But to continue with macOS on ARM based hardware doesn't add up. To me, it seems very clear that iPadOS is a stepping stone for what is to come. We may just find out what that is at WWDC.

 

[maflynn]

Man, Intel has not been having a good year or so. They seem to have really squandered their dominance.

Nope, they're unable to transition off 14nm, while AMD is on 7nm. They're just not on their game lately.

Unless these chips end up being 100% compatible with x86, I seriously doubt I will ever buy another Apple computer.
Bad bad bad move.

Agreed, I moved away from Macs for a number of reasons, such as price/value, but the rumors of ARM certainly helped my decision

 

[kissmo]

My greatest concern was graphics performance but then I realized some Nvidia GPUs already work with ARM chips.
Second, Mac is still a joke in terms of gaming platform and I subscribed for Apple Arcade only to cancel it 5 days later for the low quality of games available on Apple TV and non interesting Games on Mac.

I wonder if they start with the MacBook and then move on to the MBP line or visit Air line first. But needless to say, those machines may not even have a fan which is great!

Anyway, too much emphasis is placed on HW these days. Its funny how people want performance in RAW format and Apple rushes to deliver. And then they start to be less careful about the SW.

I for one stopped carrying about tech specs of Apple products. I only care about those on my gaming PC to some extent.

I know there are some who might need tech specs, a huge chunk who think they need tech specs and the small amount who don't care - like me.
For my use case - there's not much of an impact to be honest. I make some videos and edit large RAW files on the MAc, run some VMs with windows and linux and pretty much it.
MBP 2018 15inch and MBP 16 inch.... They don't feel that different... and they both have Catalina problems (small but annoying ones). I doubt any upgrade makes sense just to be on the last HW wagon....

 

[itguy06]

How about the Thunderbolt situation? Will Apple implement USB 4 right off the bat? I’m asking because no one but Intel uses a dedicated PCI lane because of licensing issues. AMD has it on the desktop because it’s a Thunderbolt to PCI adapter, but no Ryzen notebooks have Thunderbolt and I don’t think Intel is willing to make Apple’s life easier right now.

TB will go the way of Firewire. The vast majority don't use or care about it and the few that do will be disappointed but move to USB. I don't think I've EVER used my Thunderbolt port on Macs or PCs.

Apple also did a lot of the development of TB so they do have some IP and leverage with Intel.

I'd still like Apple to use the much superior AMD processors instead of a switch to ARM.

 

[Caliber26]

Hate to be this guy, but could someone explain to me what an ARM processor is and how it differentiates from Intel processors? In what way(s) is this more advantageous for us?