Apple Plans to Ditch Intel and Use Custom Mac Chips Starting in 2020

[vegetassj4]

Clearly they will merge iOS and MacOS into the AppleOS. One OS for all devices.

One OS to rule them all, one OS to find them.....

 

[dirt_farmer]

The interesting thing is that they are converging technology like Microsoft did with Surface etc only doing it backwards. Microsoft is converging all their mobile devices to laptop processors while Apple is converging all their laptops to their mobile processors.

You do realize that Microsoft pumped billions into the opposite approach (what Apple is trying to do now) over almost a decade, completely failing and having to write the entire effort off right?

 

[itguy06]

Would love to see them ditch Inel and go AMD Ryzen/Threadripper/Epyc..... You'd have better, more energy efficient CPUs, x86 capabilities (Windows) and better integrated graphics.

 

[Freyqq]

They could do a similar thing as graphics switching on the 15”, at least to start. ARM chip for OS and simple apps and then Intel switches on when needed for x86 instructions.

 

[JediZenMaster]

Let's see....The same company that limits cpu performance on several of their devices, removes TB2 compatibility in software, and several other annoyances... The same company that solders ram to its boards, limits clock speed on components due to thermal throttling from bad designs? Yeah, let's see who eats crow in 2020.

Those are annoyances to you but not the average customer. There is this myth that Apple only should cater to the “pro” market which is tiny compared to the average consumer.

I hope they wind down the focus on pro devices also.

 

[zmon]

The same company that solders ram to its boards.

Unfortunately, most ultrabooks have their RAM soldered to the board these days. My old Samsung Ativ Book 9 Plus has its RAM soldered, a relatives HP Spectre X360 (Kaby lake model) has its RAM soldered, the XPS 13 has its RAM soldered. I believe the XPS 15 is surprisingly not soldered, but supposedly the models that have the Intel chips with Vega graphics does have its RAM soldered.

IMO, if true, this is not good. Just a way to further segment the market. The whole idea why Apple moved away from PPC was because of the huge performance increase Intel had over PPC. Even if the current Apple A chips match some Intel chips in benchmark tests, you can't exactly compare an x86 chip to an ARM chip like that. Here's a good read: https://www.pcworld.com/article/300...he-ipad-pro-really-isnt-as-fast-a-laptop.html

 

[sublunar]

Just another thought - maybe this is a genius negotiating tactic by Apple to get cheap Xeons for the Modular Mac Pro?

 

[jerryk]

Would love to see them ditch Inel and go AMD Ryzen/Threadripper/Epyc..... You'd have better, more energy efficient CPUs, x86 capabilities (Windows) and better integrated graphics.

Not going with AMD unless they buy the company to cannibalize it for graphics components.

 

[dirt_farmer]

Those are annoyances to you but not the average customer. There is this myth that Apple only should cater to the “pro” market which is tiny compared to the average consumer.

I hope they wind down the focus on pro devices also.

Well considering that only a single-digit percentage of computer sales are Macs, I would argue that the average computer consumer does in fact find something about Apple's product more than just "annoying".

 

[ChrisMoBro]

The lack of Nvidia support by Apple was already a huge worry for me but this would be the last straw and could potentially force me to embrace Windows 10 for professional work. Will macOS be watered down into an iOS hybrid or would the focus be on macOS with better iOS integration? and what about all the developers like Adobe and Microsoft? I really hope this is a late April fools.

 

[EdT]

I'm a little frightened that all this will ultimately result in a closed ecosystem similar to iOS

Not just a closed system, but a cloud system. Just like Chrome book computers the software and storage will probably be mostly on the cloud. So if you live in 5 or 10 megabit land, or less, you can expect true 1990’s level of computer performance.

 

[ssgbryan]

Yes, they will be built on an ARM Mac.

Developing with 1st gen software AND 1st gen hardware.

What could possibly go wrong?.....

 

[Heineken]

It's what you use to play games on.

There are plenty of games that run on OS X.

P.S. Games is the worst rationalisation you can come up with.

 

[Davrosuk]

RISC V is a UC Berkeley academic research project and is more comparable to ARM than X86.
It lacks infrastructure and uses a connectivity protocol called TileLink that is immature and has very little support in the industry.

You don't have the collateral and tool flow for RISC V that exists for ARM and Intel and it's a uphill battle.
You have a lot of companies looking at RSC V but they are not thinking about replacing a general CPU. They are looking at things like AI and deep learning. RISC V is at best an ARM competitor and still lagging behind in that area.

I'll say it again.
When Apple gets a real fab partner and can secure a wafer supply agreement let me know.
When Apple buys or builds a fab, let me know.

Until one of those things happens; Apple isn't in the same city, let alone same ballpark in competing with Intel.

I didn’t say RISC V was going to replace x86 tomorrow, but this is looking out 2-3 years from now. It’s early days but the industry doesn’t want to have lug around 40 years of baggage. As a security guy, its demise is already long overdue.

As for needing a fab, well, I hardly think it is beyond the wit of the worlds biggest and richest company to secure a decent arrangement. But I’m not sure it’s essential. Look at what Apple have done on mobile. Look at what nVidia have achieved (yes GPU’s not CPU’s but the premise still stands).

Just my 2 cents.

 

[rxflyer]

Well, so it's beginning. I wonder how many people will choose to move on from Apple due to lack of X86 support. I for one will not be buying a Mac that I cannot run windows on

 

[maflynn]

have you heard of Windows S?

Yes and it doesn't run all of my apps

 

[dirt_farmer]

"Dear Adobe, please recompile for a new architecture. Hundreds of millions of lines of code. Within a year because you'll want to start debugging".

Love,
The Accountants at Apple

PS The reason is that we noticed that we can get 5% better margins and REALLY lock our users down. Finally!

 

[springsup]

Apple's initiative, reportedly code named "Kalamata," is part of an effort to make Macs, iPhones, and iPads work "more similarly and seamlessly together"

If this is happening (which I doubt), this is not the motivation. These devices already work very similarly and seamlessly together, and anything holding back further integration has nothing to do with the CPU architecture.

It seems like, despite... you know, Microsoft, people still haven't clocked-on to the fact that it's all about the software. And that despite... you know, Google, people still haven't clocked-on to the fact that it's all about the network.

Each of these devices is its own thing, and communicates with the others via networks/the cloud. It doesn't make any difference which CPU architecture any one of them uses. Making software more portable would be cool, but that also doesn't rely on the CPU - basically every iOS app also supports Intel at the flick of a switch.

So yeah, you can be seamless with different CPUs.

 

[idunn]

Apple's initiative, reportedly code named "Kalamata," is part of an effort to make Macs, iPhones, and iPads work "more similarly and seamlessly together"

I don't wish to unnecessarily throw any water on Mr. Cook's parade, but smell a big fat rat here.

To wit, past history seems to suggest whenever the Macintosh suffers such 'improvements' it is inevitably in being downgraded to better meet the limited capabilities of iOS. So while Mr. Cook may think an iPad is swell as one's all-round computer—I don't. It is past time that the entire Macintosh line received the proper love and support it, and we, deserve.

On a brighter note, there is nothing wrong in principle with Apple making all its own chips; there are even some distinct advantages of keeping such things in house. Too, customers have rightly complained about instances when Apple products have not worked seamlessly together—as they could and should. So as far as such things go, this could portend some positive changes.

. . . or not. Stay tuned.

 

[rxflyer]

thanks for asking about Windows, I love to watch the look of amazement as Windows 10 launches on my aging
2010 Mac Pro 5,1. I Hate Windows, but still have to use it for some biz apps. I started with Apple //e in 1980, not a fan boy, but like the reliability and expandability of the old Mac Pros.

 

[ssgbryan]

There are plenty of games that run on OS X.

P.S. Games is the worst rationalisation you can come up with.

Let steam know that, would you?

 

[Regime2008]

Those are annoyances to you but not the average customer. There is this myth that Apple only should cater to the “pro” market which is tiny compared to the average consumer.

I hope they wind down the focus on pro devices also.

They are more of an annoyance to both average and professional users. Not even sure why you are mentioning pro users, when I made no mention of them. These issues can affect all users. I just don't see Apple ever being able to go toe to toe with Intel nor AMD when it comes to processors. Just like I don't ever see them competing with Nvidia nor AMD when it comes to GPU's.

 

[jeh72]

I can't wait to buy an AMD Threadripper... so much bang for the buck. GOODBYE APPLE!

Thumbs up for Mike Ehrmantraut and AMD Threadripper

 

[JediZenMaster]

Windows S runs on ARM

Windows S?

 

[tdar]

Windows S runs on ARM

Yes it does. Now let's review. Windows 10 S is an operating system designed for kindergartners and elementary school kids. It sucks so bad that Microsoft has already decided to give up on it.
Windows on Arm is not designed for mainstream usage. It is designed for a single use case. Low power mobile devices. It has no support for x64 and not even full x86 support. Every device driver must be rewritten. No virtual machine support. Extremely limited,and not by any stretch of the imagination the future of Windows. The future of Windows is the same as the present. X64.

 

[and 1989 others]

And I thought they moved from their own chips to Intel because intel
Could offer better R+D with chip design and open as Apple chooses to more software development. It's like one big roundabout.