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

[Nikiaf]

The move from PowerPC to Intel made sense because Intel was [and still is] the global computing industry standard. Moving to a custom processor, especially one that lacks x86 support, would be a disastrous move because it'll further limit the ecosystem to apps specifically designed for this new architecture (I'd assume it's going to be based around iOS).

Unless all the major software vendors are capable [and willing] to re-code software for this new architecture, it could spell the end of the Mac as a legitimate alternative to a Windows-based computer and limit it to the casual user demographic. Unless 4K video editing in the cloud becomes a thing in the next 2-ish years...

 

[Regime2008]

It’s time to move forward. You can’t hold onto x86 and it’s ancient way of thinking forever. Best Mac news I have heard in years, maybe enough to bring me back.
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Whatever is in the base MacBook would be comparable.

"Benchmark" wise, would be a i7 4770k. But we all know the 4770k would wipe the floor, and run circles around the A11, even if things were all equal. But they aren't.

 

[meme1255]

Yes, they will be built on an ARM Mac.

Many developers may refuse to buy separate machine for macOS/iOS only.

 

[itguy06]

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

Why not? The chips are as fast as or faster than Intel, use less power, and in the case of the Ryzen APU's have much better graphics.

 

[code-m]

I don’t think apple would make the switch without some kind of emulation software similar to Rosetta during the PPC transition days, at least for the first few years.

Apple may incorporate some emulator, however the game changer back then and now is the AppStore on both iOS and macOS. During the PPC to x86 transition, there was no official AppStore. Apple had to beg and entice developers to create apps for OS X, however times have changed and the AppStore was part of this equation for awhile, though no company can completely predict the success or failure of a given service, you have to give it to Steve Jobs for having some foresight for Apples roadmap.

 

[senzung]

I have mixed feeling on this...

Apple's mobile chip has been more than impressive so far, it would be very interesting to see what this team would 'think differently" and bring to the game which Intel has been monopoly for far too long(with full respect to intel engineers);

But then Apple's macOS software and product design will most definitely find some ways to let down...

 

[Heineken]

You guys don't really know that VMware and Parallels only can offer support for other operating systems because Apple uses Intel CPUs?


Not really. Top-end x86 CPUs still leave top-end ARM CPUs in the dust. ARM CPUs might look impressive at the moment since they massively increased their performance in the last time, but they are coming from far behind.

Intel CPUs have been fairly stagnant because they are already operating close to the limits of the laws of physics. ARM CPUs will hit the same limits more sooner than later.

This is not only about performance, but about controlling the roadmap too.

 

[Naimfan]

Oi vey.

Apple determined to kill the Mac, it appears.

 

[Dranix]

Moving to a custom processor, especially one that lacks x86 support, would be a disastrous move because it'll further limit the ecosystem to apps specifically designed for this new architecture (I'd assume it's going to be based around iOS).

Where comes this believe from? For most software change of cpu is a simple recompile.

 

[mgauss7]

Ready Player One

 

[WillGonz]

This is a huge mistake. Because they won't be able to run Intel based OSes and Windows, etc. I will be selling my stock before this happens.

 

[itguy06]

I'd rather have Apple buying AMD and get them to design custom CPU and GPU. AMD got Ryzen, Threadripper and EPYC with lots of PCI Express lanes.

Problem is if anyone buys AMD the license for x86 is supposedly invalidated. Better for Apple to be a huge customer for their superior CPUs.

 

[gkarris]

Why not? The chips are as fast as or faster than Intel, use less power, and in the case of the Ryzen APU's have much better graphics.

Apple is going to use ITS OWN chips, mainly the Axx family or a derivation there of.

Mac OS will become Mac iOS (iOS with keyboard/mouse compatibility).

Minimal re-writes to Mac Apps already on iOS for Mac support.

I would imagine the first to go this route will be the Mac Mini - the A12 processor with 256Gigs SSD? $499

MacBooks soon to follow then iMacs....

 

[jdnewhouse]

Mac applications from Adobe, Microsoft, etc are not written directly in x86/x64 CPU instructions. They are written in a high-level language such as Objective-C and are then compiled to machine code for a given CPU architecture. I assume if Apple moved to an ARM architecture they would release updated versions of Xcode and API (such as Cocoa) that would compile your existing code into a new build for ARM. Only code directly written in x86 assembly language would need to be completely rewritten for a new CPU architecture.

 

[LV426]

Meh, it's a weak argument to say you need a new chipset. The server software I develop (in C#) for my work runs on a variety of hardware platforms very simply and efficiently. That's because it's compiled as byte code and compiled with a just-in-time compiler on the particular hardware where it runs (or gets installed). Run-anywhere software isn't that hard to create. The trick is making sure that it can call the underlying framework/os in a consistent and reliable manner.

 

[0924487]

That's what I call innovation.

 

[WillGonz]

Why not? The chips are as fast as or faster than Intel, use less power, and in the case of the Ryzen APU's have much better graphics.

It's not about speed but compatibility. No more dual booting to other OSes.

 

[Dranix]

It's not about speed but compatibility. No more dual booting to other OSes.

There are ARM build of Linux, BSD and Windows available.

 

[code-m]

Many developers may refuse to buy separate machine for macOS/iOS only.

You are looking at the present, you are not considering what iOS 12 or even 13 will bring in under a year or more to the iOS space. The A10 Fusion and A11 Bionic chips are powerful enough to run programming apps, it just has not been made available yet, though XCode will make an appearance on iOS sooner rather than later. It is no mistake that Apple focused on software development in the school and on iPad during its March event. Even if XCode for iOS is released with limited capabilities, it is a test bed to eventually have the macOS equivalent down the road.

Comments such as these reminds of the the days when people said that Apple would never allow an x86 processor run OS X, well we know those concerns were completely wrong.

 

[MacHiavelli]

long time coming... https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...y-not-ready-yet.2008550/page-43#post-23770861

 

[Michael Goff]

But are they going to fix the MacBook keyboard?

 

[DNichter]

"Benchmark" wise, would be a i7 4770k. But we all know the 4770k would wipe the floor, and run circles around the A11, even if things were all equal. But they aren't.

Of course. I don’t think anyone thinks you just stick an A11 chip in a MacBook and call it a day. Apple’s chip team is smarter than that.

 

[BaccaBossMC]

What will be Apple's excuse for not updating the Macs then?

'Courage'

 

[bladerunner2000]

Sadly, I’d have to move back to Windows if it were not possible to run window programs in a Mac anymore.

It's not all bad. At least you wouldn't be taken to the cleaners when buying a rig. Plus, AMD's Threadripper CPU's are ridiculously fast for a bargain. The performance you'll get out of a Windows based rig is going to run circles around every Mac for pennies. Plus you won't be stuck with halfass AMD GPUs either.

 

[DNichter]

Many developers may refuse to buy separate machine for macOS/iOS only.

Maybe, but I doubt it. If there is money to be made, developers will come.