Apple Silicon: The Complete Guide

[Jamie0003]

They are clearly heading for touchscreen macs. Probably a 2022 thing. The signs are all there in the details of how they are integrating UIKit into mac, the new UI for mac, etc. And when they do it they will do it right, with touch targets automatically being big enough, etc.

I thought this as soon as I saw iOS apps running on these ARM Macs. It would be pretty tough to play a lot of these games without a touchscreen.

 

[gnasher729]

Only a matter of time. I can't stand macOS now, but I would be interested in an iOS book with a trackpad and touchscreen keyboard.

Not going to happen. What Apple will be selling are Macs.
[automerge]1593425908[/automerge]

You are still stuck on the dam word WORD get off it as its confusing you! You even stated it here 8-, 16- or 32-bit.

So if I have eight bits 11111111 how you read them is the issue of Endianness. Going back to what I stated at the very beginning 11110000 Vs 00001111 are not seen at the same value.

The problem here is you are so caught up in more modern CPU design you have either forgotten or never learned how the original Intel 4004 and how the Motorola 6800 worked! Go dig out your books and read them!

BTW I'm an ex IBM'er who help design the original IBM PC's BIOS.

On every computer that stores memory as bytes, the bits in one byte have no particular order at all, since you can only access them all at the same time. An Intel 4004 I wouldn't even call a microprocessor anymore. Motorola 6800, Intel 8080 and everything after that stored bytes.
[automerge]1593426227[/automerge]

RISC is faster in that execution time is improved, but the entire purpose of CISC is to provide a “single instruction” that allows you to do what would take a RISC based design, multiple more clocks. CISC is quite clearly designed to help improve the performance of more complex calculations/routines.

CISC _was_ designed - 30 or 40 years ago - to improve performance because instead of executing simple instructions, it could execute much more complex instructions in the same time. That was 30 to 40 years ago. Times have changed. Today, CISC is absolutely pointless, because the instruction decoder of an Intel processor splits a complex instruction into multiple micro-ops which are basically RISC instructions. But that instruction decoder doesn't come for free. Intel can decode at most 4 micro-ops per cycle. The processor in your iPad can decode 7 instructions per cycle. That's a 75% advantage.
[automerge]1593426399[/automerge]

CISC made sense before compiler technology got to the point where it is now. There is no advantage to doing more per cycle when it takes more than N-times the power/time to do it.

If you look back a bit in history, Motorola 68020 was a CISC processor, and Motorola 68040 was basically a RISC processor with the same instruction set. Motorola split the instruction set into simple RISC-like instructions and complex instructions. The simple instructions ran _fast_ (well, as far as 40 MHz can do fast. If you built one today at 3GHz it would be reasonably competitive). As a compiler or assembler coder, you really wanted to avoid the complex instructions because they were _slow_.

 

[gnasher729]

I would imagine Apple have a plan for the next 10 years and everything is working towards this.

I can tell you exactly what the plan is. The first iPhone was released in 2007 with standard ARM processors. In 2010, Apple started developing its own processors (that's why they call them "Silicon" now instead of ARM). In the ten years until 2020 they progressed so far that their high end mobile chips are now competitive with many Intel chips. The plan for the next ten years is to make much more progress so that mobile chips leave lots of Intel in the dust, and of course create laptop and desktop chips by just increasing the clock speed and combine two or four or eight mobile chips into one package.
[automerge]1593427185[/automerge]

If the Mac keeps the same form factor (and Apple has indicated they don’t plan to bring the lines together) and the same relative prices, I don’t see Mac sales increasing much if any. Many of those potential Mac sales have already been lost to iOS and iPad OS, and part of the decision was the portability (still way more portable than a MacBook) and always connected internet. I just don’t see someone that has made a VERY conscious decision to NOT use a Mac suddenly decide to get one just because of the processor in it. The vast majority of iOS/iPadOS owners probably couldn’t tell you what chip was in what they have in their hands!

PC users are not going to switch because of the processor. They are going to switch if they can buy laptops or desktops with higher performance and better battery life. And that's what Apple is going to produce. But just a food for thought: When Apple switches Macs to ARM, Apple will sell more powerful processors per year than Intel.
[automerge]1593427628[/automerge]

i don't want an arm based mac. i don't need it. and it would send the wrong signal to more professional users that apple is abandoning the macOS platform. which would be very bad for its entire portfolio of services and for AAPL.

And there is me, seeing it as a very, very strong indication that Apple is absolutely behind Macs and MacOS. If Apple wanted to abandon MacOS, they would have stayed with Intel. Why invest the time and money to switch? They are switching because right now they can produce ARM Macs that are better than Intel Macs, and in ten years they want to produce ARM Macs that are far ahead of Intel PCs.

 

[DNichter]

Not going to happen. What Apple will be selling are Macs.
[automerge]1593425908[/automerge]

On every computer that stores memory as bytes, the bits in one byte have no particular order at all, since you can only access them all at the same time. An Intel 4004 I wouldn't even call a microprocessor anymore. Motorola 6800, Intel 8080 and everything after that stored bytes.
[automerge]1593426227[/automerge]

CISC _was_ designed - 30 or 40 years ago - to improve performance because instead of executing simple instructions, it could execute much more complex instructions in the same time. That was 30 to 40 years ago. Times have changed. Today, CISC is absolutely pointless, because the instruction decoder of an Intel processor splits a complex instruction into multiple micro-ops which are basically RISC instructions. But that instruction decoder doesn't come for free. Intel can decode at most 4 micro-ops per cycle. The processor in your iPad can decode 7 instructions per cycle. That's a 75% advantage.
[automerge]1593426399[/automerge]

If you look back a bit in history, Motorola 68020 was a CISC processor, and Motorola 68040 was basically a RISC processor with the same instruction set. Motorola split the instruction set into simple RISC-like instructions and complex instructions. The simple instructions ran _fast_ (well, as far as 40 MHz can do fast. If you built one today at 3GHz it would be reasonably competitive). As a compiler or assembler coder, you really wanted to avoid the complex instructions because they were _slow_.

Apple already sells Mac's, and iPad's, and a Magic Keyboard combo - so it's certainly possible to be doing all of those things, plus what I mentioned. Or they just make the Magic Keyboard better, which is the more likely scenario.

 

[polaris1983]

Back in 2006, Apple brought out the first x86 based Macs, and it only took them 12 months to switch them all. A big key back then was Rosetta Stone (to run the old software unchanged). I have to wonder if one reason Apple is ditching 32-bit desktop apps and promoting iPad Apps on Mac is to prepare for such a transition.

Don't trust but verify. Done. Crosses off that one.

 

[Darth Tulhu]

It's really annoying, my 2015 MacBook is well overdue an upgrade, I love the form factor but hate the processor. It chugs when connected to my external display for crying out loud. The iPad Pro is the next best thing but it's so limited. I want

This is literally all I want from this transition. If Apple still refuses to make the iPad on par with the Mac, then give us a touchscreen Mac for crying out loud! I really don't understand why they continue to make the iPad so limited, yet make the Mac better in literally every way bar a touchscreen/tablet mode. With an ARM chip, the only thing missing to make the Mac the perfect machine in my opinion would be this.

I used to think Apple didn't need to ditch Intel, but recent developments have changed my mind on that.

A Mac 2-in-1 is now a distinct possibility... almost a likelihood.

To be honest, the current iPad Pros + Magic Keyboard are 90% there; The differences between iPadOS and macOS are going to be there strictly for addressing the iPad's hardware constraints that would have a negative software effect on the user experience.

I believe the Mac hardware will always be more powerful by virtue of having more room for battery, RAM, etc., without having to have the screen hardware within the same space the other components occupy. Which in turn could mean Macs are going to get REALLY fast.

Conjecture? Sure. We'll see though.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

i know this forum is oddly excited about this idea, but i would much rather apple keep the higher tiers with intel processors.

Unless Apple wants to come out with a Pro App for product design, engineering & CAM, as only Apple could (due to the insane IP battles involved) this marks the fork in the road where Apple leaves the design world to run on PC's. I'd love to see a 24 core ARM iMac Pro chomping through realtime renders in some ai-fueled complex parametric solid modeling app from the future, but where is this software supposed to come from? Autodesk & Dassault have half a century of gobbling up CAD IP and suing anyone that comes near it out of existence. Their applications are massive, the result of decades of development dating back to the early space program. They're not even very good either, being single-thread only, with hamfisted UI's. There's a ton of room for someone to do it right and sweep the design world off its feet, but the undertaking is such an enormous one & full of risk with very little reward & high downstream expectations, it would take a company the size of Apple to build a proper design app to run on this new hardware, because AutoDesk was barely on board with reworking the already intel-based, plain vanilla Autocad for OS X, and Dassault straight up laughed in our faces. If Apple wants to be seen in the 3d world as doing anything more than making phones, and then tablets that are essentially phones, and now laptops and desktops that are essentially phones, they either need to keep a couple Intel models in the line for actual "Pro" use, or write the software that will make their hardware useful to professionals.

What a mess.

 

[cmaier]

I thought this as soon as I saw iOS apps running on these ARM Macs. It would be pretty tough to play a lot of these games without a touchscreen.

Well, even regular apps that rely on multitouch are a little weird on a mac without touch support. They are a pain in the simulator, for example.

 

[carlwfbird]

With shared architecture, what do you think the chances are

1) iPad pros run Mac OS?
2) Macs run iPad OS with the new virtualization tool?
3) We see hybrid mac/ipads that when docked are a mac and when separate work as an iPad?

 

[cmaier]

With shared architecture, what do you think the chances are

1) iPad pros run Mac OS?
2) Macs run iPad OS with the new virtualization tool?
3) We see hybrid mac/ipads that when docked are a mac and when separate work as an iPad?

1) 0%
2) why? macos can run ipad apps and ios apps. Why would it need to run ipados?
3) 0%

 

[xbjllb]

NOW we know why they rushed out the Mac Pro. Why sell one super expensive desktop when you can sell two via quick obsolescence?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

NOW we know why they rushed out the Mac Pro.

Very interesting use of the term “rushed”.

 

[Cyprusian]

Very interesting use of the term “rushed”.

I agree - all the power users who have been crying out for years for an update from the “Trashcan” would probably regard the release of the current Mac Pro as long overdue at the very least.

 

[MiniMacDonald]

Apple at WWDC 2020 announced plans to transition away from Intel chips to Macs built with its own Apple Silicon chips starting in late 2020. Apple's custom chips are Arm-based and are similar to the A-series chips used in iPhones and iPads.

This guide covers everything we know about Apple Silicon, Apple's plans to transition away from Intel chips, and Apple's plans to make it easy for developers to design apps for the new Arm-based Macs that are coming in the future.

Why Apple is Making the Switch

Apple is adopting its own Apple Silicon chips to make better Macs. Apple says its own chips will bring a whole new level of performance with more powerful Macs that are also more energy-efficient. Apple says that its advanced power management capabilities will allow for maximized performance paired with better than ever battery life.

Apple Silicon Advantage

Apple has years of experience with power-efficient chip design thanks to its work on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, all of which use custom-designed chips developed by Apple engineers. Apple has made huge gains in processor performance over the years, and its chips are now powerful enough to be used in Macs.

Apple is aiming to deliver the highest possible performance with the lowest power consumption, a goal that its expertise makes it well-suited to achieve. Better performance is Apple's main goal, but there are other reasons that it has decided to transition away from Intel, and that includes all of the custom technologies that it can build into Apple Silicon to further boost the Mac's capabilities and make it stand out from the competition.

Deep integration between software and hardware has always made iPhones stand out from other smartphones, and the same will be true for the Mac. Apple's custom chips will provide best-in-class security with the Secure Enclave and high-performance graphics capabilities for pro apps and games.

Apple Silicon chips will be built with Neural Engines and Machine Learning Accelerators to make Macs ideal platforms for machine learning. Other technologies include a high-quality camera processor, performance controller, high-performance DRAM, unified memory, and cryptography acceleration.

Ditching Intel

Apple's current Macs use x86 chips from Intel, while its iPhones and iPads use Arm-based chips. x86 chips and Arm chips are built using different architectures, so the transition from x86 to Arm will take some work.

Apple has been using Intel's chips in its Mac lineup since 2006 after transitioning away from PowerPC processors, which has meant that Apple has been subject to Intel's release timelines, chip delays, and security issues, which have, at times, negatively affected Apple's own device release plans.

Apple has cited platform consolidation and performance advantages as reasons for ditching Intel chips, but one former Intel engineer claimed that Intel's issues with Skylake chips drove Apple to speed up development of its Arm-based chips. There have been rumors about Apple designing its own Mac chips since 2014, so the decision to stop using Intel chips has been in the works for a long time.

Swapping to house-made chips lets Apple release updates on its own schedule and with more regular technology improvements, plus Apple is also able to differentiate its devices from competing products with tight integration between software and hardware, similar to its iOS platform and A-series chips.

Apple's Arm-Based Chips for iOS Devices

Apple uses an Arm-based architecture for its A-series chips in the iPhone and iPad, and each year, those chips get faster and more efficient. In fact, when introducing the latest A12 and A13 chips, Apple has made it a point to emphasize that these chips are faster than many Intel-based chips in competing devices.

The 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models with A12X and A12Z chips, for example, are close in speed to the 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro models, and the A12Z is even used as the chip in a test machine designed to help developers build apps for the new Arm architecture.

Apple's A-series chip packages include custom-built GPUs, Secure Enclave, memory and storage controllers, machine learning processors, Image Signal Processing, custom encryption, and more, all of which will be applied to Mac processors.

Arm Chips in Current Macs

The MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro are already equipped with Apple-designed Arm processors, in the form of the T1 and T2 chips that power the Touch Bar and other features in these machines.

The T2 chip in particular integrates several components, including the system management controller, image signal processor, SSD controller, and a Secure Enclave with a hardware-based encryption engine in addition to powering the Touch Bar and Touch ID.

Common iOS and Mac Architecture

With Apple designing its own chips for iOS devices and Macs, there will be a common architecture across all Mac product lines, which will make it easier for developers to write and optimize software that runs on all Apple products.

In fact, apps designed for the iPhone and the iPad will run on Apple Silicon natively when the first Mac with an Apple-designed chip is released, and those apps will be able to be downloaded from the Mac App Store.

Easing the Transition

macOS Big Sur is equipped with tools to help both developers and Apple customers transition from Intel chips to Apple Silicon. All Apple apps, including Apple's pro apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, are already running natively on Apple Silicon.

Companies like Adobe and Microsoft are already working on apps that will run natively on Apple Silicon, and following WWDC, other developers can get started as well.

Developers can use the Xcode beta to get their apps up and running on Apple Silicon in just a matter of days, and Apple has developed a new Universal 2 binary that works on Intel Macs and Macs built on Apple Silicon so developers can still support Intel Macs with a single binary for all users.

Apple has also launched a Quick Start Program to help developers create apps for Apple Silicon and take advantage of all the features it has to offer. The Quick Start Program includes documentation, sample code, lab access, forums, DTS support, and a Developer Transition Kit.

The Developer Transition Kit is a Mac mini equipped with an A12Z chip from the iPad Pro. It also features 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, a pair of 10 Gbps USB-C ports, a pair of 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and an HDMI 2.0 port.

Developers need to shell out $500 for the DTK, and it comes with a number of restrictions against tearing the machine down, using it for work other than development related to the program, or renting or leasing it out.

Geekbench benchmarks of the Developer Transition Kit suggest that the A12Z-based Mac mini has average single-core and multi-core scores of 811 and 2,781 respectively. Geekbench is running through Apple's Rosetta 2 transition layer, so the slower performance than the A12Z chip in the iPad Pro is to be expected.

Notably, Apple's A12Z under Rosetta 2 outperforms Microsoft's Arm-based Surface Pro X in Geekbench performance, running x86_64 code in emulation faster than the Surface Pro X can run an Arm version natively.

Support for Intel Macs

Apple will continue to release software updates for Intel Macs for years after the transition to Apple Silicon, so those who purchase Intel-based Macs can expect to receive macOS updates throughout the life of their machines.

Running Intel Apps on Apple Silicon

Apple expects most developers to develop native apps immediately, but users will be able to run Intel apps on day one even if those apps haven't been updated, thanks to Rosetta 2, a translation process that runs in the background and is invisible to the user.

Rosetta 2 translates existing Intel apps so they work on Macs equipped with Apple Silicon quickly, seamlessly, and without issues. Apple has demoed Rosetta 2 with apps and games and there's no difference between running an Intel app on an Intel machine and on an Apple Silicon machine. All of the features work and the software is just as quick.

Apple is also introducing new virtualization technologies that will let developers run Linux or tools like Docker. Rosetta 2 will not support virtualization using apps like VMWare or Parallels, so it won't be possible to run Windows using that method unless the apps are rebuilt for Apple Silicon, and it's not clear if that's a possibility at this time in regard to licensing.

Apple is aware of the situation with virtualization and Windows, but has not said if there's another solution in the works.

No Boot Camp

Windows will not operate in Boot Camp mode on Macs that run Apple Silicon as Microsoft only licenses Windows 10 on Arm to OEMs and has no current plans make an Arm-based version of Windows freely available.

Apple has also said that it does not plan to support Boot Camp on its future Macs. "We're not direct booting an alternate operating system," Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said. "Purely virtualization is the route."

Recovery Interface, Security and Target Disk Mode

At WWDC 2020, Apple has been providing developers with details on how Apple Silicon Macs will work, and there will be a new system for accessing macOS recovery and security options at startup.

Current Intel Macs have recovery options accessed at boot-up that use various key commands like Command-R, but on Apple Silicon Macs, there will be a Startup Manager Interface accessible by holding down on the power button.

The Startup Manager Interface will allow for recovery options like reinstalling macOS, booting as normal, shutting down, and restarting.

Startup Disk, another new feature, lets a user select different security modes for startup volumes. Full security is enabled by default for the same security available through Apple's iOS devices.

Reduced security mode is more flexible, allowing users to disable System Integrity Protection and run any version of macOS, including those no longer signed by Apple.

Target Disk Mode, used to transfer files from one Mac to another, is being replaced with a Mac Sharing Mode that turns the Apple Silicon Mac into an SMB file sharing server to provide another Mac with file-level access to user data with user authentication.

Multiple Arm-Based Chips in the Works

Apple is working on a family of SoCs for the Mac product line to give the Mac a unique set of features along with "incredible performance." Apple didn't go into detail on the different Mac chips that it's working on, but rumors have indicated Apple is developing at least three Mac processors based on the A14 chip in the upcoming 2020 iPhones.

At least one of those three processors is said to be much faster than the A-series chips in the iPhones and iPads, and the first Mac chips will feature 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores.

Apple is also working on second-generation Mac processors based on the A15 chip.

When Will Apple Release an Arm-Based Mac?

Apple at WWDC said that the first Mac that uses Apple Silicon will be introduced before the end of 2020. Apple plans to transition all of its Macs to Apple Silicon, a process that will take two years.

The First Arm-Based Mac?

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the first Macs that will adopt Apple's custom chips will be a refreshed 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and a redesigned 24-inch iMac, with the updated machines to launch in the fourth quarter of 2020 or early in 2021.

Apple has confirmed that the first Mac with Apple Silicon is set to be released in late 2020, but has provided no information on which Mac will be the first to get one of the new chips.

I, for one am not impressed with this development. I looked forward to owning a Mac (Mini in my case) when my daughter offered to buy me one for my sixtieth birthday just under two years ago.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about Apple's work on Arm-based Macs or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Article Link: Apple Silicon (Arm) Macs: Coming in Late 2020

Apple at WWDC 2020 announced plans to transition away from Intel chips to Macs built with its own Apple Silicon chips starting in late 2020. Apple's custom chips are Arm-based and are similar to the A-series chips used in iPhones and iPads.

This guide covers everything we know about Apple Silicon, Apple's plans to transition away from Intel chips, and Apple's plans to make it easy for developers to design apps for the new Arm-based Macs that are coming in the future.

Why Apple is Making the Switch

Apple is adopting its own Apple Silicon chips to make better Macs. Apple says its own chips will bring a whole new level of performance with more powerful Macs that are also more energy-efficient. Apple says that its advanced power management capabilities will allow for maximized performance paired with better than ever battery life.

Apple Silicon Advantage

Apple has years of experience with power-efficient chip design thanks to its work on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, all of which use custom-designed chips developed by Apple engineers. Apple has made huge gains in processor performance over the years, and its chips are now powerful enough to be used in Macs.

Apple is aiming to deliver the highest possible performance with the lowest power consumption, a goal that its expertise makes it well-suited to achieve. Better performance is Apple's main goal, but there are other reasons that it has decided to transition away from Intel, and that includes all of the custom technologies that it can build into Apple Silicon to further boost the Mac's capabilities and make it stand out from the competition.

Deep integration between software and hardware has always made iPhones stand out from other smartphones, and the same will be true for the Mac. Apple's custom chips will provide best-in-class security with the Secure Enclave and high-performance graphics capabilities for pro apps and games.

Apple Silicon chips will be built with Neural Engines and Machine Learning Accelerators to make Macs ideal platforms for machine learning. Other technologies include a high-quality camera processor, performance controller, high-performance DRAM, unified memory, and cryptography acceleration.

Ditching Intel

Apple's current Macs use x86 chips from Intel, while its iPhones and iPads use Arm-based chips. x86 chips and Arm chips are built using different architectures, so the transition from x86 to Arm will take some work.

Apple has been using Intel's chips in its Mac lineup since 2006 after transitioning away from PowerPC processors, which has meant that Apple has been subject to Intel's release timelines, chip delays, and security issues, which have, at times, negatively affected Apple's own device release plans.

Apple has cited platform consolidation and performance advantages as reasons for ditching Intel chips, but one former Intel engineer claimed that Intel's issues with Skylake chips drove Apple to speed up development of its Arm-based chips. There have been rumors about Apple designing its own Mac chips since 2014, so the decision to stop using Intel chips has been in the works for a long time.

Swapping to house-made chips lets Apple release updates on its own schedule and with more regular technology improvements, plus Apple is also able to differentiate its devices from competing products with tight integration between software and hardware, similar to its iOS platform and A-series chips.

Apple's Arm-Based Chips for iOS Devices

Apple uses an Arm-based architecture for its A-series chips in the iPhone and iPad, and each year, those chips get faster and more efficient. In fact, when introducing the latest A12 and A13 chips, Apple has made it a point to emphasize that these chips are faster than many Intel-based chips in competing devices.

The 2018 and 2020 iPad Pro models with A12X and A12Z chips, for example, are close in speed to the 2018 15-inch MacBook Pro models, and the A12Z is even used as the chip in a test machine designed to help developers build apps for the new Arm architecture.

Apple's A-series chip packages include custom-built GPUs, Secure Enclave, memory and storage controllers, machine learning processors, Image Signal Processing, custom encryption, and more, all of which will be applied to Mac processors.

Arm Chips in Current Macs

The MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro are already equipped with Apple-designed Arm processors, in the form of the T1 and T2 chips that power the Touch Bar and other features in these machines.

The T2 chip in particular integrates several components, including the system management controller, image signal processor, SSD controller, and a Secure Enclave with a hardware-based encryption engine in addition to powering the Touch Bar and Touch ID.

Common iOS and Mac Architecture

With Apple designing its own chips for iOS devices and Macs, there will be a common architecture across all Mac product lines, which will make it easier for developers to write and optimize software that runs on all Apple products.

In fact, apps designed for the iPhone and the iPad will run on Apple Silicon natively when the first Mac with an Apple-designed chip is released, and those apps will be able to be downloaded from the Mac App Store.

Easing the Transition

macOS Big Sur is equipped with tools to help both developers and Apple customers transition from Intel chips to Apple Silicon. All Apple apps, including Apple's pro apps like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, are already running natively on Apple Silicon.

Companies like Adobe and Microsoft are already working on apps that will run natively on Apple Silicon, and following WWDC, other developers can get started as well.

Developers can use the Xcode beta to get their apps up and running on Apple Silicon in just a matter of days, and Apple has developed a new Universal 2 binary that works on Intel Macs and Macs built on Apple Silicon so developers can still support Intel Macs with a single binary for all users.

Apple has also launched a Quick Start Program to help developers create apps for Apple Silicon and take advantage of all the features it has to offer. The Quick Start Program includes documentation, sample code, lab access, forums, DTS support, and a Developer Transition Kit.

The Developer Transition Kit is a Mac mini equipped with an A12Z chip from the iPad Pro. It also features 16GB RAM, a 512GB SSD, a pair of 10 Gbps USB-C ports, a pair of 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and an HDMI 2.0 port.

Developers need to shell out $500 for the DTK, and it comes with a number of restrictions against tearing the machine down, using it for work other than development related to the program, or renting or leasing it out.

Geekbench benchmarks of the Developer Transition Kit suggest that the A12Z-based Mac mini has average single-core and multi-core scores of 811 and 2,781 respectively. Geekbench is running through Apple's Rosetta 2 transition layer, so the slower performance than the A12Z chip in the iPad Pro is to be expected.

Notably, Apple's A12Z under Rosetta 2 outperforms Microsoft's Arm-based Surface Pro X in Geekbench performance, running x86_64 code in emulation faster than the Surface Pro X can run an Arm version natively.

Support for Intel Macs

Apple will continue to release software updates for Intel Macs for years after the transition to Apple Silicon, so those who purchase Intel-based Macs can expect to receive macOS updates throughout the life of their machines.

Running Intel Apps on Apple Silicon

Apple expects most developers to develop native apps immediately, but users will be able to run Intel apps on day one even if those apps haven't been updated, thanks to Rosetta 2, a translation process that runs in the background and is invisible to the user.

Rosetta 2 translates existing Intel apps so they work on Macs equipped with Apple Silicon quickly, seamlessly, and without issues. Apple has demoed Rosetta 2 with apps and games and there's no difference between running an Intel app on an Intel machine and on an Apple Silicon machine. All of the features work and the software is just as quick.

Apple is also introducing new virtualization technologies that will let developers run Linux or tools like Docker. Rosetta 2 will not support virtualization using apps like VMWare or Parallels, so it won't be possible to run Windows using that method unless the apps are rebuilt for Apple Silicon, and it's not clear if that's a possibility at this time in regard to licensing.

Apple is aware of the situation with virtualization and Windows, but has not said if there's another solution in the works.

No Boot Camp

Windows will not operate in Boot Camp mode on Macs that run Apple Silicon as Microsoft only licenses Windows 10 on Arm to OEMs and has no current plans make an Arm-based version of Windows freely available.

Apple has also said that it does not plan to support Boot Camp on its future Macs. "We're not direct booting an alternate operating system," Apple software engineering chief Craig Federighi said. "Purely virtualization is the route."

Recovery Interface, Security and Target Disk Mode

At WWDC 2020, Apple has been providing developers with details on how Apple Silicon Macs will work, and there will be a new system for accessing macOS recovery and security options at startup.

Current Intel Macs have recovery options accessed at boot-up that use various key commands like Command-R, but on Apple Silicon Macs, there will be a Startup Manager Interface accessible by holding down on the power button.

The Startup Manager Interface will allow for recovery options like reinstalling macOS, booting as normal, shutting down, and restarting.

Startup Disk, another new feature, lets a user select different security modes for startup volumes. Full security is enabled by default for the same security available through Apple's iOS devices.

Reduced security mode is more flexible, allowing users to disable System Integrity Protection and run any version of macOS, including those no longer signed by Apple.

Target Disk Mode, used to transfer files from one Mac to another, is being replaced with a Mac Sharing Mode that turns the Apple Silicon Mac into an SMB file sharing server to provide another Mac with file-level access to user data with user authentication.

Multiple Arm-Based Chips in the Works

Apple is working on a family of SoCs for the Mac product line to give the Mac a unique set of features along with "incredible performance." Apple didn't go into detail on the different Mac chips that it's working on, but rumors have indicated Apple is developing at least three Mac processors based on the A14 chip in the upcoming 2020 iPhones.

At least one of those three processors is said to be much faster than the A-series chips in the iPhones and iPads, and the first Mac chips will feature 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores.

Apple is also working on second-generation Mac processors based on the A15 chip.

When Will Apple Release an Arm-Based Mac?

Apple at WWDC said that the first Mac that uses Apple Silicon will be introduced before the end of 2020. Apple plans to transition all of its Macs to Apple Silicon, a process that will take two years.

The First Arm-Based Mac?

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the first Macs that will adopt Apple's custom chips will be a refreshed 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and a redesigned 24-inch iMac, with the updated machines to launch in the fourth quarter of 2020 or early in 2021.

Apple has confirmed that the first Mac with Apple Silicon is set to be released in late 2020, but has provided no information on which Mac will be the first to get one of the new chips.

Guide Feedback

Have questions about Apple's work on Arm-based Macs or want to offer feedback on this guide? Send us an email here.

Article Link: Apple Silicon (Arm) Macs: Coming in Late 2020

As a relative newbie to the Mac world, I've only owned my Mac mini 2018 for two years when my daughter, a devoted Apple user, bought it for me for my sixtieth birthday. I was excited. It was always something I wanted to own and use, but if Apple stops supporting Intel based Macs and developers stop making programs and updates for their apps it will be the biggest waste of my birthday dollars... and wish. In retrospect, I should have said I wanted a high end electric potters wheel which would have contributed more to my creativity in the long run. Now if Apple were to offer a upgrade modification to a relatively new computer then I might be impressed. Now I am on the fence about buying any [more] apps for my soon to be obsolete 2018 Mac mini.

 

[chucker23n1]

With shared architecture, what do you think the chances are

1) iPad pros run Mac OS?

I doubt it.

Apple seems to favor having the platforms cross-pollinate but remain distinct.

2) Macs run iPad OS with the new virtualization tool?

To what end?

3) We see hybrid mac/ipads that when docked are a mac and when separate work as an iPad?

Maybe, but I don't think so.

 

[macjustin]

As a relative newbie to the Mac world, I've only owned my Mac mini 2018 for two years when my daughter, a devoted Apple user, bought it for me for my sixtieth birthday. I was excited. It was always something I wanted to own and use, but if Apple stops supporting Intel based Macs and developers stop making programs and updates for their apps it will be the biggest waste of my birthday dollars... and wish. In retrospect, I should have said I wanted a high end electric potters wheel which would have contributed more to my creativity in the long run. Now if Apple were to offer a upgrade modification to a relatively new computer then I might be impressed. Now I am on the fence about buying any [more] apps for my soon to be obsolete 2018 Mac mini.

You have used you Mini for two years. It will have support from Apple/developers for at least 3 more years. That's 5 years. That is pretty much the high end of a lot of technology lifecycles, especially consumer level computer technology. You will get your money's worth out of the machine IMO. Don't sweat the decision and just keep enjoying your machine.

 

[navaira]

You have used you Mini for two years. It will have support from Apple/developers for at least 3 more years. That's 5 years.

@MiniMacDonald – Apple is not going to obsolete Intel-based Macs anytime soon for a simple reason, it still produces and sells them. In September/later they will show their first ARM models. That might go very well… or not very… or maybe even back-to-the-drawing-board not well. Justin's three more years is a very, very careful estimate. I'd say it's going to be three more years, if not more, after Apple stops producing their last Intel Mac.

Electric pottery wheel would be great fun, but your Mini's going to serve you for years to come

 

[Cyprusian]

You have used you Mini for two years. It will have support from Apple/developers for at least 3 more years. That's 5 years.

You should have absolutely no concerns about obsolescence. I have a late 2009 27" iMac that is still going strong and Apple are still providing security updates for High Sierra, which is the latest version of MacOS officially available for it.

I support previous comments in this thread that you can look forward to many more years of enjoyment from your Mac Mini because Apple have committed to supporting Intel-based Macs for many years following the launch of Apple silicon powered Macs at the end of this year - more than enough time to save up for an electric pottery wheel....

 

[vvswarup]

You can say goodbye to Windows compatibility if the Mac goes ARM. That would be a deal breaker for a large number of Mac users who are still tied to the Windows platform. This article does not mention this very significant downside.

This assumes that Microsoft won't follow suit. Microsoft under Nadella is a lot different than it as under Ballmer. Microsoft is no longer married to legacy technology.

 

[Maximara]

@MiniMacDonald – Apple is not going to obsolete Intel-based Macs anytime soon for a simple reason, it still produces and sells them. In September/later they will show their first ARM models. That might go very well… or not very… or maybe even back-to-the-drawing-board not well. Justin's three more years is a very, very careful estimate. I'd say it's going to be three more years, if not more, after Apple stops producing their last Intel Mac.

Electric pottery wheel would be great fun, but your Mini's going to serve you for years to come

Right. My brother is using my old 2007 iMac and I am typing this on my 2013 iMac and I have heard of SE 30s (1989-1991) still being used today (though they can't see much of the web obviously)

 

[nitrofurano]

as soon someone share tutorial about how to install gnu/linux on an arm-based macintosh, i'd not think twice before getting one! - these arm-based macintoshes will probably be drastically the best gnu/linux hardware choice in a price/performance/consumption factor - i'd not mind at all paying 2x for a hardware 10x faster

 

[chucker23n1]

i'd not mind at all paying 2x for a hardware 10x faster

What makes you think they'll be "10x faster".

 

[nitrofurano]

What makes you think they'll be "10x faster".

1: They will need to be, only this would justify such architecture migration;
2: Intel sucks (slow, bloated, huge consumption, expensive, obscure, etc.);
3: If Apple is that serious on migrating to Arm, they wouldn't do that if it sucks as much as Intel ones - Arm is known as being way more efficient than Intel in lots of aspects, and there is no reason on not making Arm CPU decent enough for true workstations, and perhaps creating a true revolution in the whole workstation/laptop market

 

[Oberhorst]

I think you will be disappointed then, 10x is quite unrealistic in my opinion. I'd be surprised if it's more than 3x faster.

 

[nitrofurano]

I think you will be disappointed then, 10x is quite unrealistic in my opinion. I'd be surprised if it's more than 3x faster.

i wouldn't say i'll be disappointed, i would say i wouldn't be surprised if 10x could be reached - Intel really sucks, and on Arm, besides being a way more efficient cpu, you can put a lot more cores in the same room - indeed, if Apple is really serious about this migration, they will do that without relatively easily from the resources they have available