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Intel's Processor Roadmap Leaves Uncertainty for Apple's 2014 Mac Updates

I'm currently using a 2010 13" mbp with a SSD.
I'm looking to upgrade to a full specced rMBP 15" soon to replace my home office device, but hoped to be able to wait for the next bump (1~2 months).

Last time I got myself a mbp, they bumped the specs 2 weeks after which kinda upset me, so I wanted to make sure to grab the model directly after the refresh, but with this news... meh.

I guess there will be no 'early 2014' model?
 
mcarling said:
The price of the entry-level 13" rMBP may be reduced $100 when Apple finally drop the 13" cMBP, but I doubt that would affect the price of 15" rMBPs.
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Well, I'll still wait until my current Mac starts giving me issues. It currently runs Maya 2013 and FCP X with little/no problems.

At least then, when they've upgraded the specs of the 15" MBP I'll get more for my money, and a machine that will last a bit longer than if I bought one today.
 
guzhogi said:
Plus, as I said before, I think Apple should really merge the MBA & MBP line. To me, there's not enough differentiation between the 2 lines. Have 11", 13" & 15" or maybe 12" & 14". Plus, if the MBA gets retina and Apple does its standard 2x the resolution, the 13" MBA will have a higher resolution than the 13" rMBP. That'll confuse a lot of people.
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Apple can bring back the MacBook with an ARM (A8?) processor, include a Retina display, and keep selling the MacBook Air as is until they are ready to discontinue it; then there will be a clear distinction between the two lines of notebooks. The Mac mini could also get an ARM processor, leaving the iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro with Intel processors.
 
Menneisyys2 said:
I mean my future MBP 17"?
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I'm with you. I'm holding out, but hope is dim since they did make a big deal of the r15 being the replacement for the 17, as someone else pointed out.

I'm afraid of my early 2011 dying; it is the single best computer I've used, and certainly the most flexible laptop out there with the brilliantly expandable Expresscard slot. If it exists, I can plug into it! I might have to seek another one out as a backup, if I can find it.

Apple will never make a laptop this good again. They strip and strip and strip away until all that is left is a screen, a single button, and a single port...oh wait..
 
iRun26.2 said:
Exactly! (Me too)

So many people here think that am ARM based MBA is a good alternative to an x86 MBA but would they buy one themselves?

Who would? How would this be any different than the Windows RT failure? Well, I do see the ARM MBAs purchased, but I see many returns because the customers don't realize that they no longer can use BootCamp or run their preciously purchased Mac software.
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First off, I do not think the MacBook Air would get an ARM processor, but I do think the MacBook could come back with and ARM processor so the MacBook Air would continue as is, until Apple discontinues it; if they discontinue it.

Secondly, Microsoft has always been, for all intents and purposes, x86-based (i.e. Wintel) so when they released Windows RT, developers had to write code for a new architecture. Apple, on the other hand, has been through multiple architectures and has developed frameworks and an IDE that make it easy for developers to write their code once and compile for different targets. How many years and how many applications have already been written for the ARM processor. The only thing Apple needed to wait for was a 64-bit ARM processor, which they now have.
 
jonahhh said:
new mac minis will be scaled down mac pros in a variety of colors. :)

seems pretty obvious and a good idea to me. ;) mac pro form factor is great, but i don't need that much video power myself.
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The Mac mini doesn't have the extreme heat dissipation requirements that the Mac Pro has. I expect that the new Mac mini will take the form factor of the new Airport Extreme / Time Capsule.
 
something between Pro and iMac desktop?

I'd lobby for getting rid of the Mini and instead having a midline desktop between the Pro and the iMac. An all-in-one is no good for someone like me who likes to add drives and cards and a Pro is just way too expensive for me. (Yes, they could all be external, but nobody wants that kind of rat's nest desktop.) Set the price point about half way between, use a chassis like the old Mac Pro, and then you've got a full spectrum of competition against Windows capable computers. In this world of tablets being the future, adding a desktop computer model may seem crazy, but I can't edit movies on a tablet - people still need more horsepower than a tablet can offer at least some of the time.
 
Thomas2006 said:
First off, I do not think the MacBook Air would get an ARM processor, but I do think the MacBook could come back with and ARM processor so the MacBook Air would continue as is, until Apple discontinues it; if they discontinue it.

Secondly, Microsoft has always been, for all intents and purposes, x86-based (i.e. Wintel) so when they released Windows RT, developers had to write code for a new architecture. Apple, on the other hand, has been through multiple architectures and has developed frameworks and an IDE that make it easy for developers to write their code once and compile for different targets. How many years and how many applications have already been written for the ARM processor. The only thing Apple needed to wait for was a 64-bit ARM processor, which they now have.
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Would you buy one?
 
iRun26.2 said:
Would you buy one?
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That would depend on the machine itself. A Mac having an ARM processor would not make me buy it, nor would it make me not buy it. OS X running on ARM would allow Apple to design what they want and use the appropriate processor for it.
 
Thomas2006 said:
That would depend on the machine itself. A Mac having an ARM processor would not make me buy it, nor would it make me not buy it. OS X running on ARM would allow Apple to design what they want and use the appropriate processor for it.
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OSX running on ARM is only half a solution. You also have to consider all the 3rd party applications that are commonly used on a Mac, like Photoshop, Pixelmator, inDesign, FCPX, Maya, Modo, etc. etc., and so on. How long would it take developers to port their higher end programs to an entirely new architecture? Would people be willing to put up with their absence in the interim?
 
Renzatic said:
How long would it take developers to port their higher end programs to an entirely new architecture?
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About 30 minutes, if you don't have hidden machine-dependent code. Which you shouldn't, unless you're an incompetent like Adobe.
 
randian said:
About 30 minutes, if you don't have hidden machine-dependent code. Which you shouldn't, unless you're an incompetent like Adobe.
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That's the problem. I'm sure every process intensive application out there leverage at least some machine dependent code to eek as much performance out of it as possible. These aren't programs designed to be as portable as possible. They're meant to do a big job, and do it well. And to do that, they have to use utilize the processor in the platform they're targeted for.

Cuz what's the point of having access to all this stuff if you're not gonna use it? "Oh, well one day we might have to move to another architecture. So, you know, better to take the performance hit now instead of risking a difficult move later".
 
randian said:
About 30 minutes, if you don't have hidden machine-dependent code. Which you shouldn't, unless you're an incompetent like Adobe.
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Don't forget about all of the Windows software supported via BootCamp! There are lots of users who use BootCamp, Parallels, etc.

The last time Apple swapped processors they gained x86 users from Windows. Now, moving to ARM, they would lose them (and other users who's OSX software might not be immediately recompiled).

It isn't a trivial matter. Microsoft gambled with the Surface RT machines. They even got full MS Office support in ARM form and they were a flop. I don't think Apple is ready to make that gamble themselves...at least not yet.
 
iRun26.2 said:
Don't forget about all of the Windows software supported via BootCamp! There are lots of users who use BootCamp, Parallels, etc.

The last time Apple swapped processors they gained x86 users from Windows. Now, moving to ARM, they would lose them (and other users who's OSX software might not be immediately recompiled).

It isn't a trivial matter. Microsoft gambled with the Surface RT machines. They even got full MS Office support in ARM form and they were a flop. I don't think Apple is ready to make that gamble themselves...at least not yet.
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This is an important thing to remember, Windows RT hasn't set the world on fire. I do still have hope for it, but that's just me.

I have to wonder if people are really complaining about the Air and battery life. I was under the impression that some people were getting 15 hours of use. How is that complain-worthy?

Then again, Apple could do it if they really wanted to. They have a much smaller user base in terms of desktop OS, so fewer people would be angry while they're getting apps.
 
Michael Goff said:
This is an important thing to remember, Windows RT hasn't set the world on fire. I do still have hope for it, but that's just me.

I have to wonder if people are really complaining about the Air and battery life. I was under the impression that some people were getting 15 hours of use. How is that complain-worthy?

Then again, Apple could do it if they really wanted to. They have a much smaller user base in terms of desktop OS, so fewer people would be angry while they're getting apps.
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It is true that Apple would have a better chance of pulling it off than Microsoft but I don't think the time is quite right.

I'm quite happy with just the 5 hours that my late 2010 11" MBA gets. I'd like better battery life but I'd much prefer a retina screen. An ARM based MBA would not be purchased by me no matter what kind of screen it had.

I'd be utterly disappointed if the new MBA was based on an ARM processor. If they made an 11" MBP at the same time, I'd be happy. I just don't want them taking the smallest footprint Mac available and making it unusable (by me) with an ARM processor.

Intel still leads the pack. I don't care about price, I wanted the most advanced x86 Mac they can pack into a portable device.
 
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iRun26.2 said:
It is true that Apple would have a better chance of pulling it off than Microsoft but I don't think the time is quite right.

I'm quite happy with just the 5 hours that my late 2010 11" MBA gets. I'd like better battery life but I'd much prefer a retina screen. An ARM based MBA would not be purchased by me no matter what kind of screen it had.

I'd be utterly disappointed if the new MBA was based on an ARM processor. If they made an 11" MBP at the same time, I'd be happy. I just don't want them taking the smallest footprint Mac available and making it unusable (by me) with an ARM processor.

Intel still leads the pack. I don't care about price, I wanted the most advanced x86 computer they can pack into a small space.
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The funny thing is that people are using the whole "desktop class processor" marketing bit when they think they'll do it. They weren't thinking in terms of Apple just wanting to say "See, our iOS devices are awesome, buy them". They get a bigger profit from iOS devices than Macs, so obviously they'd rather you buy an iOS device.
 
Michael Goff said:
The funny thing is that people are using the whole "desktop class processor" marketing bit when they think they'll do it. They weren't thinking in terms of Apple just wanting to say "See, our iOS devices are awesome, buy them". They get a bigger profit from iOS devices than Macs, so obviously they'd rather you buy an iOS device.
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They did catch the rest of the smart phone market off guard when they introduced the 64-bit A7 chip. Apple isn't usually big on bragging rights but there really is something special about 64-bits: You can move lots of data around more efficiently than you could in 32-bits. In video and other media processing that is important.

I think people get the thought into their head that now that its 64-bits that it IS now a desktop OS. It very well could be but it doesn't compare to the processing power available in Intel's top mobile x86 processors. (And, no, I don't work for Intel).

Then there is some people's argument about how dozens of ARM processors could be put in parallel to equal Intel's latest. I think they don't understand that parallel processing for many tasks doesn't equal what one or two really fast cores can do. ARM will not top the performance of Broadwell. And if that's what really matters then price is secondary (as it is to me).

Price and power consumption are in ARM's favor. To me they don't matter because Broadwell looks impressive in power consumption and I'd pay even more than Intel is already asking. x86 software still rules professional desktop software right now.
 
teknikal90 said:
+1 I've been watching house of cards...and honestly, the experience is so much better on my iPad than my macbook pro. despite the macbook pro having a quad core i7 vs. the A6x chip on the ipad
the macbook pro gets hot on my lap, runs out of battery much quicker and takes more steps to do what i want it to do.

the iPad is quickly becoming my main computer.
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ensure you are using hardware decoding in your video player

for a imax 1920x1080 40mbit video
without hardware decoding my cpu is at 60%/400%
with hardware decoding (and some post processing) my cpu is at 1.3%/400%

if you have an intel gpu its called vaapi
if you have a nvidia gpu its called vdpau
if you have an ati gpu its called something idk..
 
actuallyinaus said:
ensure you are using hardware decoding in your video player

for a imax 1920x1080 40mbit video
without hardware decoding my cpu is at 60%/400%
with hardware decoding (and some post processing) my cpu is at 1.3%/400%

if you have an intel gpu its called vaapi
if you have a nvidia gpu its called vdpau
if you have an ati gpu its called something idk..
Click to expand...

interesting..
how do i 'force' my mac to use hardware encoding?
I'm watching netflix on a MBP with an ATI 6770m GPU
 
xmichaelp said:
Apple didn't let you think the 17 inch MBP would slowly die off by not upgrading it though... they actually killed it. There's a difference.
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Retina screens are still too expensive for a successor to the 17" to be released, but once they can be produced in quantity at a lower price, I think we will have something very nice to look forward to.
 
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