FatLouie
macrumors 6502a
Apple really wants people to jump into their new M5+ chips and AI. Frankly, I do not
understand Apple's aversion to Rosetta 2.
understand Apple's aversion to Rosetta 2.
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Mac App Store Apps Can Now Drop Support for Intel Macs
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capamac
macrumors 6502a
1. All (most?) of your current software and OS will continue to function as well as it ever has, indefinitely, or at least until your Mac's capacitors dry out and cease functioning / require replacement.
2. If you absolutely have to run the latest current software, install a Linux distro or a BSD. I even had NetBSD 10.1 (December, 2025 release date) running on my 1999-ish blue-and-white 400mhz G3 with 256 megs RAM. I ran a current browser on it in X11. Yes it was slow. But it can be done. Apple stopped supporting macOS for this machine in 2007, but I can still run a 2025 OS on it. And probably also the new 2026 NetBSD 11.0, which I've not tried on the Blue-and-White. The most current web browsers, the most current security updates and the most current other applications can thus continue to run on Intel Macs.
3. For all the talk of how useful security updates are in OS updates, gotta say I've been using macOS Monterey (introduced 2021, last update 2024) on my 2015 Intel Macbook Pro and I've not had any problems. Likewise, I still run Sequoia on my M1 Air coz I dislike Liquid Glass; no security problems.
2. If you absolutely have to run the latest current software, install a Linux distro or a BSD. I even had NetBSD 10.1 (December, 2025 release date) running on my 1999-ish blue-and-white 400mhz G3 with 256 megs RAM. I ran a current browser on it in X11. Yes it was slow. But it can be done. Apple stopped supporting macOS for this machine in 2007, but I can still run a 2025 OS on it. And probably also the new 2026 NetBSD 11.0, which I've not tried on the Blue-and-White. The most current web browsers, the most current security updates and the most current other applications can thus continue to run on Intel Macs.
3. For all the talk of how useful security updates are in OS updates, gotta say I've been using macOS Monterey (introduced 2021, last update 2024) on my 2015 Intel Macbook Pro and I've not had any problems. Likewise, I still run Sequoia on my M1 Air coz I dislike Liquid Glass; no security problems.
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Apple support clock starts running when they stop selling the product and supercede it with something new (or retire the line ). The M1 MBA was still being sold 'on the side' by Walmart for a long time after Apple itself stopped selling it. Apple knew they needed a Neo-like product and really didn't have one so just sold 'even older' stuff. If they started the count down clock when dropped completely then it will be a while. It wasn't until the Neo was about to come out that MBA M1 pipeline dried up.
The M1 also languished in the iMac all the way into 2023 also. It isn't really a 2021 'start the clock' situation.
It probably doesn't have much to do with 'performance'. If all the Mac systems that the M1 is in are on the Obsolete list then really doesn't make any financial sense at all to put software on obsolete hardware. Mac as a system ( hardware+ software). If 'half' dies then the whole system is 'dead'. Folks will handwave at macOS n-2 still gets security fixes for a while. That stops also. ( for extremely eggregious security problems that are very narrowly fixed might get something after n-2 falls off the list as new OS come. However, that is mostly handwaving.
Apple pre-builts some funds into doing fixed length update into Mac base prices. ( part of charge-back for macOS bult into the system). When the money runs out the support runs out. It isn't about 'performance on some benchmark' number.
Hyper extending the M1 into early 2026 for the Neo probably won't extend the range much at all. Apple's norm is replace products every year. Then 5 (+2 max ). So about 8 years . Then the macOS n-2 trick ... so about 10 years. M1 is far more likely to die in the 2031-32 range than in 2036. Once a comatose product goes past 2-4 years that extra time just starts to 'eat into' the 5(+2) range. ( e.g., the Mac Pro 2013 died 'early' because it ran 6 years. )
More likely three , but will start to be in decline in two ( limited to just security upgrades around that time).
capamac
macrumors 6502a
Apple Corp gotta make "line go up" on stonk chart.
Solution: Make newer macOS sufficiently bloated so that older Macs lack the cpu speed, RAM and SSD space to run the current stuff. Part of this is just the nature of tech. But I suspect part of it is also intentional as a means of driving hardware sales.
On my 2015 MBP, MacOS Monterey (latest version that runs on it) runs slower than the macOS version it came with (10.10 Yosemite) ... just how it goes eh. They keep adding stuff that bogs down computing resources. The newest software isn't always the best software for this reason.
Both Asahi and Fedora run on M1.
Updates would have to be made for security reasons and to support newly written Universal apps built for the latest macOS.
But they did leave Rosetta in. It will just be hidden away so that new and non-game apps can't use it. But it's still there to run some selection of old legacy x86-64 games.
What vintage games are so important that Apple will still be including a hidden non-updated Rosetta?
Maybe there are still some old non-updated games bringing in major App Store revenue?
Royksöpp
macrumors 68030
Imagine all the $$$ Apple could be making from Aperture. With the backlash against Adobe, you would think they would have brought it back.
Steve01234
macrumors regular
my free app will find -everything- that has not only intel 32 & 64bit, but 68k, ppc 32 & 64bit. it shows
more than just apps : device drivers, qt codecs, vst, ofx, au, and all sorts of other stuff left behind by installers that didn’t clean up very well. hard to imagine there are binaries with ppc, x86 sitting on your system. try it https://timelapseforge.com/x86away/
more than just apps : device drivers, qt codecs, vst, ofx, au, and all sorts of other stuff left behind by installers that didn’t clean up very well. hard to imagine there are binaries with ppc, x86 sitting on your system. try it https://timelapseforge.com/x86away/
It does seem aggressive since Apple usually supports machines for up to 7 years. I wonder what kind of statistics they have concerning the mix of machines in use and the use cases. This might be entirely justifiable, but it isn't a good look.
I don't know what stats Apple has, but at least among the more technical users (who know enough to install and use Homebrew), around 26.7% of Mac users in the past 30 days are on Intel (I'm excluding the "CI" entries).
I really hope Microsoft don't drop support for intel macs in the remote desktop app (rebadged as the windows app).
GregoryPeckEPA
macrumors 6502
Space savings and trimming useless cruft actually makes the codebase easier to manage. You won’t see a huge benefit at the onset, but over time, it will pay off for devs.
It’s not a huge win, but why keep needless things around?
bloated releases.
app thinning requires extra compute to deal with intel.
GregoryPeckEPA
macrumors 6502
Bias sampling. Real world is likely far lower. 6 years of Apple silicon for Apple users has probably driven Intel into less than 10-15%.I don't know what stats Apple has, but at least among the more technical users (who know enough to install and use Homebrew), around 26.7% of Mac users in the past 30 days are on Intel (I'm excluding the "CI" entries).
GregoryPeckEPA
macrumors 6502
B4U
macrumors 601
I still do not understand why every single Apple silicon chip Mac cannot upgrade its internal storage after purchase.
This and the lack of larger screen iMac is stopping me from moving from Intel. 😭
This and the lack of larger screen iMac is stopping me from moving from Intel. 😭
Not only that. Can click on the 'Kind' column label and reorder the elements of the list so they are grouped by each kind.
Stuff like "32-bit (Unsupported)" probably are not that much better off than "Intel". 🙂 There are several classes of apps should be composing a migration plan ( or 'to do' list of contact developers and complain.... if app is even supported. ) .
Something tagged 'Other' ( which implies it is not 64 bit intel or Arm may be an issue also. Often these are scripts (run by shell), but sometimes just dangling leftovers. )
P.S. also a date field. If last modified is 8-10 years ago then very good chance that app is 'dead'. If there are no updates/bug fixes/etc that were relevant in 10 years then pretty good chance there is nothing happening there at all.
Which ones do you actually use on a weekly basis?
macfacts
macrumors 603
Jakol
macrumors regular
SevenTheGamingKitty
macrumors regular
Jakol
macrumors regular
Lies, damn lies and statistics.I don't know what stats Apple has, but at least among the more technical users (who know enough to install and use Homebrew), around 26.7% of Mac users in the past 30 days are on Intel (I'm excluding the "CI" entries).
As a result of abandoning Intel, Apple will be abandoned. This especially applies to gaming. The new versions of the games I'm currently playing are only for Windows.
Some software developers are abandoning the development of standalone applications altogether and intend to offer only web-based versions....
Google Earth Pro is better than the promoted online replacement....
Some software developers are abandoning the development of standalone applications altogether and intend to offer only web-based versions....
Google Earth Pro is better than the promoted online replacement....