Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Mac Sales Continue to Slide Amid Lack of Updates
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
First, there is no way an A10 can perform the sustained computing that is often done on a Mac. It is good for short ( few seconds ) bursts of intensive usage but more intensive tasks are beyond it right now. Sure, Apple might have longer-term plans to couple ARM and Macs but the A10 isn’t it.
So, while Apple *may* take the Mac to ARM, the question is when. The answer is when ARM is ready technically plus the other details need to be sorted out( Mac users who like to run Windows in Boot Camp is one, when licensing deals allow it and more ).
Even though a Mac ARM strategy is certainly possible, it isn’t clear to me if there is strong motivation to move away from Intel. For all their delays, Intel probably offers Apple low prices given the volume of chips they purchase, plus they want to incent Apple’s purchase of other Intel chips. Macs are only a small part of Apple’s business, and assuming they plan to keep producing Macs ( else why invest the time/money to change them to ARM ), only Apple knows if Mac ARM is justified at a business ( accounting ) level. I hope Apple starts building more innovative products with features we want but realize a large corporate public company maximizing profits and minimizing expenses ( consolidating CPU platforms is one such strategy along with the other synergies it confers ) is constrained.
Plus, there are lots of folks who purchased a Mac because they can run Windows applications natively ( i.e. without a VM ). They are just normal users and not necessarily the creative/Pro community. Apple would potentially lose these customers by switching to ARM.
Some might say "but even though one A10 isn't strong enough, can't they couple several A10s together?". Possible but this would require major software changes( and many developers might be either reluctant or not skilled enough to implement – ( it is difficult even with GCD – Grand Central Dispatch ) because most applications run on a single core ( main queue in GCD ) and use only one core. Even some of Apple’s apps are written for a single ( main queue with the UI ) core. I’m not saying this isn’t solvable but it would be a problem today and it would be a major effort. Moreover, a solution would probably require a major investment by Apple and it’s not clear they have the will to do this.
This has absolutely nothing to do with the design of the cpu and everything to do with the thermal design of the hardware it's in.
The why is money. Apple could increase its Mac margins to the same lofty heights as its iOS hardware simply from ceasing to pay the Intel tax. Apple doesn't give a **** about the tiny minority of people who want to run Windows in a VM.
While lower costs would be nice, the reality is that with as much as macbooks thermal throttle, their performance would have been helped significantly more by the lower PPW that 2 generations of Intel mobile processors provide than what the topline increases would indicate.
Then there's also the GPU situation.
Finally, even the lower cost argument doesn't work with the desktop lineup.
Probably not much of one and, despite my use case hinging on it, I'm not convinced they should care about it either. If the other things align if and when Apple can show at least as good performance I think they should switch quite honestly. It'd be my last Mac laptop for a while though. Who knows? Like I said, second guessing Apple is a losing game. Wait for the supply chain to leak.
I agree it's weird, especially since Tim made this declaration after consecutive drops in iPad sales. Why would any company appear to be phasing out a product line (Mac) that had steady growth with healthy profit margins - while pushing a product (iPad) consumers have already said "no" to?
Unfortunately, I think this is simply poor decision-making at the top, coupled with arrogance and living in a bubble. The days where Apple could dictate the terms are over. I love my iThings but the Mac updates are crippling functionality, breaking apps, and locking down the system way too much. The horror stories of Sierra making files disappear in the cloud by default raises real privacy issues as well. Auto updates are also creeping into Tim's Apple. I never thought I'd say this but Apple is becoming Microsoft.
Premium prices for what amounts to a used product as far as specs go, what could go wrong? ...but they care...
This is getting pathetic.
If I could find a *good* replacement battery for my CTO 2011 15" MBP (NuPower/NewerTech bought for $$ from OWC is crap, lasts about an hour..) I'd be looking to just keep it another year and wait for the BS and first model->second gen to release. If this keeps up, that may wind up being the solution regardless.
If I could find a *good* replacement battery for my CTO 2011 15" MBP (NuPower/NewerTech bought for $$ from OWC is crap, lasts about an hour..) I'd be looking to just keep it another year and wait for the BS and first model->second gen to release. If this keeps up, that may wind up being the solution regardless.
Well, they're just that, stories. iCloud Desktop and Document sync is most certainly not on by default.
.. consider a Panasonic Toughbook/notebook (not the field ones), they are state of the art if you want smth well made, but sure expensive..
It's courageous that they've not released any new Macs. Lesser companies would have caved long ago.
So Intel hasn't released anything decent since the last Mac Pro update? Or for that matter, AMD nor Nvidia have (especially since the Mac Pro was using outdated hardware when it was last updated anyways). And how does that explain that to get the fastest Mac Mini, you need to actually skip the 2014 updates, and go back to the 2012 model? Did Intel also decide that Moore's law kind of sucks, and they want to now do Moore's law in reverse?
It's possible to make excuses for Apple's laptop lineup. But how do you explain the desktops?
Personally, I can wait a good while between Mac updates. However, that doesn't mean I am willing to pay full boogie on 18 month old hardware. Nor am I willing to pay Apple's ridiculous prices for forced time-of-purchase upgrades when I can get RAM, storage, etc for much less elsewhere.
If Apple chooses to follow the path of thinner/lighter/not upgradable for their mainstream systems, that will bring about a world of hurt. While its true that few people actually upgrade their systems after purchase, some of us do...if for no other reason than to pay $150 for a RAM upgrade that Apple wants $400 for.
I'd like to option to pay market prices for necessary upgrades. I'd like the opportunity to later swap out RAM and/or storage as my needs change (or for security purposes, or to...). I'd like to pay a reasonable price for older technology when older technology is my only option. Apple has all of these well within their ability to deliver - if they choose.
If Apple chooses to follow the path of thinner/lighter/not upgradable for their mainstream systems, that will bring about a world of hurt. While its true that few people actually upgrade their systems after purchase, some of us do...if for no other reason than to pay $150 for a RAM upgrade that Apple wants $400 for.
I'd like to option to pay market prices for necessary upgrades. I'd like the opportunity to later swap out RAM and/or storage as my needs change (or for security purposes, or to...). I'd like to pay a reasonable price for older technology when older technology is my only option. Apple has all of these well within their ability to deliver - if they choose.
Exactly. And these ignorant people who think a girl is as capable as a strong guy are living in a bubble. I have a bad left shoulder and and hour with a bag with a 15" kills me, and I am a strong guy.
Really a 15" should go in a backpack to be lugged in and out of cars and not really around a city as it has its limits. A 12" MacBook is fine to carry all day.
So really it boils down to what you need and when, and where you are going. But remarks like 'go to the gym' are not useful solutions to the problems.
See my earlier post about the Mac Pro
For the Mac mini, I think Apple didn't offer a quad core for the newer one, right? Segmentation I guess. Trying to drive people up to iMac or a laptop.Kinda surprised they haven't taken it ou back and done the kind thing. I don't think I've ever met someone who had one (though I appreciate that anecdote is not evidence)
As for the iMac, they run mobile processors, don't they? (I could be wrong about that. If I'm honest I only really keep up with the rMBP closely)
PS I'm not "making excuses" for anything. If you think I'm wrong about something I've said feel free to correct me. I do listen and if I'm wrong then I'll say so.
Two words, I mean pictures of the state of Mac hardware:
In government agencies, I see them stuck on 2008 Dell Optiplex 755's with Windows 7 Professional 32 bit and 2 GBs of RAM. They don't seem to complain though.
Tim Cook is probably rubbing his hands with glee at this news. He would kill the Mac line if he could and falling sales simply makes that easier for him to justify. How else can you explain his total lack of interest in the Mac since becoming CEO. I bet he doesn't even use a Mac day to day.
Two words, I mean pictures:
The upgrade prices are crazy and even the most ardent Apple buyer will usually say so.