Will be interesting to see how everything evolves in the next couple of years. With ARM Macs coming out, it will likely be the case that we will see iPad Pro running the same processor as a Macbook, and a similar one to say a MacBook Pro or future iMac.
With iPadOS becoming a more and more capable OS in its own right, it almost seems inevitable that eventually your going to see a slow form factor / interface merger (maybe convergence is a better word) of some kind. The first steps are already being taken with cross platform app purchases, then when all the devices are on ARM, it could be the same apps running with separate pointer/touch driven UI/UX, and then the third step will probably be where you can toggle between what interface you want, like dark and light mode today. I mean, how long is macOS going to be on major version 10??
I can’t see them trying to support two architectures simultaneously for very long, if at all. All the apps developed within Xcode will be architecture agnostic in any case, there‘s most likely going to be x86/64 binaries and ARM binaries that just get produced simultaneously when compiled, which will allow for seamless legacy x86/64 support. I envision it being done with a rollout of a new version of Xcode, so for most developers, all they would have to do is recompile the binary and then they would have a new version of the app that supports both architectures, just like that, ready for deployment. The key to that is going to be that it actually works, and that the process is as extremely easy for developers to manage. This means that it will have to be better than Catalyst currently is. It should be in most cases a one click process for devs.
If they launched a new ARM Macbook line with say the complete big desktop suites like MS Office, Adobe CC Suite, Premier, as well as all of their own apps (Final Cut Pro, etc) all ready to go from day one, they could pretty easily make the switch completely painless and transparent for the vast majority of users, without the ARM users even feeling like they are missing out on anything at all, maybe even feeling good about it, and the x86/64 machine owners just go on business as usual.
Of course they will need to have a virtualization tool ready to go for legacy apps...or do they? They dropped 32bit apps like a cancerous tumor, and basically said, “too bad,” to those that continued to rely on a certain app that won’t be upgraded. They’re still on Mojave, and will continue to be. (Whether that is good or bad is also a matter of debate among long time Apple users 🤣.
But, probably, like 32bit applications, it would make most sense to start communicating this change now, at least a full major OS release in advance...like now this year at WWDC. With a major change like this though, they probably will hold it close to their chests officially, as they wouldn’t want their stock to fluctuate on this news with the uncertainty of pulling it off successfully. A huge rollout launch with all the major players on board in a unified front would be a much more financially sound strategy.
eclecticlight.co
