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Should I Buy an Intel Mac Today or Wait to Buy an Arm-Based Mac?
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The answer to your question - is highly unlikely does Rosetta 2 support ARM -> Intel translation... the ability to run iPad apps will only be supported on the A series Macs. Developers will release Universal binaries until the market is not worth it.
I did not see a reference to warranty in what you quoted.
There is a difference between warranty and support. There is also a difference between support and supporting the most recent OS release. You can get a warranty for up to 3 years on hardware as you said, but Apple has three categories for hardware... From sale to 5 years they will repair the hardware (if not totally destroyed) and charge you for the repairs; 5 years from when they were last sold they become 'vintage' and they will repair the hardware dependent on being able to source parts for the repairs (very rare they don't have parts); 7 years from when they are sold they become 'obsolete' and Apple will no longer provide repairs for that hardware.
Apple tends to provide at least one version of a supported OS for around 7 years (though not guaranteed). Each version of the OS tends to have support for typically a minimum of 2 years up til 4 years (allowing companies to migrate their OS at their pleasure once the company is satisfied it will not break applications they are using (or they have updates or transitions for those applications). Upgrading an OS if it is supported by Apple -- is not always the best choice as for business you typically buy a computer for specific purposes (rendering, video production, audio, average office use)... and what is important is that the applications continue to run -- not the annual minor interface changes etc.
To get to seven years of active support for existing hardware - you likely need to have a number of annual OS releases necessary to bring it up to the point where that last version with it's 4ish years of support coincides with the point that hardware transitions from obsolete to vintage.
The original reference was for a guaranteed support timeframe. A warranty is a contract for guaranteed support, or recompense if that support is not provided by the maker. The timeframes you wrote for post warranty support are speculation.
As an aside, I completely agree that not updating an O.S. has tremendous value, keeping the software running optimally for the hardware it was designed for.
The type of support though is defined - and there is no obligation for the earlier machines to be update-able to new OS versions with new features... So when Apple says they will support - it does not mean new machines, it means they will be repairable and there will be at least one OS version that is supported for that hardware -- anything else is just wishful thinking on the part of the party wishing it - which may or may not occur -- but I would not bet on it. I have no doubt there will be a different standard applied to the Mac Pro though - but that does not mean updating it to the latest OS released 5 years hence - just that it will continue to be able to be used for what it was purchased for.
What different standard do you have in mind for the Mac Pro that won't be applied to other Macs? Extended Applecare for hardware they are phasing out does not seem plausible. O.S. updates would be universal across all Macs.
I just see the Mac Pro dropping in price to reflect it's lower expected ROI.
The Mac Pro market segment for the 2019 machine is not the same as it was when it was last a cheese grater - it moved upsegment and focused primarily on larger production houses for video and for audio. One of the users of those Mac Pros is actually studios associated or owned by Apple - and they will be in use there until there is a good reason for upgrading hardware. If a major customer of the Mac Pro hardware comes to them and identifies a problem that was not an issue while they received regular OS updates (an unlikely scenario) - then Apple will create a patch for that last version of OS run on the Mac Pro. If there is some situation where they need a stopgap measure then they will create a specific card like their FPGA card (if not the FPGA card itself) specifically for the support issue. It is all about business and if it can continue to work as it was purchased for - not fancy widgets etc.
As far as price drop for the Mac Pro - unlikely without a corresponding drop from suppliers like Intel. The trashcan Mac Pro had the same price for the longest time - long after it was relatively obsolete - until it was 'refreshed' (i.e. same Mac Pro but refreshed by eliminating the computer beneath it mostly). They will not cut the margin that they usually aim for.
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Thee and me, my big dog iMac gets left out with Big Sur and I do think it will be several years before things are mostly native... just like before. I am leaning toward an Intel iMac and a ARM Power Book in two years.
I can't wait to see how great ARM macs will be.
However I think pretty much every single person here can agree on one very true point which has repeated itself with Apple products over many many years even going back to well into Steve Jobs time.
Expect any new Apple product, to get VASTLY better by the time the 2nd and 3rd models come out.
1st model (generally always issues)
2nd model fixes most of these problems, as they HAD to ship the 1st one and could not fix everything before launch so the 2nd one has all the things they really wanted to do with the 1st one.
3rd model, they'd had time to have a rethink and look at the good and bad points, and give it the love and polish to really make is a good well rounded product.
Eh the iPad didn't pan out that way.
As much as I dislike Windows, bootcamp is very important for me as the games I love to play are only available on Windows, so I intend to purchase the next Intel based Mac & wait a good 5 years before my next Mac after that. I'm sure the ARM Macs will be amazing but without full Windows support, I won't be jumping just yet.
Good time to buy a Intel MacBook Pro 16, Been running mine for 9 months and it has been the best Mac I have purchased in years. Keyboard is great, speed is great, the new fans are quiet. Yes some year the MacBook Pro with ARM will be fantastic and changing technology has never bothered me.
If you get a MacBook Pro 16in now and you get AppleCare for three years you are protected. Then in three years you see how the hardware and software is looking like and you go to a Apple store trade in the old model and use the money back to be put into the new computer.
Apple could do in a couple year offer a large trade in value for the old MacBook Pro to encourage users to make the transition. So you will have a rock solid system for three years and then change over the the new hardware.
I applaud Apple moving the hardware forward as they should do to advanced the technology. I still remember working for Apple in 1998 and we were 2 months away from complete bankruptcy. So Apple learned valuable lessons, back then. In the world of Technology, if you stagnate you die and if you do not innovate you die.
If you get a MacBook Pro 16in now and you get AppleCare for three years you are protected. Then in three years you see how the hardware and software is looking like and you go to a Apple store trade in the old model and use the money back to be put into the new computer.
Apple could do in a couple year offer a large trade in value for the old MacBook Pro to encourage users to make the transition. So you will have a rock solid system for three years and then change over the the new hardware.
I applaud Apple moving the hardware forward as they should do to advanced the technology. I still remember working for Apple in 1998 and we were 2 months away from complete bankruptcy. So Apple learned valuable lessons, back then. In the world of Technology, if you stagnate you die and if you do not innovate you die.
If the 2013 iMac holds up, I will wait. If not, I’ll purchase whatever works for me, and wait until Apple Silicon Macs are through the transition.
I would prefer good specs, even better thermals, and no hardware issues such as WiFi and Bluetooth for a reasonable price.
I would prefer good specs, even better thermals, and no hardware issues such as WiFi and Bluetooth for a reasonable price.
Feels kinda ironic cause Apple imo is the best marketing company in the world. I’d rather call those deliberate omissions so less savvy users will not notice and wont question right off the bat.
Do you really need a new Mac with Apple bells and whistles, or does that 5 year old Mac work just fine? Yup, I have a 2015 MacAir and surprisingly it does work just fine.
The only way Apple will ever gettting the message that continuous change (for the sake of maintaining the revenue stream is a bad thing) is if you vote with your wallet.
Apple will continue to drive step changes to their technology and tinker with the OS in an attempt to get us to buy new stuff, which we then discover won't or doesn't work with the old stuff.
If C-19 has taught us anything, focusing on what's actually important (rather than how Apple the Apple processor is) may help us stay alive just long enough to appreciate it!
The only way Apple will ever gettting the message that continuous change (for the sake of maintaining the revenue stream is a bad thing) is if you vote with your wallet.
Apple will continue to drive step changes to their technology and tinker with the OS in an attempt to get us to buy new stuff, which we then discover won't or doesn't work with the old stuff.
If C-19 has taught us anything, focusing on what's actually important (rather than how Apple the Apple processor is) may help us stay alive just long enough to appreciate it!
Although I am sorely tempted by a 16" MBP (I'm on a 2012 15" MBP now); my fear is that this new £3,000+ Intel-based computer will have little to no resale value once the three year AppleCare period has come and we're living in an ARM-centric Apple world... :-/
(Also, I almost always use my computer with external monitor, and the 16" MBP GPU/fan issues when used with an external monitor concerns me too...)
Good point on the price drop being tied to suppliers like Intel - which we know won't happen, as this was surely a major point of contention in Apples decision to leave Intel in the first place.
I don't see new custom cards being released for the Mac Pro. In the interim the OS will be maintained and patched in software as such. I could see the GPU options being updated as the intel Mac Pro approaches the end of it's shelflife in two years when there will be good hardware and current software reasons to migrate to the new platform. For those that don't use the latest software (often for good reason) they will be fine for years to come with the Mac Pro as is.
Actually after thinking about it, you are absolutely right. I'm sure there are way more people they can fool into buying dead end products by keeping quiet then there are people like me that require this information to buy. So from a marketing stand point, they are doing the right thing. I'm sure the bulk of users are non tech savvy and use their computer solely as a browser and don't keep their OS up to date. I have friends that bought Macs over 5 years ago and have never updated the OS once and have no care to do so. People like these will never even notice if Apple drops OS support until they get hacked one day and play the victim card.
The only way it's not a good marketing method is if they do plan on supporting the OS for 5+ years. If that's the case, they should say something because then they can have both types of people buying.
I've got 2 mac minis, one i use sparingly and should get rid of and the other is actually showing its age and I want to upgrade. I've been antsy on upgrading to the current mac model because of the SSD that can't be replaced, but at 250gb, that would be sufficient for my needs, I'm just holding off on finding a price I'd be willing to pay. The ARM news makes me at least want to wait a bit because I'd hope (but not expect) the Arm mini (or imac) would either be cheaper than current models (mini) or I would consider a new Imac if the display can be used as a 2nd monitor for another computer.
what? I had the 1st gen iPad and upgraded once version 3 was released...it was light years better than the 1st generation. Not even close.
I still think you're missing the point. The whole desktop/ laptop market is shrinking and everything is heading to mobile - including gaming. Apple are moving to where the market is going, not to where it's been. Other manufacturers are doubling down trying to sell more desktops when that's not what the customers want. Apple are going to be in a prime position to expose 1Bn + customers to professional application and gaming developers with a single unified experience with minimal effort on their part. This is not about bringing a few iPhone and iPad apps to the Mac....it's about bringing high level apps to ALL Apple devices with a single click in Xcode. Make no mistake, this is one of those moments in history where people will look back and say "we should have seen that coming". Businesses and "pros" will be using Apple 10yrs from now.
Apple have an amazing ability to decimate entire industries with their foresight, and this is one of those moments.
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The iPad 3 is generally regarded as one (if not the) worst iPads. It was slow off the bat because it used a already 6 month old A5 processor that Apple simply added more graphics cores too. Despite this because of the new retina display it did not have enough GPU power to have the same effects/graphics as the older iPad 2 forcing developers (Gameloft etc) to decrease effects and such to support the new resolution. It ran very hot and charged horribly slowly with the included 10w charger, sometimes even not charging on it if playing a game etc. Im sure if you updated from the 1 it was great, but it was a lackluster update from the 2 that pissed a lot of people off in the end.
Thus Apple did the fastest refresh in iPad history and 6 months later announced (it was release 7 months later) the iPad 4. It was based off of the 2 month old just announced A6 chip, had even more graphics power, and included a 12W charger for the first time so the iPad would charge adequately again. It was generally seen as a slap in the face to those who bought the 3.
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I’m not familiar with all that. All I know is that as a user it felt like a massive upgrade. I didn’t have any issues.
I hated that thing with a passion compared to the 2 I upgraded from. When the 4 came out I was beyond pissed. Held out 12 months (because apple went back to the normal upgrade schedule) until the first Air was released.
Its a very common sentiment if you go to the iPad boards. Just ask how people feel about the 3. The 3 is really a product that shouldn't have existed, Apple could and should have waited an extra 6 months to deliver an actual advancement (or released the A6 with the iPad instead of the phone). I could understand how it wouldn't bother you though, my moms first iPad was a 3 and she loved it until she upgraded to an Air 2. Didn't bother her at all. From a tech geek standpoint though its a big sin and blunder in Apples past. Its the reason why some are hesitant to buy the 2020 iPad. Buying an iPad without a state of the art processor has really burnt people in the past, just adding an extra graphic core to the 2020 has a lot of people scared.
+ It was also significantly heavier and thicker than the 2 which also put off people. This wouldn't be fixed until the Air.
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I'm debating myself right now. I don't need Mac for work, but I prefer MacOS. I do need Windows for administrative tasks I do. I'm well past due for a new machine at this point.
I have just picked up another 16" as I love the machine, perfect for me to hold out and see what next year brings and than buy. My first intel machine after intel transition used to run so hot it was repaired twice. I plan to wait for the 1st revisions to get the initial issues out of the way this time.