Will the switch to ARM decrease the lifespan of current MBPs?

[Synna]

Dear community,

both my partner and I are in need of a new MacBook and we are currently deciding between the 13" and the 16" models. We might be able to wait until after WWDC for the announcement of a 14.1" model (which I guess will not happen there), but not until fall or 2021. Given that both the 13" and the 16" are good machines, that shouldn't be a problem, but the switch to ARM (whenever it may come) does worry me.

Since a MBP with some advanced specs is a quite substantial investment, we of course want to be able to use it for at least around 5 years to come. However, if ARM starts being available next year, does this mean that software updates etc. for the current Intel models will not be available or will have compatibility issues?

tl;dr: If we buy new MBPs now, will they last 5+ years (especially update-wise) despite the incoming switch to ARM?

Thanks for your help!

 

[nill1234]

If you need a pro you are using pro software and this software is not compatible with ARM. So you can only buy Intel Macbooks. The transition to ARM takes time lots of time.

 

[recoil80]

I bought my 16" a month ago and I knew back then an ARM Mac is going to be announced sooner or later.
I wouldn't worry about macOS support, Apple launched the Mac Pro with Intel a few months ago so they can't just stop supporting Intel, and they're still selling iMac Pros too.
I plan to keep my 16" for 4-5 years, and I'm confident it will still be supported by macOS. My next Mac will likely be ARM, but they'll keep selling Intel Macs for a while.
This is going to be a long transition

 

[coolfactor]

Go with the new Air to tie you over. More than enough power for anyone's basic needs. I'm running a 2013 MacBook Air with zero performance issues.... nearly 8 years old. Good as new.

As for ARM, it could be 2021 (hopefully), but could be later. I wish Apple would take the hybrid approach, pairing an Intel and an ARM processor is the same machine. Best of both worlds, but maybe too cost prohibitive.

 

[Queen6]

Just need to look at Apple's history for the answer. If Apple switches to ARM, it will support the Intel based Mac's as long as it needs too, however not a day longer...

Q-6

 

[Steve121178]

Dear community,

both my partner and I are in need of a new MacBook and we are currently deciding between the 13" and the 16" models. We might be able to wait until after WWDC for the announcement of a 14.1" model (which I guess will not happen there), but not until fall or 2021. Given that both the 13" and the 16" are good machines, that shouldn't be a problem, but the switch to ARM (whenever it may come) does worry me.

Since a MBP with some advanced specs is a quite substantial investment, we of course want to be able to use it for at least around 5 years to come. However, if ARM starts being available next year, does this mean that software updates etc. for the current Intel models will not be available or will have compatibility issues?

tl;dr: If we buy new MBPs now, will they last 5+ years (especially update-wise) despite the incoming switch to ARM?

Thanks for your help!

Yes.

The transition to ARM will take years & won't happen in one big bang. I fully expect iPadOS to mature into the operating system of choice for all tablets & ARM based Macs with macOS becoming a legacy OS. Naturally iPadOS will probably be rebranded, but there's no way macOS will be the OS for ARM based machines. It doesn't make sense.

 

[Synna]

Thanks for your replies, sounds like buying a MBP now would not decrease its lifespan despite the ARM switch.

Go with the new Air to tie you over. More than enough power for anyone's basic needs.

Unfortunately, it should be able to do quite some video and photo editing, so I am afraid that the Air has not enough power for that.

Just need to look at Apple's history for the answer. If Apple switches to ARM, it will support the Intel based Mac's as long as it needs too, however not a day longer...

The only question would be how long the "as long as it needs to" will last.

 

[Alex W.]

ARM will be low end, all the software it has to emulate basically its going to take 5+ years for ARM to be the best chips for laptops, but also AMD has extremely impressive mobile chips atm with better than i9 preformance and 13+ hours battery.

 

[Synna]

ARM will be low end, all the software it has to emulate basically its going to take 5+ years for ARM to be the best chips for laptops, but also AMD has extremely impressive mobile chips atm with better than i9 preformance and 13+ hours battery.

That's an interesting take, however, if an Apple switch to AMD is in the cards, my problem would remain the same (although I guess AMD chips would have a similar architecture to Intel chips, so macOS would still be fully supported on "older" Intel MBPs).

 

[09872738]

I bought my 16" a month ago and I knew back then an ARM Mac is going to be announced sooner or later.
I wouldn't worry about macOS support, Apple launched the Mac Pro with Intel a few months ago so they can't just stop supporting Intel, and they're still selling iMac Pros too.
I plan to keep my 16" for 4-5 years, and I'm confident it will still be supported by macOS. My next Mac will likely be ARM, but they'll keep selling Intel Macs for a while.
This is going to be a long transition

False assumption, by and large. Processor architecture is close to irrelevant these days as long as the toolkit is available on all platforms. IF Apple makes this transition the whole toolchain is almost certainly available on both ARM/AMD_64

 

[Alex W.]

That's an interesting take, however, if an Apple switch to AMD is in the cards, my problem would remain the same (although I guess AMD chips would have a similar architecture to Intel chips, so macOS would still be fully supported on "older" Intel MBPs).

Yes, their identical actually AMD currently set the standard for 64bit cpus that intel licences from them.
Have a look at their 4800u CPUs, their absolute magic.

Almost debating getting it over a 16" MBP.
[automerge]1588679008[/automerge]

 

[Tekguy0]

Keep in mind that there will be a lot of Macbooks with the butterfly kb that will be as good as dead in a few years anyway. Luckily your 16" is not affected.

 

[Alex W.]

Keep in mind that there will be a lot of Macbooks with the butterfly kb that will be as good as dead in a few years anyway. Luckily your 16" is not affected.

Cant wait to see what resellers do with all of the broken keyboards.

 

[Queen6]

The only question would be how long the "as long as it needs to" will last.

Same as any other modern Mac simple as that, Apple regularly discontinues support for older Mac's. Generally 5 years after the product is no longer sold, obsoleting them after 7 years. If you need now, purchase now. Nobody outside of Apple knows what they will do with either ARM or AMD, equally Apple is looking likely to offer ARM powered macOS devices in the near future.

I would guess that Apple will ease in ARM with a new MacBook or Air, that said if Apple feels it can match the performance of the current Intel based notebooks they may well just go all in...

Q-6

 

[Tekguy0]

Cant wait to see what resellers do with all of the broken keyboards.

I think I may have a very good chance to pick up a failed-kb MBP15 in the future to use as a desktop.

 

[Queen6]

I think I may have a very good chance to pick up a failed-kb MBP15 in the future to use as a desktop.

Exactly, drive a hard bargain and pickup a vertical stand. As Apple's support dry's up, these Butterfly Keyboard Mac's will be worthless to the vast majority, equally great bargains for a minority who are willing to re-role them as a scaled down desktop.

Similar to my own 2011 15" MB; I could open the display now and it could be little more than a paperweight, nor does it sit well with me to sell out for obvious reason. The 2015 onwards Mac's with the Butterfly Keyboard's will be an even worse proposition as the only fix is replacing the keyboard and good luck with that once Apple classes them as Vintage, worse obsoletes them (5 & 7 years)...

Q-6

 

[Macalicious2011]

Intel based Macbook will, for many reasons, be supported and desirable for many year after they are no longer in production.

Some businesses wont transition over to ARM based laptops for 3-5 years after launch.

 

[Fishrrman]

No one knows the answer to this question.
Not yet.

If one is heavily invested on software that runs on the current Intel CPUs, the "ARM Mac" would be a liability, not an asset. I'd want the existing software to be as productive as long as possible. And for that reason, I'd want to hold onto my older hardware for longer, as well.

For those who don't depend that much on 3rd-party software, the consequences of moving to ARM are probably far less.

 

[Macalicious2011]

What would be amazing is if a flagship iphone could be connected to an external display and used with a mouse and keyboard - that is if the iPhone is powered by the same chip as an ARM based macbook.

 

[Alex W.]

What would be amazing is if a flagship iphone could be connected to an external display and used with a mouse and keyboard - that is if the iPhone is powered by the same chip as an ARM based macbook.

Android has this. Windows does do, the surface duo phone will export a windows 10 to display over USB-C.
Honestly until apple gets rid of their strange connectors and get USB-C phones, i refuse to bother with them. Flagship droids work just as well with macs, bluetooth file transfers, sms, phone calls etc.