Why are we assuming the ARM Mac shipping by the end of the year is even an iMac? It could very well be the MBP 13/14”.
The last Intel iMac could be updated next month and sadly it might even be early 2021 before we get the redesigned ARM iMac.
That one is quite simple.
History repeats.
It was Macbook and iMac with PPC to Intel.
It will be Macbook and iMac with Intel to ARM. Using the A14 AS variant.
Those target the largest amount of visible/sales/£££/consumers without 'software' edge cases. But it seems Apple has those covered even better this time with Ros' 2.
That Apple has the consumer momentum with it to finish off with prosumer iMac 27 (AS '15?'), Macbook Pro 16 inch (AS '15') and then the professional with the Mac Pro last (AS '16')
Azrael.
[automerge]1592918906[/automerge]
I’m kinda picturing a simpler BTO process of
Mac Mini - Mac 24 - Mac 32 - Mac Pro
Mac Mini and Mac 24 to share a SoC variety (low to mid) and Mac 32 and Mac Pro to share an SoC variety (mid to high)
so 3 AS SoCs total across the lineups
with RAM and storage options but I’m curious to see how meaningful RAM is going to be at this stage... they may even just make RAM a standard amount and only give storage options
In a way this transition to AS kinda throws a lot of preconceptions about computers out the window given they were all set on a world of x86 based Intel processors.
We’ve seen how the relative performance of A series chips go against the Android counterparts in iPhones and there hasn’t ever really been too much of a need for more RAM on iOS devices. I’m cautiously hopeful that Apple may be able to bring that kind of efficiency into AS Macs as well which would really eliminate the need for too much RAM being needed (for most users).
If the Mac Pro is intended to move over to AS as well then the MPX modules may paint a way forward for how Apple plans to cater for higher end professional use cases. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the new AS Macs come with MPX.
So it would essentially split the desktop lineup to...
Everyday user with display - Mac Mini
Everyday user with no display - Mac 24
Everyday user with larger display needs / enthusiast user - Mac 32
Professional users - Mac Pro
I could also picture some of the MPX modules being offered as a BTO on the Mac 32. Like an option to add an Apple Afterburner card to the Mac 32. Depends on the maximum performance of the Mac 32 though.
Can’t wait for October now 😀 I’m definitely expecting a Mac event in mid October, probably about a week before the formal release of macOS Big Sur with the focus on AS Macs and the first AS Macs being available for pre-order that week and shipping with Big Sur the week after.
[automerge]1592909830[/automerge]
Tear downs are explicitly prohibited AFAIK but I’d love for one of the peeps with a machine to try run Crysis on a VM 😛
Good post.
Could be A14, A15 and A16 to cover those '3 tiers' of user.
Azrael.
[automerge]1592919209[/automerge]
Forget AMD GPUs. They signed the end of AMD too by announcing switch to ARM. Metal works even better on Apple’s SoC. The software advantage will probably compensate for the hardware.
And forget too a 200w chip. ARM is more efficient than this, even if you put a GPU on the chip.
It's all about the software. It always has been. It always will be.
And it's no surprise to me that 'Metal' works even better on Apple's SoC because 'the software advantage will probbably compensate for the hardware.'
The PC has been a generic modular hot potch of 'brute force' tech' with 'generic' target hardware for software that treats it accordingly. How do we know this is so?
Just look at what Apple software and hardware optimised for a proprietary solution can do.
Vs. Open GL with 2nd rate middle ware with even more 2nd rate software ports compounding the problem.
eg. You pay hard case for the same gpu to perform at 50% of the Windows gpu. That couldn't go on. How can you pay more for less performance.
Bad software, middleware...mediocre software can cripple the best hardware.
No wonder Apple took Open Gl to the back of the cow shed and put a bullet in it...
...and now...Intel are next. Don't be surprise for a tight software/hardware A14 AS chip to cripple the Intel 'equivalent.'
INtel had their chance to get into phones. They blew it. Apple have ten years of experience doing these kind of power efficient performers.
SoC is the future. (Apple's SoC will perform way better than Intel's 'SoCk.')
Azrael.
