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News Apple may be announcing shift to Arm-based CPUs this month

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by bit-tech, 10 Jun 2020.

  1. bit-tech

    bit-tech Supreme Overlord Lover of bit-tech Administrator

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  2. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Apple has been 'just about to' replace x86 chips with ARM since the iPad released.

    If we look at the transition from PowerPC to x86, there was a year long gap between announcing the move and the first device being released, and during that time a development system was available to allow developers to rewrite their code. And even then, in many cases there was a performance improvement in running PPC code through Rosetta on x86 compared to native PPC execution (along with improved power consumption and thermals). Anyone expecting x86 on ARM to be anywhere close to performance parity within the same power and thermal envelope has been smoking something extremely potent.

    If anything, Apple's 'replace the low end Macbook with an ARM laptop' device is the iPad Pro with the keyboard dock.
     
    Last edited: 11 Jun 2020
  3. Anfield

    Anfield Multimodder

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    To paraphrase the average phone moron:
    "But but that one artificial benchmark all the phone brands cheat at told me that ARM is totally the best thing ever".

    Jokes aside, I doubt Apple could convince many 3rd Party software developers to bother with OSX support if they changed away from x86 again without some big fat bribes.
     
  4. RedFlames

    RedFlames ...is not a Belgian football team

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    Making people upgrade to new [typically now sub-based] versions of their software by bricking their old version...

    ...always goes over well.
     
  5. sandys

    sandys Multimodder

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    Would the type of person that buys an Apple device even care, nope, so long as it works.
     
  6. IamJudd

    IamJudd Multimodder

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    My iMac and Mac mini still works although relegated to kids rooms. I have been toying with a MacBook upgrade for a while but will end up going Asus, Dell, Lenovo, whatever isn't Mac...
     
  7. perplekks45

    perplekks45 LIKE AN ANIMAL!

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    Given the standard of Bloomberg's tech articles in the last year I'd honestly ask the potato I planted two months ago before even reading the bollocks they produce.
     
  8. jb0

    jb0 Minimodder

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    I keep hearing this rumor, and I keep hoping it is true.

    I was sad when Apple went Intel. Not because I had ever owned any Apple hardware, but because they were the last company making PCs that weren't IBM-compatibles.
    Obviously, Pis and Chromebooks have showed up since then, but still.
     
  9. Mister_Tad

    Mister_Tad Will work for nuts Super Moderator

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    Household of 10 Apple devices checking in, and you are correct.
     
  10. theshadow2001

    theshadow2001 [DELETE] means [DELETE]

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    This might be good a boost for ARM on the desktop if it does happen. If some of the killer apps (for want of a better term) on OS X are forced to port to ARM, it might have a knock-on effect in areas outside of the Apple world that also use those apps. It would be great to see ARM processors compete on the lower end of desktop processors across the board.
     
  11. perplekks45

    perplekks45 LIKE AN ANIMAL!

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    We've said that for years now and every time we've received lukewarm performance on a cut-down Windows (no matter what you call it, it just wasn't good or even outright crap [with x86 applications] - looking at you, Windows RT!). I'd love to see it happen, but unless Apple gets Adobe and several other big names to port their stuff... :sigh:
     
  12. fix-the-spade

    fix-the-spade Multimodder

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    It's officially happening.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-53142989

    They'll have Adobe on board no doubt, but with Apple hardware being slower than average for most things and gaming (proper gaming, not mobile clickers) basically non-existant it's hard to see how much of a change this will mean to the end user. So many companies already make software for Ipad it's probabbly not a huge leap for them to make software for Ipad but with a PC style interface.
     
  13. sandys

    sandys Multimodder

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    When it comes to ARM cores Apple does seem to build some of the best, so can't imagine what they put in their laptops to be a poor substitute for most people.

    I watched the highlights of the wwdc conference and the additions to ipados, for a moment I thought I was watching some parody, but no, they were basically advertising features that have been in Android for years as if they were new :grin:

    Looking pretty good now though like an OS I could enjoy.
     
  14. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Predictions in ~a years time when the first ARM-Macbook is released:
    - Performance kinda roughly on parity with an x86 Macbook if compared native-app-to-native-app (though Apple will skip an updated x86 model in the same portion of the range that year making apples-to-apples* comparisons difficult)
    - Battery life on ARM-Macbook better if only and exclusively using ARM-native applications
    - Performance and battery life dire as soon as x86-on-Rosetta applications stirred into the mix
    - Vast majority of ARM variants of x86 apps will turn out to be the iPad Pro versions with variable resolution support, rather than being the full capability x86 versions ported to ARM

    * Pun not intended, but thoroughly encouraged.
     
    perplekks45 and MLyons like this.
  15. IamJudd

    IamJudd Multimodder

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    My wife was saying this whilst it was on and I agreed... however, they do have a knack for improving on things already out there and making it their own. There will be plenty of owners who will ditch 3rd party apps for the new inclusions with the same defence as; "it just works..."
     
  16. perplekks45

    perplekks45 LIKE AN ANIMAL!

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    I'm not shocked that they're doing it, but that the first ARM-based Mac(book) will be released in 2020. I guess this'll be an A12Z-based iPad Pro in a MacBook Air case kinda thing, but still...

    They were always good at selling other companies' ideas as their own and "improving" them. They positioned themselves sooooo carefully in a locked-down ecosystem which they have full control over, it's utterly impressive.

    First port will be Geekbench. :thumb:

    This IS a major reason for so many people, it's ridiculous!
     
  17. Mister_Tad

    Mister_Tad Will work for nuts Super Moderator

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    You think it's ridiculous to want an ecosystem that "just works"?
     
  18. sandys

    sandys Multimodder

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    If it did just work that would be fine, the reality is it sort of works, if it did just work I wouldn't be pestered by my missus every other week saying why can't I do x, y or z on the iPad, Arrrgh, today it was printing, Air Print my arse, my stock response is use your PC or phone (Android) :D

    Everything in the house prints via the network, the iCrap says no, it wants to do Wifi Direct :wallbash: Annoyed.... me, no never :rollingeyes::grin:

    Biggest bugbears seem to be bluetooth devices (headphones/headsets for Zoom etc) and printing in my house, I guess if I had Apple branded stuff it would be fine.
     
    Last edited: 23 Jun 2020
  19. IamJudd

    IamJudd Multimodder

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    The way that was typed suggests I’m against it but as we have 8 Apple products in the house over the 4 other tech devices, I have subscribed to that model... and the sleep app on the next watch update will mean those 3rd party ones will rarely get a look in.
     
  20. perplekks45

    perplekks45 LIKE AN ANIMAL!

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    No, not at all. But it just doesn't "just work". Same as most things there are good and bad things about what Apple does and how things work. The "it just works" thing is mainly something people chose to believe in rather than experience.This is not limited to Apple at all.
     
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