“Bloomberg reports that Apple has at least three new Macs in the works for 2018, including a desktop and two laptops,” Abhimanyu Ghoshal reports for TNW. “Oh, and they’re said to feature custom processors made by the company.”
“That’s not a complete surprise: having developed chips in-house for its phones and tablets, Apple recently kitted out the new iMac Pro with a T2 processor that handles image processing for the desktop’s FaceTime camera, as well as securing your storage and startup processes without taxing the main CPU,” Ghoshal reports. “Prior to that, it added a chip to the 2016 MacBook Pro for powering the Touch Bar.”
“Analysts expect Apple to eventually develop its primary CPUs on its own, and drop Intel as a processor vendors,” Ghoshal reports. “Seeing as how the smoke from the recent Meltdown/Spectre garbage fire hasn’t yet cleared, that could be a great move for Cupertino indeed.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Also, as A-series chips proliferate across the Mac family and they become intrinsic to macOS operation, the “hackintosh” will be relegated to history.
• I’ve always wanted to own and control the primary technology in everything we do. — Steve Jobs, October 12, 2004
• In order to build the best products, you have to own the primary technologies. Steve felt that if Apple could do that — make great products and great tools for people — they in turn would do great things. He felt strongly that this would be his contribution to the world at large. We still very much believe that. That’s still the core of this company. — Apple CEO Tim Cook, March 18, 2015
SEE ALSO:
Apple prepping at least three updated Macs with custom Apple processors for release this year; including a new desktop – January 29, 2018
Apple’s iMac Pro might be the first ARM Mac, but it won’t be the last – November 28, 2017
Apple’s iMac Pro could include mobile connectivity for ‘always on’ theft protection – November 21, 2017
Why does iMac Pro have an Apple A10 Fusion chip inside? – November 20, 2017
“The Mac Pro is dead. Long live the Mac Pro”
Hurry, Tim, hurry. Wait…just get it done right, Tim, OK?
Will this also mean the end of speedy virtualization software (remember how slow it was to emulate Windows before Apple’s switch to Intel chips). Some must use software built only for the Windows’ OS. While I think mobile app development has taken a big bite out of this in many enterprises, there is still a lot of legacy software out there.
Also, will this mean another re-write of software for developers as seen when Apple moved from PPC to Intel chips?
While it may be inevitable, such a change will not be as simple as swapping out chips. macOS and iOS both share core code and I am sure macOS has kept up development to work on Apple chips, but all software running on top of the OS will likely need complete overhauls in the code.
I am not a coder, so correct me, if I am wrong. I just remember Apple’s other major changes and the accompanying bumps in the road.
compared to the PPC to intel transition, an intel to ARM transition would be smoother, both in respect of emulation and re-coding, because the sequence of storing data (little/big ENDIAN) would not need to be changed.
This is not an ARM transition. Merely the addition of specialized custom chips to speed specific tasks. Intel is still inside. Please don’t panic. The whole internet is always in a state of panic. All Apple changes must have negative consequences and all positive consequences are ignored.
A computer stuffed with custom chips? This reminds me (fondly) of my Amiga days!!! Yay!
And just why did the Hackintosh flourish Mr Tim? Could it be that you’re illustrious Mac department couldn’t get their collective fingers out their collective arses and produce something, other than ever slimming laptops, that the Mac community wanted?
Some of us are not impressed with the ever slimming laptops since we now carry expanding cases full of overpriced adapters. Stupid design, horrid keyboards, useless gimmick bar. No easy repair possible. Apple’s design team has its priorities totally f&cked up.