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Apple is priming a switch to ARM. They don’t care about the amd64 game too much any more. Catalina is step 1 getting that done.

spectramax 7y ago
I thought Catalina just deprecated 32-bit apps? iPadOS on the other hand is inching towards a desktop-like OS, ofcourse based on Apple's in-house ARM chips.
- wolfgke 7y ago
  > iPadOS on the other hand is inching towards a desktop-like OS, ofcourse based on Apple's in-house ARM chips. A desktop-like OS better includes lots of capabilities for development and debugging, e.g. attaching a debugger to a process, memory dumps, compiling and executing code etc. I do not believe that this fits Apple's plans and philosophy for iOS.
  - dkersten 7y ago
    That's a very developer-centric view of what a "desktop-like" OS needs to have. Most users of desktop-like OSes don't care about these things. They're clearly not going after software developers for iOS, but that doesn't mean its not their plan to make it more desktop-like or compete with desktops for the non-pro markets.
    - dkersten 7y ago
      I should add that I use my 9.7” iPad Pro for all my day to day computing needs except development.
- flatiron 7y ago
  that helps tremendously though if they plan on having an amd64 emulation layer, they don't need to bother in emulating 32 bit x86 (or the other legacy modes that x86 has).
Angostura 7y ago
I've been hearing this for about 10 years now. I don't think the Pro tower will be going ARM any time soon
- hrktb 7y ago
  3 years ago the question was more if they'll even build a Pro tower ever again. The tide has changed, but I wouldn't be surprised if it draws back again.
- rbanffy 7y ago
  If AMD consistently outperforms Intel's high-end gear, I can easily see a Milan-based MacPro. Everything needed to trounce the current model is already in the EPYC Rome package.
bumblebritches5 7y ago
Step 2, BitCode was step 1.
ksec 7y ago
They would have started their High TDP ARM CPU design at least 3 years ago, and had they done that, the NUVIA guys wouldn't have left Apple to start a company of their own design CPU for servers. So I seriously doubt that is happening, not to mention it makes little financial sense.

spectramax 7y ago

I thought Catalina just deprecated 32-bit apps? iPadOS on the other hand is inching towards a desktop-like OS, ofcourse based on Apple's in-house ARM chips.

wolfgke 7y ago
> iPadOS on the other hand is inching towards a desktop-like OS, ofcourse based on Apple's in-house ARM chips. A desktop-like OS better includes lots of capabilities for development and debugging, e.g. attaching a debugger to a process, memory dumps, compiling and executing code etc. I do not believe that this fits Apple's plans and philosophy for iOS.
- dkersten 7y ago
  That's a very developer-centric view of what a "desktop-like" OS needs to have. Most users of desktop-like OSes don't care about these things. They're clearly not going after software developers for iOS, but that doesn't mean its not their plan to make it more desktop-like or compete with desktops for the non-pro markets.
  - dkersten 7y ago
    I should add that I use my 9.7” iPad Pro for all my day to day computing needs except development.
flatiron 7y ago
that helps tremendously though if they plan on having an amd64 emulation layer, they don't need to bother in emulating 32 bit x86 (or the other legacy modes that x86 has).

Angostura 7y ago

I've been hearing this for about 10 years now. I don't think the Pro tower will be going ARM any time soon

hrktb 7y ago
3 years ago the question was more if they'll even build a Pro tower ever again. The tide has changed, but I wouldn't be surprised if it draws back again.
rbanffy 7y ago
If AMD consistently outperforms Intel's high-end gear, I can easily see a Milan-based MacPro. Everything needed to trounce the current model is already in the EPYC Rome package.

bumblebritches5 7y ago

Step 2, BitCode was step 1.

ksec 7y ago

They would have started their High TDP ARM CPU design at least 3 years ago, and had they done that, the NUVIA guys wouldn't have left Apple to start a company of their own design CPU for servers. So I seriously doubt that is happening, not to mention it makes little financial sense.