4 ms·

Possibly stupid question - does Apple switching to ARM mean the death of Bootcamp?

by kevsim 6y ago

cable2600 6y ago
Possible so, unless Apple makes the ARM chip run Intel code. Windows is overrated now and only Windows 10 matters at this point in time. For $150 you can buy a cheap Intel based PC laptop with Windows 10 on it. I think Bootcamp might work for ARM based Linux and the ARM version of Windows 10. At least Raspberry PIs that are ARM based can run those.
- GradientAssent 6y ago
  Many games still aren't available on Mac, and things like Wine are not nearly as clean of an experience as just installing games in native Windows. I'd guess switching to ARM will set back the progress made in Mac gaming as well.
  - acephal 6y ago
    They sent the message they wanted everybody to hear about gaming when they turned the lever on 32bit support
- ghettoimp 6y ago
  Would Intel be able to use patents to prevent them from doing x86 emulation?
  - dogma1138 6y ago
    They did so to block NVIDIA so quite likely.
- Hamuko 6y ago
  >For $150 you can buy a cheap Intel based PC laptop with Windows 10 on it. Is there any point in a $150 computer, especially if it's $150 including Windows?
  - nojito 6y ago
    Of course. You can get great deals from used/refurbished business laptops for that price.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
mobilio 6y ago
Almost definitely - yes.
- Chernobog 6y ago
  Given that an ARM version of Windows 10 exists, why do you say "almost definitively"?
  - benologist 6y ago
    People mostly dual-boot so they can access software they need that isn't on macOS, but it isn't available on ARM Windows either so why would Apple care to foster a nascent competing platform?
    - snazz 6y ago
      Additionally, the importance of this use-case (from Apple's perspective) has decreased significantly since they originally developed Boot Camp. While I'm sure that many people do run Windows on Mac hardware, the percentage of Mac owners who do this is likely dropping significantly (if I remember correctly, there was a statistic about this in a comment on another thread about ARM Macs).
  - Hamuko 6y ago
    Windows 10 ARM is so useless that there's really no reason to Boot Camp it.
    - mamon 6y ago
      But what if someone wants to Boot Camp ARM Linux?
      - snazz 6y ago
        Boot Camp does not work with Linux on Intel Macs, so the question in this case would be whether the low-level bootloader would allow unsigned/third-party code or whether it would be locked-down like on iOS devices.
basementcat 6y ago
I think the more interesting possibility is that one may have to jailbreak a Macbook Pro to run your own apps and/or OS.
- Hamuko 6y ago
  Basically already a thing with SIP.
  - qball 6y ago
    SIP is a simple toggle (for what it's worth, this is the same thing on Windows to be able to run arbitrary UWP applications). Jailbreaking is very much not, as it requires an actual exploit.

Possibly stupid question - does Apple switching to ARM mean the death of Bootcamp?

by kevsim 6y ago

Possibly stupid question - does Apple switching to ARM mean the death of Bootcamp?

Possible so, unless Apple makes the ARM chip run Intel code. Windows is overrated now and only Windows 10 matters at this point in time. For $150 you can buy a cheap Intel based PC laptop with Windows 10 on it. I think Bootcamp might work for ARM based Linux and the ARM version of Windows 10. At least Raspberry PIs that are ARM based can run those.

GradientAssent 6y ago
Many games still aren't available on Mac, and things like Wine are not nearly as clean of an experience as just installing games in native Windows. I'd guess switching to ARM will set back the progress made in Mac gaming as well.
- acephal 6y ago
  They sent the message they wanted everybody to hear about gaming when they turned the lever on 32bit support
ghettoimp 6y ago
Would Intel be able to use patents to prevent them from doing x86 emulation?
- dogma1138 6y ago
  They did so to block NVIDIA so quite likely.
Hamuko 6y ago
>For $150 you can buy a cheap Intel based PC laptop with Windows 10 on it. Is there any point in a $150 computer, especially if it's $150 including Windows?
- nojito 6y ago
  Of course. You can get great deals from used/refurbished business laptops for that price.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

mobilio 6y ago

Almost definitely - yes.

Chernobog 6y ago
Given that an ARM version of Windows 10 exists, why do you say "almost definitively"?
- benologist 6y ago
  People mostly dual-boot so they can access software they need that isn't on macOS, but it isn't available on ARM Windows either so why would Apple care to foster a nascent competing platform?
  - snazz 6y ago
    Additionally, the importance of this use-case (from Apple's perspective) has decreased significantly since they originally developed Boot Camp. While I'm sure that many people do run Windows on Mac hardware, the percentage of Mac owners who do this is likely dropping significantly (if I remember correctly, there was a statistic about this in a comment on another thread about ARM Macs).
- Hamuko 6y ago
  Windows 10 ARM is so useless that there's really no reason to Boot Camp it.
  - mamon 6y ago
    But what if someone wants to Boot Camp ARM Linux?
    - snazz 6y ago
      Boot Camp does not work with Linux on Intel Macs, so the question in this case would be whether the low-level bootloader would allow unsigned/third-party code or whether it would be locked-down like on iOS devices.

basementcat 6y ago

I think the more interesting possibility is that one may have to jailbreak a Macbook Pro to run your own apps and/or OS.

Hamuko 6y ago
Basically already a thing with SIP.
- qball 6y ago
  SIP is a simple toggle (for what it's worth, this is the same thing on Windows to be able to run arbitrary UWP applications). Jailbreaking is very much not, as it requires an actual exploit.