4 ms·

I believe the first Intel product announced was the [EDIT: iMac - see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_(Intel-based)#1st_generation:_Polycarbonate_iMac https

by so33 6y ago

I believe the first Intel product announced was the [EDIT: iMac - see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_(Intel-based)#1st_generation:_Polycarbonate_iMac https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMac_(Intel-based)#1st_generat...] MacBook Pro at Macworld in January of 2006, long after it was announced at WWDC in 2005. I think concerns about how Apple will handle the transition can generally be addressed by the relatively smooth transition from PPC to Intel. Apple has literally done this before.

arcticbull 6y ago
Apple transitions CPU architectures every 10-15 years. 6502 -> 68k in 1984 via hard-cutover [edit: see cestith's reply, there's more to this story than I knew] 68k -> PPC in 1994 via emulation PPC -> x86 in 2006 via Rosetta JIT translation x86 -> ARM in 2020 via Rosetta 2 static recompilation You could even argue the transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X was a transition of similar magnitude (although solely on PowerPC processors), with Classic Environment running a full Mac OS 9 instance [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_macOS_components#Classic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_macOS_components#Class...
- cestith 6y ago
  They also had the IIgs which was the 65c816 in 16-bit mode. The Lisa was in 1983 before the Mac, and it was a 68k.
  - monocasa 6y ago
    A 65c816 runs 6502 code natively.
    - cestith 6y ago
      Yes, in 8-bit mode. The IIgs runs with the processor in 16-bit mode from everything I've read about it. It might be able to swap modes to run older Apple software, but the IIgs is a 16-bit machine.
- icedchai 6y ago
  I disagree that 6502 -> 68k was a "transition." The Apple II and Mac were two separate product lines. The three major early home computer companies (Apple, Atari, Commodore) all did this.
  - donarb 6y ago
    Though Apple did sell a card that allowed 6502 apps to run on a Macintosh. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIe_Card https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIe_Card
    - icedchai 6y ago
      This is true, but note it was released in 1991, many years after the Mac's introduction. By that time, the Apple II was definitely on the way out. The last hold outs (schools...) probably needed encouragement.

by so33 6y ago

arcticbull 6y ago

Apple transitions CPU architectures every 10-15 years. 6502 -> 68k in 1984 via hard-cutover [edit: see cestith's reply, there's more to this story than I knew] 68k -> PPC in 1994 via emulation PPC -> x86 in 2006 via Rosetta JIT translation x86 -> ARM in 2020 via Rosetta 2 static recompilation You could even argue the transition from Mac OS 9 to Mac OS X was a transition of similar magnitude (although solely on PowerPC processors), with Classic Environment running a full Mac OS 9 instance [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_macOS_components#Classic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_macOS_components#Class...

cestith 6y ago
They also had the IIgs which was the 65c816 in 16-bit mode. The Lisa was in 1983 before the Mac, and it was a 68k.
- monocasa 6y ago
  A 65c816 runs 6502 code natively.
  - cestith 6y ago
    Yes, in 8-bit mode. The IIgs runs with the processor in 16-bit mode from everything I've read about it. It might be able to swap modes to run older Apple software, but the IIgs is a 16-bit machine.
icedchai 6y ago
I disagree that 6502 -> 68k was a "transition." The Apple II and Mac were two separate product lines. The three major early home computer companies (Apple, Atari, Commodore) all did this.
- donarb 6y ago
  Though Apple did sell a card that allowed 6502 apps to run on a Macintosh. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIe_Card https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_IIe_Card
  - icedchai 6y ago
    This is true, but note it was released in 1991, many years after the Mac's introduction. By that time, the Apple II was definitely on the way out. The last hold outs (schools...) probably needed encouragement.