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If they can get this shrunk down and efficient enough in a future scenario I think Apple could move back to Intel for this with their stance on encryption and t

If they can get this shrunk down and efficient enough in a future scenario I think Apple could move back to Intel for this with their stance on encryption and things it being a pillar of their image.

Joel_Mckay 8mo ago
Not going to happen anytime soon, as the modern M4/ARM unified memory with on-chip GPU is years ahead of Intel. The software ecosystem is slowly growing to leverage this chip architecture, and due to the annoying PC RAM, SSD, and RTX GPU shenanigans it is no longer the lower value option. The PC market was made shitty enough this year, that Mid/High class Mac Pro/laptops are actually often a better value deal now (if and only if your use-case is covered software wise.) Intel does plan on a RTX + amd64 SoC soon, but still pooched the memory interface with a 30 year old mailbox kludge. Intel probably wont survive this choice without bailouts. =3
- bigyabai 8mo ago
  > (if and only if your use-case is covered software wise.) Judging by Nvidia's current valuation, that's a parenthetical worth ~4 trillion dollars. Apple isn't muscling AMD or Nvidia out of the datacenter anytime soon, and they're basically feeding Intel Foundry customers by dominating TSMC fab capacity. Apple's contribution to the chip shortage is so bad that even they have considered using Intel Foundry Services: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/28/intel-rumored-to-supply-new-mac-chip/ https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/28/intel-rumored-to-supply... It's been 7 years of Apple Silicon and the macOS market share really hasn't shifted much. The Year Of Apple Silicon For People Whose Use-Case Is Covered Software Wise was 2019; the majority of remaining customers aren't showing any interest.
  - Joel_Mckay 8mo ago
    > It's been 7 years of Apple Silicon and the macOS market share really hasn't shifted much Indeed, but a local LLM finishing in 3 days instead of 1 on a $40k GPU changes the economic decision priority for some. Apple sales grew "21.3% year-over-year as of the second quarter of 2025", but also sales flattened as supply chain pricing shocks from "AI"/tariffs hit late last year. "Judging by Nvidia's current valuation" is a bad bet with current circular investment conditions. We shall see, but as EOL drivers and OS rot hits legacy NVIDIA hardware... people are going to have to find some compromise in the next 2 years. Even AMD 9850X3D currently cost less than 64G of low end PC ddr5 memory. Odd times for sure =3
    - gigatexal 8mo ago
      Acktually ahem not to be that guy but to be that guy haha (insert me here) … Apple’s Mac market share of the PC market went from 6.6% to 9% (https://www.cultofmac.com/news/mac-shipments-2025-apple https://www.cultofmac.com/news/mac-shipments-2025-apple) so that’s nothing to balk at. The MacBook Neo might grow that even more as maybe it converts low end buyers into locked in users in the ecosystem and then they move on to more Mac’s.
      - Joel_Mckay 8mo ago
        Depending on the specific reporting period that data also seems consistent. But thanks for citing your source, as some otherwise great folks don't bother to check past Google Gemini nonsense when it starts lying. Apples only issue is its walled garden ecosystem eliminates most small/medium software studio content. In a way, the FOSS projects have greatly increased the MacOS software options available, and the recent Steam port is very promising. Win11 has caused a massive shift in users to posix like systems. This will only improve most of the ecosystem. =3

If they can get this shrunk down and efficient enough in a future scenario I think Apple could move back to Intel for this with their stance on encryption and things it being a pillar of their image.

Joel_Mckay 8mo ago

Not going to happen anytime soon, as the modern M4/ARM unified memory with on-chip GPU is years ahead of Intel. The software ecosystem is slowly growing to leverage this chip architecture, and due to the annoying PC RAM, SSD, and RTX GPU shenanigans it is no longer the lower value option. The PC market was made shitty enough this year, that Mid/High class Mac Pro/laptops are actually often a better value deal now (if and only if your use-case is covered software wise.) Intel does plan on a RTX + amd64 SoC soon, but still pooched the memory interface with a 30 year old mailbox kludge. Intel probably wont survive this choice without bailouts. =3

bigyabai 8mo ago
> (if and only if your use-case is covered software wise.) Judging by Nvidia's current valuation, that's a parenthetical worth ~4 trillion dollars. Apple isn't muscling AMD or Nvidia out of the datacenter anytime soon, and they're basically feeding Intel Foundry customers by dominating TSMC fab capacity. Apple's contribution to the chip shortage is so bad that even they have considered using Intel Foundry Services: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/28/intel-rumored-to-supply-new-mac-chip/ https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/28/intel-rumored-to-supply... It's been 7 years of Apple Silicon and the macOS market share really hasn't shifted much. The Year Of Apple Silicon For People Whose Use-Case Is Covered Software Wise was 2019; the majority of remaining customers aren't showing any interest.
- Joel_Mckay 8mo ago
  > It's been 7 years of Apple Silicon and the macOS market share really hasn't shifted much Indeed, but a local LLM finishing in 3 days instead of 1 on a $40k GPU changes the economic decision priority for some. Apple sales grew "21.3% year-over-year as of the second quarter of 2025", but also sales flattened as supply chain pricing shocks from "AI"/tariffs hit late last year. "Judging by Nvidia's current valuation" is a bad bet with current circular investment conditions. We shall see, but as EOL drivers and OS rot hits legacy NVIDIA hardware... people are going to have to find some compromise in the next 2 years. Even AMD 9850X3D currently cost less than 64G of low end PC ddr5 memory. Odd times for sure =3
  - gigatexal 8mo ago
    Acktually ahem not to be that guy but to be that guy haha (insert me here) … Apple’s Mac market share of the PC market went from 6.6% to 9% (https://www.cultofmac.com/news/mac-shipments-2025-apple https://www.cultofmac.com/news/mac-shipments-2025-apple) so that’s nothing to balk at. The MacBook Neo might grow that even more as maybe it converts low end buyers into locked in users in the ecosystem and then they move on to more Mac’s.
    - Joel_Mckay 8mo ago
      Depending on the specific reporting period that data also seems consistent. But thanks for citing your source, as some otherwise great folks don't bother to check past Google Gemini nonsense when it starts lying. Apples only issue is its walled garden ecosystem eliminates most small/medium software studio content. In a way, the FOSS projects have greatly increased the MacOS software options available, and the recent Steam port is very promising. Win11 has caused a massive shift in users to posix like systems. This will only improve most of the ecosystem. =3