Apple Looking For Ways To Ditch Intel?

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Apple looking to ditch Intel? Now why in the world would they want to do something like that?

Apple engineers have grown confident that the chip designs used for its mobile devices will one day be powerful enough to run its desktops and laptops, said three people with knowledge of the work, who asked to remain anonymous because the plans are confidential. Apple began using Intel chips for Macs in 2005.
 
Why not? You need some powerhouses for Photoshop, 3D Rendering, etc. but the majority of Apple's customers look at photos, browse the web, and listen to music. The more they keep in-house, the higher their profit margins. Seems like a smart business decision.
 
Why not? You need some powerhouses for Photoshop, 3D Rendering, etc. but the majority of Apple's customers look at photos, browse the web, and listen to music. The more they keep in-house, the higher their profit margins. Seems like a smart business decision.

Apple would still have to license aspects from Intel if they went and created their own processor.
 
This seems like a likely scenario. They already custom design their own Arm processors. All they need to do is scale up iOS to run on iMacs and MBA/MBPs. Realistically MBAs and iMacs could already be powered by A6 if they could run the proper software. If anything I would guess the lack of multitasking and productivity apps would be the only thing keeping them from making the jump already.

By desktops I'd bet they mean iMacs and not Mac Pros, as that market is likely so small already they would just get rid of it altogether.
 
The more competition the merrier I say. I just hope that these same individuals weren't confident about Apple Maps being solid.
 
Doubt it, and highly doubt it...

Definitely not occur within the next 5 years or so.

It's impossible to migrate over to ARM without x64/x86 support.

Especially the performance just isn't there to begin with.
 
The more they keep in-house, the higher their profit margins. Seems like a smart business decision.

Not trying to say I know either way what is the case with this, but this statement is not a simple truth.

If they suck ass at making processors, it will cost them more than outsourcing. They will only make more profit if they are competitive in making processors. This might well be the case, though.
 
So this means they're going AMD?

As much as I despise Apple products and wouldn't want AMD to sink to being in a Mac, I can't deny that it would be a great deal for AMD in a time they need it.
 
I think this is further proof that Apple is going to eventually completely abandon the professional end of their product line. They already dumbed down their "industry standard" NLE Final Cut Pro in favor of something marginally more useful than iMovie. There just won't be a need for powerful Macs in the near future, so spec'ing cell phone processors seems like a smart business decision.
 
Why not? You need some powerhouses for Photoshop, 3D Rendering, etc. but the majority of Apple's customers look at photos, browse the web, and listen to music. The more they keep in-house, the higher their profit margins. Seems like a smart business decision.

They abandoned the "professionals" long ago. Look at their production software. Final Cut is a joke only really suitable for home movies. :D
 
Apple would still have to license aspects from Intel if they went and created their own processor.

no they won't - they will just claim that Intel's stuff is their own, then sue Intel for infringement
 
I'm with the article. The performance isn't there. Yet.

But ARM destops will happen. But I'm surprised that Apple would embrace something that would chip away at their quasi-proprietary designs. I mean hackintoshes are possible but we're talking something someone could mass produce for cheap as a knockoff.

Microsoft turning into Apple and Apple turning into IBM. What's next?
 
And why would they go x86?

Real question is why wouldn't they? It would be cheaper to integrate that instruction set and setup into their own hardware and pay the license. Too risky to try to come up with their own setup to have shit processors that everyone goes "why doesn't this old program I have work on my new overpriced mac?!"

It would be stupid to NOT go x86
 
Do you folks forget that Apple used their own processors for many years?

There is a reason they stopped and went Intel.
 
It would be stupid to NOT go x86

apple doesn't make smart decisions, they only know how to market glorified aluminum products that could be easily passed off as dildos in certain foreign countries.
 
If they ever merge OSX and iOS this might be a possiblity, but Apple invests a very small amount in R&D currently. If they went nuclear and cut loose Intel to offer a competing platform they would be totally at the mercy of their own R&D budget and in that of their fab partner. Right now Intel assumes both of those costs for them at very low risk for Apple. If they have to deal with both themselves the risk goes up tremendously, and for very little profit potential. If Apple does go this route then they better get ready to go back to the late 90s since I think that would be the beginning of the end for Apple. They are such savvy businessmen usually so I would be extremely surprised to see them do such a boneheaded move like this ;)
 
Real question is why wouldn't they? It would be cheaper to integrate that instruction set and setup into their own hardware and pay the license. Too risky to try to come up with their own setup to have shit processors that everyone goes "why doesn't this old program I have work on my new overpriced mac?!"

It would be stupid to NOT go x86

Yes it would be very stupid.

Apple couldn't care less about old programs. They have an app store. Your old x86 app doesn't work? get a new and improved with extra hocus pocus.

The mac pros could still be x86, but I can see ARM based macbooks and low end imacs.

Specially since Apple is pushing OpenCL, so you could couple say an ARM 15 "A7x" with a capable GPU and have good performance.
 
Real question is why wouldn't they? It would be cheaper to integrate that instruction set and setup into their own hardware and pay the license. Too risky to try to come up with their own setup to have shit processors that everyone goes "why doesn't this old program I have work on my new overpriced mac?!"

It would be stupid to NOT go x86

There is not a whole lot of backwards compatibility when it comes to Apple. You just buy new versions of the software which are written for the new systems. I'm sure a lot of Power mac owners can tell you how long their old software worked.
 
Do you folks forget that Apple used their own processors for many years?

There is a reason they stopped and went Intel.

Easy to forget things that never happened.

Apple has never designed their own processors prior to the A6x.
 
Real question is why wouldn't they? It would be cheaper to integrate that instruction set and setup into their own hardware and pay the license. Too risky to try to come up with their own setup to have shit processors that everyone goes "why doesn't this old program I have work on my new overpriced mac?!"

It would be stupid to NOT go x86

ARM is becoming more and more adequate every day. I wouldn't doubt that they decide to take a arm core and modify the design enough for a desktop computer. Seriously, the signs have been there for years, that they are trying to get power users to move along and their new focus is the general consumer market. The most that market does is video editing and there's no reason no one could design a coprocessor system that can encode video similar to an i7.
 
...really?
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Apple looking to ditch Intel? Now why in the world would they want to do something like that?

99.99999% of people who buy a $3k mac can't even name what is under the hood of their computer - or their phone - or their tablet. I would cheap out all around based on the retardedness of my customer.
 
99.99999% of people who buy a $3k mac can't even name what is under the hood of their computer - or their phone - or their tablet. I would cheap out all around based on the retardedness of my customer.

Not defending apple but thats true of any device that the average consumer buys.
 
But look even at windows rt arm is where things are moving. I could see it happening.....
 
Part of the reason the swp to intel happened was performance. If, in 2006, the performance of 2006 intel cpus was needed, then why do people think that 6 years later, something equivalent to 2000-2002 intel tech in performance is magically now good enough? :rolleyes:
 
The most that market does is video editing and there's no reason no one could design a coprocessor system that can encode video similar to an i7.

that's where OpenCL comes into play.
 
Part of the reason the swp to intel happened was performance. If, in 2006, the performance of 2006 intel cpus was needed, then why do people think that 6 years later, something equivalent to 2000-2002 intel tech in performance is magically now good enough? :rolleyes:

Maybe because IT IS good enough. for the casual user...
 
Part of the reason the swp to intel happened was performance. If, in 2006, the performance of 2006 intel cpus was needed, then why do people think that 6 years later, something equivalent to 2000-2002 intel tech in performance is magically now good enough? :rolleyes:

Performance of x86 CPU's is stagnating. ARM is catching up, and pretty quickly.
 
crazy ass charlie has been on this train for the past year

If you and everyone else didn't visit that site he goes away. It's like asking some guy what he thinks the truth will be based on ideas he made up randomly 9usually with certain companies in a bad light). Might as well roll some dice. :D
 
Performance of x86 CPU's is stagnating. ARM is catching up, and pretty quickly.


Saying a thing doesn't make it true.

Nor can really make such a claim when the performance levels are a decade apart. Arm has yet to hit some of the limits and complexities that x86 already has.

When x86 performance was as poor as ARM performance is, it progressed extremely quickly as well. Over time, improvements require more and more funding for less and less result.
 
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