Apple Moving To ARM Based Macs, Could Trigger Seismic Shift
June 10, 2020
Big changes are afoot at Apple. According to a report by Bloomberg, Cupertino will be announcing ARM based Macs at its upcoming WWDC. The decision to move away from Intel CPUs is a significant one, which could either make or break the company’s upcoming product line.
This could potentially bridge the gap between iOS and MacOS, lending credence to the long rumored unification between Apple’s mobile and desktop computers. Prior to the death of Steve Jobs in 2011, Apple was peddling the idea of a ‘Post-PC’ area to its masses. The company postulated that the advancement in mobile computing could render x86 computers (PCs), outdated.
However, this didn’t happen, because as powerful as ARM based devices were at the time, the x86 computers trounced them in raw computing power. That may no longer be the case in 2020, especially due to Qualcomm’s latest offerings. This is why Cupertino has chosen this year’s WWDC and on June 22nd, to unveil the new product line to its legion of supporters.
Mind, this is a well worn path. Many PC manufacturers have floated the idea of ARM based computers as being just as capable as conventional PCs. The reception however, have been somewhat mixed. Though these computers offer superior battery life and always-on connectivity, the lack of apps and support from developers have lessened the appeal.
Since Apple conforms to its own home-baked, and closed ecosystem, this won’t be much of a problem for them. Keep in mind that Apple successfully migrated from PowerPC chips to Intel ones in 2005, with great success. The adoption of these newer and more powerful chips allowed the company to develop more advanced computers with greater capabilities.
Also, Apple has often found itself to be a trendsetter, both in the smartphone and computer spaces. Most manufacturers look to the company, for direction before conceiving their own roadmaps. And as such, we could be witnessing a significant migration to more energy efficient processors that are just as capable as conventional chips but with greater connectivity (5G) features.
News Source: Bloomberg
