Why Apple (Probably) Won't Make An Arm-powered Mac
Macworld|Macworld January 2017

Sure, Apple could transition to ARM chips in its Macs. Here’s why it probably won’t.

Jason Snell
Why Apple (Probably) Won't Make An Arm-powered Mac

With every release of a new iPhone powered by another cutting-edge processor designed by Apple, the rumbling grows. It’s amplified by the perception that the Mac is being delayed and hamstrung by the moves of the Mac’s chip supplier, Intel. It’s the theory that, one of these days, Apple is going to break from Intel and power its Macs with an Apple-designed processor related to the ones in the iPhone and iPad.

It’s a story with a certain amount of sense behind it. It seems like several Mac models have been delayed because Intel’s chips just weren’t ready in time, or weren’t ready in enough supply. The latest hubbub about the MacBook Pro being limited to 16GB of RAM (go.macworld.com/schiller touchbar) is due to Apple’s choice of a low-power Intel chipset that couldn’t handle more memory.

And it’s true, the Mac is no stranger to a processor transition. It’s happened three times in the 32-year life of the Mac, so roughly once a decade.

SWITCHING IT UP

The first was from the Motorola 680x0 series processors that powered the Mac during its first decade of life. In March 1994, Apple switched to the new PowerPC processor architecture created by an alliance of Apple, IBM, and Motorola. Older code compiled for the 680x0 processor series ran in emulation on PowerPC chips.

The second was from PowerPC chips to Intel processors, a transition that was announced in mid-2005 (go.macworld. com/intelfaq2005) and began in early 2006. Like the previous chip transition, Apple provided emulation technology— this time branded “Rosetta”—that would emulate PowerPC code on Intel Macs.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Macworld January 2017-Ausgabe von Macworld.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der Macworld January 2017-Ausgabe von Macworld.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MACWORLDAlle anzeigen
Mac 911
Macworld

Mac 911

Solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.

time-read
7 Minuten  |
December 2024
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Great-sounding headphones that support aptX
Macworld

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Great-sounding headphones that support aptX

B&W's new top-of-the-range Bluetooth earbuds sound great and include an innovative smart case that supports aptX technology for high-quality audio-even on Apple devices.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 2024
AirPods versus AirPods Pro: How they compare
Macworld

AirPods versus AirPods Pro: How they compare

Don't know whether to buy the AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with ANC, or AirPods Pro 2? Here's how they stack up.

time-read
5 Minuten  |
December 2024
Apple's true hit of 2024 isn't the iPhone 16
Macworld

Apple's true hit of 2024 isn't the iPhone 16

Apple's unsung hero of the fall is the AirPods 4.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 2024
Ugreen Revodok Pro 210: Decent speeds at a nice price
Macworld

Ugreen Revodok Pro 210: Decent speeds at a nice price

A hub for users who don't need top performance from their connections.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 2024
Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger: Clever and compact
Macworld

Anker Prime 100W GaN Wall Charger: Clever and compact

Anker proves that with a clever design, you can also achieve compact dimensions suitable for traveling.

time-read
2 Minuten  |
December 2024
Wombat Willow: A solid typing tool with some quirks
Macworld

Wombat Willow: A solid typing tool with some quirks

This isn't a keyboard that lets you simply plug in and go-you need to read the manual.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
December 2024
pdfFiller: An overpriced, half-baked PDF editor for macOS
Macworld

pdfFiller: An overpriced, half-baked PDF editor for macOS

A basic PDF editor that doesn't fulfill its promises and costs too much.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
December 2024
iPHONE 16 & 16 PLUS REVIEW: THE PHONE FOR EVERYONE CREEPS INTO PRO TERRITORY
Macworld

iPHONE 16 & 16 PLUS REVIEW: THE PHONE FOR EVERYONE CREEPS INTO PRO TERRITORY

APPLE'S BEST ALL-AROUND PHONE IS BETTER AND ALL-AROUNDER.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
December 2024
APPLE WATCH SERIES 10 REVIEW: MODEST IMPROVEMENTS TO A PROVEN FORMULA
Macworld

APPLE WATCH SERIES 10 REVIEW: MODEST IMPROVEMENTS TO A PROVEN FORMULA

IF YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A BIG APPLE WATCH REVAMP, THIS ISN'T IT, BUT IT'S STILL THE BEST SMARTWATCH AROUND.

time-read
4 Minuten  |
December 2024