- Joined
- Mar 30, 2005
- Messages
- 9,571
- Reaction score
- 25
- Points
- 48
Rumor: Apple testing new MacBook Air powered by same A5 processor as iPad 2
Read more
Read more
Am I wrong to say that you couldn't run Lion on an A5?
Am I wrong to say that you couldn't run Lion on an A5?
The biggest disaster here though would be one of impressions. One of the reasons that Apple went with Intel was that it was a big, household name. Many folks feel more comfortable buying a machine with an Intel CPU since they have been using Intel based systems, or something like Intel, all of their lives.
I have to disagree. I'm not so sure Apple made the switch to Intel because of perception issues, but rather logistical ones. The average person could tell you what Intel is.
And especially with the proliferation of devices and processors out there, the average computer users doesn't care or couldn't even name the processor they have in their machine since it really doesn't matter as long as it does what they want. I don't see people not buying iPhones and iPads because it doesn't have an Intel processor.
THe only people in the end who will care are power users or Intel fanboys neither of whom are really Apple's core market.
I know there's a very slim chance of this happening, but if Apple created an TV version of iOS in addition to the iDevices (iPad, iPod touch, iPhone)...maybe iOS will appear on MBA? Just a thought.
I'm sure that if the device runs on the A5 that there would some sore of built in emulator to allow it to run Intel Apps.
The biggest disaster here though would be one of impressions. One of the reasons that Apple went with Intel was that it was a big, household name. Many folks feel more comfortable buying a machine with an Intel CPU since they have been using Intel based systems, or something like Intel, all of their lives. Jumping to the ARM chip might bring a boost in performance but it would likely cause a hit in pubic opinion and could end up hurting Apples bottom line. If it were to cause a loss of compatibility with Intel based software or impede the ability to run other Intel based OS's natively then it would only cause more issues for Apple.
I disagree with losing the 'known' processor angle. The marketing strategy for an ARM processor could very easily be as follows: "We've reworked the processors from the most successful iPhone ever to create a faster and more powerful core for our new MacBook Air. Now delivering even better performance with reduced energy requirements, meaning you get faster applications plus a longer battery life." The majority of people know next to nothing about processors, and are easily swayed by marketing.
Hi,
About the 2 points discussed above, here's my short opinion:
- Applications: because Apple's developer toolbox seems to be fairly processor agnostic, there shouldn't be too much delay before a number of applications are launced as ARM native.
Peter.
Bags,
Maybe in the US, most people know the Intel name. I know that in Belgium, nobody knows or cares about the processor. The ones that do know Intel frequently also know AMD and ARM. No Intel jingles around here. So the public as a whole, as you say it, is generalising the US market to the whole world.