Rumor: Apple To Replace Intel Chips With ARM Processors On Laptops?

[PeterJP]

Of course, processor speed is just one part of the equation here. Intel is extremely strong in peripheral support: USB 3.0, PCI-Express, ThunderBolt, ... Is there any chipset available for ARM that offers all of these ? If not, Mac users who add an ARM based laptop would not only have to buy new software licenses, but also new hardware because the kit they have bought to connect to their Intel laptops won't be compatible...

 

[iggibar]

I'm going to assume Apple had a part in the build process of TB for a reason, maybe a reason being so they could implement it on their own ARM setups, as for USB3, I don't see how or why that wouldn't be part of it, especially when we are talking about years down the road from now.

 

[Lifeisabeach]

So here we are in 2022, 2 years after Apple did in fact begin the transition to ARM as was rumored per the OP bot back in 2011. I thought this rumor and this discussion was something worth revisiting as a retrospective given how well the transition has actually worked out.

 

[Rod]

I did do a bit of a double take, "Rumor, ..." but they already... Ohhh I get it. Just had to look at the date. Well it sure was prophetically correct. Sounds like you thought it could happen. Quite a few didn't.

 

[Slydude]

I did a similar double take, Rod. My initial reaction was that this was a zombie thread revived by someone who hadn't noticed the date of the last post in the thread. I'm all in favor of revisiting these types of threads from time to time.

I haven't had the pleasure of using one of the new machines yet so the things I've noticed are based on the comments of others who have had the pleasure of using them.

1. Rosetta 2 seems to work well as a means of running Intel software on the new Macs. No surprise there. I was around for Rosetta 1 and the transition from Power PC chips to Intel chips and that was a pretty smooth transition so I expected likewise this time.
2. The initial performance of the new Macs seems to be s good or better than I expected. Time to put a glass of water above the old iMac?
3. Although I'd personally like to see a return to the days of user replaceable ram and hard drives, the SoC design has bolted that door shut.

The biggest downside that I've seen so far is that we need to adjust some of our tried and true troubleshooting procedures (bootable clones, etc). Some problems that do occur leave the user with no way to boot a problematic system

 

[Lifeisabeach]

I did do a bit of a double take, "Rumor, ..." but they already... Ohhh I get it. Just had to look at the date. Well it sure was prophetically correct. Sounds like you thought it could happen. Quite a few didn't.

Well the big kick for me was all the anxiety that some people had over the thought of it all, not just here but around in general. All unfounded, mind you, especially in retrospect. The rumor itself was obviously well ahead of its time, but of course Apple would have been experimenting with it back then and biding their time until the technology was mature enough to proceed.

 

[lclev]

The biggest downside that I've seen so far is that we need to adjust some of our tried and true troubleshooting procedures (bootable clones, etc). Some problems that do occur leave the user with no way to boot a problematic system

While I love my MBP with it's ARM processor I do have AppleCare+. I really don't like the absence of making a bootable clone. I am knocking on wood as I type this but I have not had to do a reinstall so far. I do back up using Time Machine and CCC.

But that said, I love the speed and the fact it stays cool even when I am encoding. My 2017 i7 would get so hot I could not rest my wrists on it.

Lisa

 

[Lifeisabeach]

While I love my MBP with it's ARM processor I do have AppleCare+. I really don't like the absence of making a bootable clone. I am knocking on wood as I type this but I have not had to do a reinstall so far. I do back up using Time Machine and CCC.

But that said, I love the speed and the fact it stays cool even when I am encoding. My 2017 i7 would get so hot I could not rest my wrists on it.

Lisa

You can make a bootable clone. I’ve done it. It works. The issue at hand is that if there is a hardware failure involving the internal SSD, then you can’t boot it at all, even off a clone.

 

[MacInWin]

True, LIAB. There IS a complication in external booting about the new concept of Owner in Monterey and Ventura, but if the internal storage is functional, you can boot from an external system.

Some reading:

Is it not possible to boot an M1 Mac from an external disk?

It’s a commonplace task: make a bootable external disk for emergency use, containing your diagnostic and repair tools. On a new M1 Mac? Should be simple.

eclecticlight.co

Creating a bootable external disk with an M1 Pro in Monterey

Want to create a bootable external disk for your M1 Mac? Here’s how to do it in full detail, from erasing the volumes through to how to remove it safely.

eclecticlight.co

 

[lclev]

I will give it a try and see what I come up with. As far as a total failure - that is why I have Applecare+. And when it ends I will replace my MBP. I need this for my work and I can't afford to have it down.
I wonder if any changes will be forthcoming with Ventura for cloning?

Lisa

 

[MacInWin]

And when it ends I will replace my MBP.

Another strategy is to have an emergency backup Mx system, maybe a low end model, to bridge between the failure and the acquisition of a new replacement. Might be slightly less expensive than swapping MBPs every three years.

 

[lclev]

Another strategy is to have an emergency backup Mx system, maybe a low end model, to bridge between the failure and the acquisition of a new replacement. Might be slightly less expensive than swapping MBPs every three years.

What I have to have is a machine that can crank out 2 - hour long videos every week. Fast is the name of the game. I have been working with videos for years now. I in years past I have had to go home and let a video render all night to get the one hour of output only to discover something was wrong so back to redoing it for another all night encoding session.

I do have a Windows 11 system that I can use for video work. I just love how smooth OS works when compared to Windows 11. I have a feeling eventually I will get upset enough to wipe it and reinstall Windows 10.

Also since I am an independent contractor and use my MBP for my work I can expense the cost of a new MBP.

Lisa

 

[MacInWin]

Lisa, here is my logic on what I said.

Typically, the use of a clone was to be able to immediately reboot if the internal drive failed. You would reboot from the external and be back processing in minutes. There would be a performance hit, because of the interface speeds, but at least you would be processing. Then, you would order a new drive, wait for it to arrive, then clone the external back to the new internal, boot from it and be back where you were. No lost time waiting for that replacement drive. In a business, like yours, it may even make sense to have that replacement drive already purchased an on the shelf, just in case.

But with the Apple Silicon (AS) machines, that use case is not so good any more. If the internal storage of an AS Mac fails, the system will not boot, period. The logic board needs to be replaced, and that is not trivial given the way the system security now works. So, that clone you might make is not really of value to a Mac with a dead storage area. As @Randy B. Singer has pointed out, that clone CAN be used to boot another AS Mac, which will get you going again, but if you have to wait for that Mac to be bought, arrive, etc., that is all lost time. So Randy's suggestion is to have the spare on hand. If you can afford to have a spare sitting on a shelf, that makes good sense. If you can't afford to buy two Macs at a time, then buy the one you need for your work, and the backup can be less powerful, but functional. So, if you have a Mac Studio, or a big MBP, you get a Mac Mini as the "spare." Think of it as the little spare donut in your car. The wheel is good enough to get to going in an emergency and let you drive as you buy a new tire.

Hence, what I said. If you NEED a full spare, you get it. But most of us, I suspect, could do with the donut.

 

[lclev]

Jake - I agree. I guess I should explain more. I keep my projects on an external drive. I can plug that drive into my Windows desktop and be back in business immediately. I also create a copy of that SSD external each day after I am done - just in case. Using Adobe apps allows for interchangeability.

If my MBP crashes then I will crank up the Windows desktop, call Apple and send my MBP in for repair, while I cry over the fact I will be stuck with my iPad for my home internet access.

Lisa

 

[MacInWin]

Good plan, Lisa!

 

[pm-r]

Think of it as the little spare donut in your car. The wheel is good enough to get to going in an emergency and let you drive as you buy a new tire.

A good possible procedure for some, but sticking with the donut spare idea, they have a drastically reduced maximum speed which may need to be addressed with some other method, but it seems like Lisa has that possible scenario well planned for in her anticipation. That sounds like some pretty good planning to me.

Now I'm curious as to who watches two hour videos that she creates... Fascinating thought...



- Patrick
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[MacInWin]

A good possible procedure for some, but sticking with the donut spare idea, they have a drastically reduced maximum speed which may need to be addressed with some other method, but it seems like Lisa has that possible scenario well planned for in her anticipation. That sounds like some pretty good planning to me.

Now I'm curious as to who watches two hour videos that she creates... Fascinating thought...



- Patrick
=======

The donut wheel analogy works pretty well, at least for a while. The idea is that the donut lets you at least keep going, if at a slower speed, until you can get a full wheel replacement. The choice is to sit on the side of the road; move forward, albeit not as quickly; or move forward at full speed. Each option costs more than the one before, both in tires and Macs.

 

[pm-r]

Each option costs more than the one before, both in tires and Macs.

That is certainly very true which I discovered after I had replaced the donut spare in my car with a real tire and a proper rim and cost a fair bit more than I had planned or estimated for. But well worth it considering the limitations of a donut spare, at least in my case and opinion.

And yes, it did fit in the same spare tire depression space in the rear of the car once I removed the foam spacer. Not all cars work the same way.

I don't think many people read the instructions for using a donut spare:

You should not drive over 50 mph and no more than 50 miles with a donut-type spare tire. Driving for long distances on a spare tire can potentially cause damage to other car parts, including the transmission.

Besides which, the car often feels very unstable and full of understeer when driving on a donut spare, certainly a very unsafe feeling for me, even when driven below the suggested maximum speed.

I'm certainly no Apple electronics Guru, but I don't understand why some of the new Macs cannot be booted from a cloned external drive when their internal drives take a dive. Was that some intentional planning on Apple's part perhaps and is there still no recent work-around method to do so???

It seems like Lisa's method of using a Windows box seems like a pretty smart and economical idea to be able to carry on with one's work when needed and necessary.



- Patrick
=======

 

[MacInWin]

It seems like Lisa's method of using a Windows box seems like a pretty smart and economical idea to be able to carry on with one's work when needed and necessary.

Yep, she has a good solution because her apps run on both similarly and she can do that. But if your software works differently on the two, or if it is only for Mac, that's not a working solution.

The donut (and the emergency Mini backup I suggested) are both not intended as a long term solution, but just a work around to get you to where you can get a "real" replacement. The awkwardness of the donut is really intentional, I think, to force drivers to keep it slow as they drive home or to a garage. Not intended for freeway, high speed driving.