Mac computers running ARM chips would be a big gamble, and Apple is doing it all

Tram Ho

Apple is gearing up to make the biggest fundamental change in its history. Tonight, the “One More Thing” event will officially take place, promising Apple will launch the first Mac computers running ARM mobile chips and Apple graphics cards designed to replace the Intel chip already. in use since 2005.

The self-designed and customized mobile chip platform is a strategy Apple has successfully applied to the iPhone and iPad. But adapting this strategy to the range of laptops and desktops is a whole new challenge, and extremely difficult.

Máy tính Mac chạy chip ARM sẽ là một canh bạc lớn, và Apple đang chơi tất tay - Ảnh 1.

When Apple was dissatisfied with the PowerPC chips that were used in Mac computers before 2005, Apple promised to bring new products with better performance with Intel chips, and launched. Very impressive laptops like the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro Retina.

However, this step change Apple has been tested before. Because Intel chips have been used for a long time in Windows computers. Intel chips come in a variety of sizes, performance and power consumption options, which Apple can customize for its products, from the thin and light MacBook Air laptop to a powerful PC like the Mac Pro.

Apple also promises similar changes when switching from Intel chips to Apple Silicon chips. But with the ARM chip platform, the future of Mac computers suddenly entered an unexplored territory. No Apple A-series chip has been tested and successful on a PC platform, like what Intel chips have ever done.

Máy tính Mac chạy chip ARM sẽ là một canh bạc lớn, và Apple đang chơi tất tay - Ảnh 2.

When Apple switched to Intel chips, both hardware and software were tested and proven. Users know what to expect from Intel processors, and developers also know how they have to write software to match.

ARM is something that is old, but new. Applications running on the ARM chip platform of smartphones are very familiar. But applications that run on a computer’s ARM chip platform are very few. The number of previously successful ARM-equipped laptops is a plump zero.

Even the best ARM chips in today’s laptops, like Qualcomm’s 8cx or Microsoft-branded SQ2, are designed for ultra-thin and light laptops. No one has created an ARM-based laptop that can deliver the same performance as an Intel-based laptop, like Apple’s MacBook Pro or Dell’s XPS. That is not to mention the desktop computers with more powerful configurations.

Máy tính Mac chạy chip ARM sẽ là một canh bạc lớn, và Apple đang chơi tất tay - Ảnh 3.

During tonight’s One More Thing event, Apple will certainly show off the flashy power of the new Apple Silicon chip based on ARM architecture, equipped for the new generation MacBook. According to the leaked information, the power of this chip will be very impressive and not inferior to the Intel chip.

But that is just the beginning of an arduous journey ahead. Because there are many things to evaluate, like practical experience, the ability to handle heavy tasks like Photoshop or Lightroom, and the ecosystem of supporting software. It feels like a gamble and there’s no guarantee of victory.

Reference: theverge

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Source : Genk