
‘Several’ ARM-based Mac laptops and desktops coming next year, says report - walterbell
https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/27/21196611/arm-macbook-desktop-apple-2021-release-date
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reacharavindh
I love the ability to “brew install” software onto my Mac or compile useful
scripts and tools for my need, and then SSH into other remote Linux servers
for production work.

If they give me an amazingly efficient, and performant ARM mac, but limit my
ability to install stuff outside of their Appstore, No Thanks!

~~~
flohofwoe
Most software on homebrew is compiled from source, so I don't think a
different CPU would be a problem for 99% of the packages.

Most packages are "bottled" so they don't need to be compiled on the client
machine, but there are already different "bottles" for different OS versions,
this could simply be extended for different CPUs.

IMHO just switching to a different CPU is not a valid reason for Apple to
restrict installing software outside the app store even more.

~~~
mantap
It's a good reason from Apple's perspective, they have all this "legacy"
software not distributed through the App Store. A new processor means
everything needs to be recompiled, meaning there's zero legacy software. A
perfect opportunity to force everything through the App Store and collect
rent.

~~~
8fingerlouie
It's not what they "typically" do though. When they switched from the old
PowerPC architecture to Intel, they provided emulators, and _IF_ you use
Apple's libraries, a simple recompile of your app would often be enough.

While some people see it as restricting them, Apple mostly works hard to make
their libraries do whatever people needs them to do, but at the same time they
keep control, meaning moving to a new architecture is as easy as Apple fixing
their libraries, ship a new version, people recompile, and done.

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pdimitar
Apologies if I'm misguided, it's an honest question:

Aren't ARM CPUs lacking certain features that make them non-optimal for
compiling code? I seem to remember reading such an analysis here in HN some
months ago.

I'm really curious: what would it mean for the Pro market segment if Apple
does indeed start a line of ARM laptops and desktops?

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flohofwoe
I have an outdated and slow i5 CPU in my mid-2014 13" MBP and that still works
good enough for most of my C++ compiling tasks. I bet any ARM Mac would run
circles around that configuration if performance is similar to or better than
current iPad Pros.

~~~
pdimitar
I hear this a lot but have the iPad Pros ever been actually used like that?

I have one and I love it -- it's extremely snappy and responsive and feels
powerful. But I wonder if that actually says anything about compiler
workflows. I am curious to find out.

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combatentropy
> The Mac’s long-rumored transition from Intel processors to Apple’s own ARM
> designs could be swifter and more extensive than you might have expected.

I have been waiting for it at least since 2008, when Apple bought P.A. Semi.

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person_of_color
Was PA Semi in the ARM SoC business?

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my123
PA Semi was in the PowerPC SoC business, not Arm.

~~~
combatentropy
It bought it for its people. Apple paid a quarter of a billion dollars for
P.A. Semi, two years after moving off of PowerPC. Apple has designed a long
line of processors, which really took off two years after they bought P.A.
Semi.

