
Apple will begin selling Macs with its own processors in 2021 - JacobHenner
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/04/report-apple-will-begin-selling-macs-with-its-own-processors-in-2021/
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lawrenceyan
Existing discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22954656](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22954656)

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georgeburdell
This rumor has been floating around for 5 years now and the date keeps getting
pushed back. I’m on the fence on this. On one hand, Apple can reduce its COGS,
and perhaps the incremental cost is low to develop a true desktop-class
processor when they have the best phone and tablet processor. And, it is
consistent with the Apple’s philosophy of absolute control.

However, this seems like the external signs of empire building by the internal
CPU team, like the touch bar for what I can only assume was the display team.
Unlike the mobile space, the laptop and desktop space has two competitive and
highly competent companies selling parts.

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bb88
There's some benefit if you're Apple.

1\. You don't have to rely upon whatever Intel/AMD decides is good enough for
you.

2\. You can design custom chips that fit your needs / possibly more secure
chips to prevent hackintoshes if they wanted to swing that way.

3\. It's competition to Intel/AMD if they wanted it to be.

4\. It's another piece of the supply chain for your products that you control.
You have to trust Intel/AMD's manufacturing chain.

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xGrill
>>> The report does say that one of the chips Apple is developing will be
"much faster" than those used in the iPhone or iPad, though they will not yet
be sufficient to replace the fastest Intel chips in the MacBook Pro or Mac Pro

Is it possible that Apple will include both Intel x86 as well as AX
processors? Let the A chip handle certain tasks that are low power to be
energy efficient and the Intel chip handle everything else? They did something
similar with the Touch Bar.

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paxys
Regardless of how many processors they cram in there, the only relevant one is
the one powering the OS and applications. Making that ARM-based will be a
massive change.

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zip1234
If this happens it is very exciting. They have been doing amazing things in
the mobile space.

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paxys
My guess is that all "Pro" hardware will stick with Intel for the foreseeable
future (both because of performance and software compatibility), but
everything else will switch to custom ARM chips.

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rukuu001
After the keyboard debacle, I can’t feel positive about this, much as I want
to.

