Top Bananas | Tag Archives: Macintosh

PC Sales Still Dropping

Posted on July 15, 2017 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: PC sales continue dropping quarter after quarter with no end in sight.

Remember back in the old days when you needed a PC to do practically anything on the Internet? If you wanted to send email, you needed a PC. If you anted to browse websites, you needed a PC. If you wanted to chat in real-time using instant messaging, you had to use a PC.

Back then, people regularly replaced their PCs every few years because hardware kept advancing. Nowadays, hardware advances provide minimal improvements. A faster processor might make your computer run faster, but it won’t noticeably make you more productive using Microsoft Word or Excel.

Besides the hardware improvements offering minimal improvements, the mobile computing market led by smartphones and tablets, have decimated the PC market. Most people now own a smartphone so there’s little need to keep updating a PC every few years. Smartphones are even more useful than PCs since you can use them for mapping directions, calling services like Uber or Lyft, or taking pictures. While you can do all this with a PC, it’s not as easy or convenient. How many people want to lug around a laptop and take a selfie? It’s possible. It’ just not easy.

Strangely as the PC market shrinks, Apple’s market share grows even though they’re not selling as many Macintosh computers as before. Many people are slowly abandoning PCs and not replacing them at all, holding out longer between upgrade cycles, or switching to the Macintosh. Most likely the number of PC users switching to the Macintosh is greater than the number of Macintosh users switching to a PC. That means a steady flow of new Macintosh users and a steady decline in PC users.

The PC is still useful, but just not necessary or dominant any more. People don’t need to use Windows so when given a choice, many people don’t. They rely on Android, iOS, ChromeOS, Linux, or macOS. All are viable options to using a Windows PC, so that means fewer people need a Windows PC any more.

In the long run, the sales of Windows PCs will slowly and steadily decline because people have so many other options to use instead. The days of the Windows PC are over. There’s nothing wrong with a Windows PC, but there’s nothing it can do that other options can’t do just as well (or sometimes even better).

When Apple releases the iMac Pro later this year, it probably won’t change most people’s mind about the Macintosh. Professional suers will need and be willing to pay the higher price for an iMac Pro. Most other people will not. Then when the Mac Pro arrives later next year, it also won’t attract large numbers of people either.

The shift away from Windows PCs to anything else has already begun and nothing is going to stop this migration. Just as you can expect to see old style cash registers still being used in some stores, so you can expect to see Windows PCs still being used by businesses and individuals. The only difference is that unlike the old days, you’re just as likely to see an alternative to a Windows PC as well.

The TouchBar Coming to the iMac Pro?

Posted on June 23, 2017 by admin Posted in Hardware, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Apple introduced the Touch Bar on their MacBook Pro laptops, but may be readying it for desktop models as well.

Last year, Apple introduced a new type of user interface called the Touch Bar. The Touch Bar is a touch screen that replaces the row of largely useless function row keys and displays a strip of virtual keys instead. By modifying these virtual keys for whatever you’re currently using, the Touch Bar can be more versatile than generic function row keys. Unfortunately, Apple has yet to introduce the Touch Bar to the desktop Macintosh.

That may change with the iMac Pro. Although Apple’s prototypes of the iMac Pro showed a traditional keyboard with function row keys at the top, the latest technical specifications suggest Apple will include Secure Enclave technology, which uses an ARM processor to authenticate Touch ID operations. Look for an ARM processor in a Macintosh and chances are good it will support Touch ID.

If Apple wants the world to adapt the Touch Bar, they have to make it available on desktop models. Right now, Apple still sells laptops without the Touch Bar because the Touch Bar adds to the cost of the computer. Eventually, the Touch Bar will become standard for all but the lowest cost Macintosh models.

The Touch Bar represents a step forward in user interface design. Just as early PCs resisted the idea of using a mouse, so will today’s Macintosh users resist the idea of using the Touch Bar. Over time, the Touch Bar will become a standard feature on the Macintosh. Like the original computer mouse, the Touch Bar isn’t obviously useful until you actually use it.

In case you want to try out the Touch Bar without buying a Touch Bar laptop, you can load Apple’s free Xcode compiler on your Macintosh. Then choose the Window > Show Touch Bar option. This will display a Touch Bar on the screen so you can see how the Touch Bar would work in your favorite program.

The Touch Bar isn’t an obvious change, much like the initial iPhone didn’t change the smartphone market overnight. But given time, expect the Touch Bar to become a common feature on all Macintosh computers. When you start seeing the Touch Bar gravitate to the PC world of Windows and Linux, then you’ll know the Touch Bar has finally been accepted.

Until then, try the virtual Touch Bar. You may like it enough to start depending on it.

Building a Hackintosh

Posted on June 22, 2017 by admin Posted in Hardware, Software Leave a comment

What it is: A Hackintosh is a do-it-yourself Macintosh built out of ordinary PC parts.

Many people are content to buy a Macintosh, plug it in, and start using it. If you want features that differ from the standard configuration, you’ll have to order it when you buy the Macintosh because adding a new hard disk, processor, or memory will be difficult for anyone except for serious and dedicated computer technicians. Because the Macintosh is such a closed system, many people prefer the more open nature of PCs running Windows or Linux. For those who want to run macOS but still want the open nature of the PC world, they often create their own Macintosh out of standard PC parts. Such computers are often called Hackintosh computers.

Building a Hackintosh is relatively simple and allows you to customize the parts you want. In addition, buying individual parts can often be less expensive than buying a standard Macintosh, although the amount of savings may vary. An ordinary macintosh uses Intel processors and standard memory chips along with solid state or hard drives, so it’s not hard to duplicate the hardware components of a Macintosh. The real trick is getting macOS to run properly on an odd collection of hardware parts.

One of the biggest headaches in the Windows world is getting hardware to work properly with Windows, and that’s also one of the biggest headaches with getting a Hackintosh to work properly. Apple designed macOS to run on the various Macintosh models. If you build a Hackintosh with a different processor and graphics card, macOS may run poorly or not at all. As a result, building a Hackintosh is easy. Getting macOS to run on a Hackintosh may take time.

Even worse, Apple updates macOS all the time so it’s possible that macOS could work fine on your Hackintosh but as soon as Apple releases a new version of macOS, this new version no longer works on the Hackintosh. Because you may need to constantly tweak and fiddle with macOS to get it to work with a Hackintosh, a Hackintosh is best as a hobbyist project or for someone with enough technical skill and determination to keep a Hackintosh running.

In return for building a Hackintosh, you’ll get rewarded with a more powerful machine, less cost, and an upgradeable machine for the future. For many people, this is worth the hassle of keeping a Hackintosh running. For most people, this hassle is the reason why abandoned the world of Windows in the first place.

The fact that so many people enjoy building their own Hackintosh proves that there’s a small market for an upgradable Macintosh. Whether Apple ever offers an upgradeable Macintosh or keeps it a closed system remains to be seen, but the upcoming Mac Pro may be more upgradeable than today’s current Mac Pro cylinder design.

So if you want a Macintosh just to get useful work done, buy a Macintosh. If you have the time to fiddle and tweak a Hackintosh into working, then build your own Hackintosh and have fun. A Hackintosh isn’t designed for crucial work but for fun. Depending on your needs, a Hackintosh just might be the right choice for you.

Beware of x86 Emulation on ARM Processors

Posted on June 9, 2017 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Intel recently warned about intellectual property disputes if ARM processors try to emulate x86 processors.

Microsoft and Qualcomm recently hinted at the idea of running Windows on ARM processors, which are used in most mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. However, Microsoft also hinted that Windows programs, designed for x86 processors, could also run on more powerful
ARM processors. To do this, an ARM processor would have to emulate an x86 processor.

Anyone who used PowerPC Macintosh computers in the old days may remember how a program called Virtual PC would make a PowerPC emulate an x86 processor. That way you could run ordinary Windows programs on a Macintosh. The huge problem with this solution was that emulation was slow. No matter how fast the PowerPC processor might be, it could never be as fast as a native x86 processor running Windows programs.

That’s why Microsoft’s hint of emulating x86 processors on ARM processors seems dubious. ARM processors aren’t currently fast enough to emulate x86 processors at a decent speed and now Intel is threatening legal action against x86 emulation on ARM processors.

What’s interesting is that if Microsoft manages to make x86 emulation practical on ARM processors, Apple could do the same thing as well. There have been hints that Apple would eventually abandon the x86 processor in the Macintosh in favor of the power efficient ARM processors instead. In the past, Apple didn’t do this because ARM processors weren’t as fast as x86 processors. One day if ARM processors can be just as fast (or faster) than x86 processors, then x86 emulation on ARM processors could become a reality.

Apple is busy forging ahead with their own ARM processors that currently leads the market. That means if Microsoft can successfully integrate x86 emulation on ARM processors, Apple could do so as well. That would allow x86 programs to run on ARM processor.

Perhaps a better solution might be Apple’s plan to recompile apps on the Mac App Store to run under ARM processors. This would eliminate the need for developers to recompile apps on their own. Instead, Apple’s Mac App Store could automatically detect which processor a Macintosh is using and then download the appropriate version of the app whether for x86 or ARM processors.

All of this depends on whether ARM processors can exceed the benefits of x86 processors. Right now, ARM processors dominate in power efficiency. That’s why Intel dumped their Atom processor that was simply too weak, slow, and power hungry to compete against ARM processors. The main advantage x86 processors currently have is power. The moment ARM processors can exceed the power of x86 processors, there’s little reason to stay with x86 processors.

That assumes that ARM processors can catch up and surpass x86 processors in speed and power. They might, but Intel isn’t standing still. The fact that Intel is already hinting at intellectual property disputes for x86 emulation on ARM processors means Intel is already worried about the future.

With the world shifting to mobile and wearable computers, power efficient processors are the future. Intel is trying to find a niche in the future computer markets that ARM processors have already sewn up. There’s still a chance for Intel to remain relevant if they can keep their processors more powerful than ARM processors, but it’s a constant race and eventually one clear winner will likely emerge. Chances are good it won’t be Intel.

What Happened to the Touch Bar?

Posted on June 6, 2017 by admin Posted in Hardware, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Apple announced a new iMac Pro and released a wireless iMac keyboard, but the Touch Bar is missing.

In the wake of Apples’ latest flurry of announcements on Monday, they released a wireless keyboard that includes a numeric keypad (the previous keyboard with a numeric keypad plugged into the computer’s USB port). Apple also announced the iMac Pro. However, if you look carefully, these new keyboards still retain the relatively useless top row of function keys. Since the Touch Bar replaces and duplicates the function keys, nobody seems to have noticed the missing Touch Bar on these new keyboards.

Implementing the Touch Bar on a wireless keyboard should be technically simple to do. The hard part is that the Touch Bar is used for fingerprint recognition. On a laptop, the Touch Bar is integrated as part of the computer itself so the fingerprint recognition sensor cannot be spoofed. On a wireless keyboard, a Touch Bar is not physically connected to the computer, which means that a Touch Bar on a wireless keyboard must send finger print recognition data wirelessly to the computer.

That means a hacker could spoof a fingerprint by sending a bogus wireless signal to the computer.

There’s the dilemma facing the Touch Bar. When placed close to the screen like a laptop, the Touch Bar is easily visible and convenient to use. When placed far away from the display on a wireless keyboard, the Touch Bar will not be as easily seen and used. Then there’s the security element of keeping the wireless connection secure between the Touch Bar fingerprint sensor and the iMac nearby.

Can these problems be overcome? Maybe, but it highlights the limitations of the Touch Bar for desktop computers. The Touch bar is essentially a separate computer so it adds to the cost of the keyboard.

For now, it looks like the Touch Bar is limited to laptops. Time will tell whether the Touch Bar eventually migrates to the desktop as costs drop and security increases. Until then, the Touch Bar may be an alternative user interface that might never catch on. That means we’ll all be stuck with relatively useless rows of function keys forever. Let’s hope the Touch Bar migrates to the desktop soon.

ARM Processors Running PCs

Posted on June 3, 2017 by admin Posted in Hardware, Software Leave a comment

What it is: Microsoft and its partners are working to bring Windows-powered devices on ARM processors.

Microsoft revealed their vision for always connected PCs that have long battery life yet retain the familiarity of Windows. To attain this goal, Microsoft is developing Windows to run on ARM processors like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor.

Of course, Microsoft already has Windows running on ARM processors using an operating system called Windows RT. The big reason why Windows RT flopped was because developers had to create programs specifically for Windows RT. If you wanted to run ordinary Windows software on Windows RT devices, you couldn’t.

If Microsoft can create a Windows PC, powered by ARM processors, that can still run Windows software, they could create a new family of PCs. The big difficulty is getting ARM processors to run Windows software designed for x86 processors created by Intel and AMD. One solution is to force developers to rewrite and compile their code for ARM processors, which is what Microsoft did with Microsoft Office. However, this is time-consuming and recreates the same problems of Windows RT all over again. Developers aren’t going to spend time developing for Windows RT until the market expands, and the market won’t expand without software.

A far more difficult approach is to emulate x86 processors on ARM processors. A program called Virtual PC for the Macintosh used to do this when the Macintosh used a PowerPC processor. The PowerPC processor would emulate a x86 processor to run Windows on a Macintosh. Unfortunately, emulation is slow. Even worse, ARM processors are typically slower and less powerful than x86 processors although that’s slowly changing. For emulation to work, ARM processors would need to become far more powerful than x86 processors and that’s probably not going to happen since x86 processors have a head start and can keep improving at the same rate as ARM processors.

So where does that leave Microsoft’s Windows on ARM project? They absolutely must solve this software dilemma or wind up repeating their Windows RT fiasco all over again.

Here’s one way Apple is approaching ARM processors. Besides making their own ARM processors that are faster than anything on the market, Apple also has plans to recompile code automatically. When developers post programs on the Mac App Store, Apple can automatically recompile the code for ARM processors. Now developers don’t have to spend the time to rewrite their programs themselves.

This would allow Apple to offer the Macintosh on ARM processors. If Apple can get their ARM processors to run at least equally as Intel processors that are currently used in the Macintosh, people could buy a Macintosh running an ARM processor and have access to plenty of software rights from the start. This avoids the problem of Windows RT. The key is making sure ARM processors can be at least equal in power to x86 processors.

If Apple can get the macintosh to run on ARM processors acceptably, they could simply create a new class of Macintosh computers. Then the Macintosh would also be able to run iOS apps as well.

The technical challenges in getting a PC to run on ARM processors is difficult, but not impossible. The bottleneck lies with getting software to run on ARM processors. How Microsoft solves this problem will go a long way towards bringing PCs on ARM processors, unless Apple gets there first.