Top Bananas | Tag Archives: Macintosh

Apple’s Changing Business Model

Posted on August 7, 2019 by admin Posted in Business, Marketing Leave a comment

What it is: Analysts keep worrying if slowing smartphone sales will negatively impact Apple, but Apple keeps changing its business mode.

At one time, people updated their smartphones almost every year, fueling the growth of the smartphone market. However, smartphone sales have been slowing down lately, which makes people immediately worry that Apple will be in trouble.

Of course, Apple has always been reliant on a single product for the majority of its revenue, but they’ve always managed to introduce a new product to make up for the decline.

Initially, Apple survived solely on the Macintosh. Even though the Macintosh never dominated the personal computer market, sales of Macs kept Apple alive.

Yet the Macintosh was never going to take over from cheap PCs, so Apple started making money from their next product, the iPod, which helped fuel the rise of iTunes digital music downloads.

The iPod proved so popular along with iTunes digital music downloads that Apple dominated this market for years. Microsoft even tried to crack this market with the Zune, which flopped despite being a decent product.

Then as smartphones started to appear and replace the need for the iPod, Apple introduced the iPhone, which has now led the bulk of the company’s revenue for the past few years.

Now that smartphone sales are slowing, the next business model of Apple will be services. That includes the growing revenue they’ll earn from Apple Pay along with the Apple Card and services like Apple Music. Apple is no longer dependent on hardware sales but has switched to services to earn the bulk of their income.

Now it doesn’t matter if smartphone sales slow down. Just as long as people continue using iPhones, iPads, the Apple Watch, and the Macintosh, they’ll likely tap into Apple’s numerous services and continue sending profits towards Apple.

Apple is no longer dependent on the Macintosh any more, just as they’re no longer dependent on the iPod or the iPhone. The future of Apple is services for the near future. That will only continue growing whenever Apple introduces their next major product line, which could be augmented reality smart glasses or self-driving cars. Whatever happens, Apple will keep growing and adapting.

To learn more about the changing business model of Apple over the years, click here.

The Future Mac is the iPad

Posted on August 4, 2019 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Rumor has suggested that Apple will replace Intel processors with their own ARM processors, but Apple has no reason to do so.

At one time, Apple relied on PowerPC processors while PCs relied on faster and more powerful Intel processors. So Apple shifted from PowerPC processors to Intel processors.

To do this, they created Rosetta, a software emulation layer that allowed Intel processors to run PowerPC programs. Then developers crated fat binaries that contained both PowerPC and Intel code, allowing programs to run on either older PowerPC Macs or newer Intel Macs.

Now the latest rumor is that Apple will soon replace Intel processors for their own ARM processors on the Macintosh. However, that makes little sense even though Apple’s ARM processors are now getting faster and more powerful than equivalent Intel processors.

If Apple switched to ARM processors for the Macintosh, they the reasoning goes that they’ll have more powerful and energy efficient computers. However, doing so means Apple will sacrifice Windows compatibility and need to rely on an emulation layer to allow Intel programs to run on ARM processors.

Apple needed to shift to Intel processors because PowerPC processors were falling behind. Today, Apple does not need to shift to ARM processors because they’re already using ARM processors in the iPhone and iPad. Most kids today are growing up using smartphones and tablets while sales of PCs are slowly falling among consumers.

Since many kids today use smartphones and tablets and not traditional PCs like Windows PCs or even the Macintosh, there’s little reason for Apple to switch the Macintosh to ARM processors because people are no longer going to want a traditional PC. They’re going to want mobile devices like the iPad.

Today’s iPad is nearly as powerful as today’s laptops. In another generation or two, the iPad will be more powerful than equivalent laptops, which will only accelerate the shift away from PCs to mobile devices like tablets. That means Apple has little reason to prop up the fading world of PCs and has far more incentive to keep improving ARM processors for the iPad.

Creating iPadOS is Apple’s way of defining the future. With a dedicated operating system for tablets, Apple is going to make the iPad even more powerful with each generation. Combined with the growing power of ARM processors as well, and more people will simply buy iPads instead of laptop Macintoshes.

Therefore, the iPad is already the ARM equivalent of the Macintosh. The Macintosh, like PCs in general, are slowly fading away while mobile devices like tablets are continuing to grow. The future is clearly the iPad, not the Macintosh because the future is mobile and not desktop/laptop PCs no matter what operating system they might be running.

Just ask a mainframe of minicomputer user how well their favorite devices are holding up against PCs and that’s the future of PCs against mobile computing.

If you want the power and energy efficiency of an ARM processor, get an iPad. For many people, the iPad can already replace a traditional PC. In another generation or two, the iPad will be able to replace more PCs, not less.

The Macintosh has a limited future and Apple knows it. The iPad is clearly the future, and Apple knows that too. If you want to cling to the past, stick with a traditional PC. If you’re a child of today growing up in a world of smartphones and tablets, who never or rarely uses a traditional PC, you’ll likely never want a traditional PC.

Older people will cling to PCs. Younger people will cling to mobile computing. Eventually the older people will be a smaller part of the market and younger people will be a larger part of the market. It’s just logic, and that sums up the future of the Macintosh and Intel processors.

To learn more about the future of the iPad, click here.

Competing Against Apple

Posted on July 3, 2019 by admin Posted in Business, Software Leave a comment

What it is: Apple adds new features to macOS all the time, and many of those features compete against third-party developers.

If you’re an independent developer, how do you compete against Apple? The simple answer is how you compete against any bigger company. You offer a better product.

The latest macOS Catalina will offer a feature called Sidecar, which will allow a Macintosh to use an iPad as a second screen wirelessly. This directly competes against a product called Duet Display, which also lets you use an iPad as a second screen for a Macintosh.

So how can Duet Display compete against the free Sidecar feature? The answer is easy.

Sidecar only works with the latest macOS Catalina and with the latest iPad models. If you have an older version of macOS or an older version of an iPad, then you won’t be able to use Sidecar.

In addition, Sidecar only works with the latest Macintosh models. If you have an older Macintosh, you won’t be able to use Sidecar either.

So Sidecar is a great feature but only for those with the latest equipment. That’s where a product like Duet Display can offer more features.

First of all, Duet Display works by connect a USB cable between a computer and the iPad, which makes a wired connection less convenient (because you need a cable) but also faster and more reliable.

Second, Duet Display can work with older versions of macOS and older Macintosh models. Duet Display can even work with Windows PCs so you can use your iPad as a second screen for a Windows computer.

Even better, Duet Display works with older iPad models. That means Duet Display offers compatibility with more devices than Sidecar while offering a faster and more reliable connection through a cable (at the expense of needing a cable).

Some people might be perfectly happy using Sidecar but Sidecar won’t necessarily displace Duet Display or similar products. Apple has no interest in supporting older Macintosh models or iPad models, nor do they care about supporting Windows PCs either.

Duet Display is like Sidecar but with more options. So if you ever want to compete against a big company like Apple, simply offer more features to reach a broader market.

Sidecar may be free, but if you don’t meet those exact requirements to use Sidecar, you’ll have no choice but to rely on Duet Display or a similar product.

It’s easy to compete against larger companies as an independent developer since you just need to go deeper in features than the larger company may wish to do.

Competing against larger companies may not be easy, but it’s not impossible. Sometimes a free option like Sidecar can actually promote greater awareness of a competing product.

Once people realize what Sidecar can do, they may find they can’t use it or that it’s too limited for their purposes. Then they may find a product like Duet Display is better.

If you’re a third party developer, just focus on making the best product possible. Chances are good you’ll have a product someone will be willing to pay for. If not, then you’ll still have plenty of experience creating something worthwhile.

To learn more about Duet Display, click here.

The Coming Intel-Free Macintosh

Posted on May 1, 2019 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: The Macintosh is getting constrained by Intel’s limitations, which will likely motivate Apple to abandon Intel.

Intel does not have a bright future. At one time, nearly every computer in the world had to rely on Intel processors although a few used cheaper AMD processors. Still, Intel dominated the computer market, but that domination appears coming to an end.

Despite Intel’s market share and dominance, they’re having trouble keeping up with progress. While other processor manufacturers are looking at 7mm processors, Intel is still producing 14mm processors and can’t even make 10mm processors that other companies have been able to do for years.

With Intel unable to keep up with competitors, it’s likely Apple will choose to abandon Intel processors soon. Intel already abandoned their 5G modem development and Intel previously abandoned their low-energy processors called Atom. With Intel unable to develop future processors, it’s likely Apple will simply move on to ARM processors instead.

The huge difference between Intel and ARM processors is that ARM processors are more energy-efficient, which lets them run far longer on battery power for mobile devices. Another growing difference is that ARM processors are nearly equal in power to Intel processors. When ARM processors exceed Intel processors in power, there will be little reason to stick with Intel processors, especially if Intel can’t improve them fast enough.

Apple will likely keep the Macintosh running Intel processors and simply create a new product category to run ARM processors. Apple is already transitioning iOS to handle a mouse and file support, which means it’s far more likely an ARM-based laptop will more closely resemble a souped up iPad than a Macintosh.

By giving this new product a distinctive name, Apple can avoid people confusing an Intel-based Macintosh with an ARM-based Macintosh. Apple is already creating a software framework to make it easy for iOS developers to create macOS apps, so it’s likely Apple will simply merge the iPad into a laptop computer rather than try to merge a desktop operating system (like Windows) into a mobile device (like the Microsoft Surface tablet).

The Macintosh is an aging product in its current form, so it’s likely that Apple will simply let it fade away while newer products take its place. The coming ARM-based laptop should be here soon, but it likely won’t be called a Macintosh even if it acts like a Macintosh. Whatever it’s name, it will be the future of laptop computers.

iOS 13 Getting Mouse Support?

Posted on April 26, 2019 by admin Posted in Hardware, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: iOS 13 is rumored to offer mouse support to help turn the iPad into a full-fledged laptop computer.

The iOS operating system originally began life as a tablet operating system. Then Apple realized they could use this to create a phone operating system. After Apple introduced the iPhone, it was easy to release the iPad running the same iOS software.

As the iPhone and iPad have evolved, their shared iOS is starting to cause problems. The iPad has gotten bigger and more capable to the point where it can replace a laptop computer for some people. Yet the iPad is still tied down to iOS.

While this shared operating system makes it easy for apps to run on both devices and it makes it easy for developers to create apps, the operating system isn’t optimized for either the iPhone or iPad.

What will likely happen is that Apple will split iOS into an iPhone and an iPad operating system that will continue sharing the same foundation. This will allow Apple to optimize iOS for each device.

That’s why iOS 13 is rumored to offer mouse support. While some people believe this would allow people to use an iPad like a laptop, it could also mean that Apple is planning to release a laptop computer based on iOS.

Apple will eventually shift away from Intel processors and move to their own A-series ARM-based processors. Now that ARM-based processors are getting faster than Intel processors while consuming less power, it’s only a matter of time before ARM processors surpass Intel processors in speed and power. When that happens, why would anyone want to handicap themselves with a slower, energy-consuming processor from Intel when they could use a faster, energy-efficient processor from ARM?

So the rumored mouse support for iOS might not be just for the iPad but for the rumored Macintosh computer that will switch to ARM processors.

If Apple releases a computer that uses ARM processors, it only makes sense to run iOS instead of macOS. The future is ARM processors (not Intel) and the future is iOS (not macOS).

The ARM-based Macintosh may not come out this year or next, but it’s coming within the next five years. When that happens, Intel-based computers will look antiquated, slow, and obsolete next to ARM-based devices running modern operating system like iOS.

So if mouse support does arrive for iOS 13, it may not be just for the iPad. It may be for a future laptop that Apple has yet to release.

Switching Processors

Posted on April 9, 2019 by admin Posted in Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Steve Jobs predicted platform changes happen roughly every ten years.

At one time, the Macintosh ran on Motorola 68000 processors. When Motorola failed to keep advancing their processor technology, Apple switched to PowerPC processors, which offered better performance than comparable Intel processors.

Eventually Apple switched from PowerPC processors to Intel processors because PowerPC processors couldn’t keep up with Intel processors in both speed and heating requirements. That meant Apple couldn’t produce a PowerPC laptop since the PowerPC processor ran too hot for a laptop enclosure.

Now Intel is having trouble keeping their processors current with ARM processors, which are used in mobile devices because they require less power and thus provide longer battery life.

At one time, Intel processors offered faster processing speed, but now ARM processors are just as fast (or even faster) than similar Intel processors while offering far less power requirements than Intel processors.

Given a choice between slower speed and higher power requirements (Intel), or faster speed and lower power requirements (ARM), it’s easy to see why even Intel believes Apple will shift to ARM processors completely for the Macintosh in the near future.

Apple’s own ARM processor rivals Intel’s processors and this gap will only increase over time, making it inevitable that Apple will shift to ARM processors for the Macintosh eventually.

Once Apple switches to ARM processors, their devices will be faster and run longer than similar devices running Intel processors. That means the Intel market will fade away just like the PowerPC and Motorola 68000 processor market faded before.

Steve jobs predicted that platforms will change every ten years simply because old technology will eventually be surpassed by newer technology, so it only makes sense to jump to newer technology when the older technology lags behind.

When the macintosh is completely ARM-powered, that’s when we’ll see the vast difference between Windows PCs and ARM-based Macintosh computers. When that happens, that will spell the end of the Intel-dominated era of computing, which isn’t a bad thing any more than leaving behind the Z80 processor world of early PCs.

Technology marches on and you can’t be held back by clinging to ancient technology. To read more about Steve Jobs’ prediction about switching platforms, click here.