Top Bananas | Tag Archives: Macintosh

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.

Why Apple is Ignoring the Macintosh

Posted on February 24, 2019 by admin Posted in Business, Hardware Leave a comment

What it is: Apple has been ignoring the Macintosh for years. The reason may be they’re planning to switch processors.

For the past few years, Apple has let their Macintosh lineup lag behind the times. The iMac hasn’t been updated in almost two years, which makes no sense because PC makers such as Dell or Hewlett-Packard can release updated models every few months. Certainly Apple could update the Macintosh at least once a year. That could be extreme incompetence or something else entirely.

That something else will likely be the switch from Intel processors to Apple’s own ARM processors. Already Apple’s latest A-series processor is faster than Intel’s processors and Intel’s constant delays also interrupt Apple’s ability to upgrade the Macintosh, so even Intel expects Apple to transition the Macintosh to ARM processors by 2020.

So that might be the reason why Apple has been dragging their feet on updating the Macintosh. It’s not that they can’t do it; it’s just that they’re too busy working on the transition to ARM processors so they don’t want to work on new Macintosh models when they know a new ARM-based Macintosh is coming soon anyway.

What’s likely to happen is that the Macintosh will become a “pro” model, running Intel processors for developers while the consumer model Macintosh will run ARM-processors for longer battery life. It’s possible that this ARM-based Macintosh will be called something else entirely. That way people won’t get confused trying to run Macintosh programs (designed for Intel processors) on an ARM-based Macintosh.

So the long delay in updating the Macintosh is likely because Apple is planning to make them obsolete soon anyway. Apple is already developing a software framework to allow iOS apps to run on the Macintosh. Most likely an ARM-based computer will be a super portable laptop.

If the lack of updates bothers you, wait if you can. Apple will likely redefine a laptop with a device that runs iOS apps but acts more like a computer. Either that or Apple is really incompetent after all. Which seems most likely?

To read about Apple’s possible plan to switch to ARM-based processors, click here.

Apple’s Silly Naming Conventions

Posted on January 28, 2019 by admin Posted in Business, Marketing Leave a comment

What it is: Apple’s latest naming conventions for the iPhone curiously resembles their Macintosh II naming convention.

At one time, Apple sold a variety of different Macintosh computers with confusing, but similar names such as Macintosh IIcx, Macintosh IIci, and Macintosh IIfx. With similar-sounding names, it made it hard fo consumers to know what was the difference.

That’s why when Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he abolished this confusing naming convention and simplified it to just Power Macintosh and later to iMac. Notice Apple has returned to this confusing naming convention with the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max. What does this mean to the average consumer? Absolutely nothing.

Instead of offering clearly defined and simple names, Apple has reverted back to the techno-chaos that other companies embrace with confusing numbers and designations that mean nothing like the Dell Inspiron 15 7000. What do these numbers mean? Nothing, yet technology companies love them despite not clarifying their products for consumers.

Apple needs to go back to simpler names like the iPhone 10 (or iPhone X) and maybe an iPhone X Plus to indicate a larger screen size. All this nonsense with XS and XR means nothing and serves to simply confuse rather than clarify.

If the confusing Macintosh II naming convention didn’t work back in the 90’s, why is Apple going back to similar confusing naming conventions for the iPhone today? The answer is no reason other than it looks impressive. The moment Apple focuses more on naming conventions to impress rather than clarify is the moment the company is starting to lose their original vision and start following other technology companies down the drain.

Steve Jobs admired Hewlett-Packard because that company once was an innovation leader. Not any more. If Apple’s not careful, they could follow in the footsteps of Hewlett-Packard, and then they’ll be just cruising along worried more about profits and losses instead of making great products that are easy to use.

Just ask Hewlett-Packard what happened to their innovative culture.

To learn more about how Steve Jobs simplified Apple’s product line, click here.

Project Marzipan

Posted on January 13, 2019 by admin Posted in Software, User Interface Leave a comment

What it is: Project Marzipan is Apple’s framework to allow iOS apps to run on the Macintosh.

Last year during their Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC), Apple introduced Project Marzipan, which is a framework designed to make it easy to convert iOS apps to run on the Macintosh. Apple used their own framework to port several of their iOS apps to the Macintosh such as the Stocks app.

With iOS and mobile computing becoming far more important than desktop/laptop computing, it only makes sense for developers to focus exclusively on iOS programming because then they’ll be able to write apps for iOS and port them to the Macintosh.

Otherwise you’ll haver to write apps for iOS and macOS. That’s not too much of a problem since iOS and macOS are so similar but it does require you to write slightly different code. With Project Marzipan, the goal is to let you write an iOS app and let Apple’s framework convert it to run on the Macintosh with little work on your part. That way you’ll have two apps capable of running on the Macintosh and iOS.

For ordinary users, this simply means the Macintosh will soon get more apps. This can make the Macintosh more attractive but it will likely give developers an incentive to focus exclusively on iOS and then use Project Marzipan to create Macintosh apps that may not be optimized completely for the Macintosh.

So developers will likely need to tweak their code to make their app better for the keyboard/mouse interface of the Macintosh from the touch screen interface of iOS.

The Macintosh will likely never take over the desktop/laptop market with Windows PCs so entrenched in the corporate world. Then again, it doesn’t really matter since the world is moving towards mobile computing anyway.

The Macintosh has been around since 1984 and it likely won’t get any more innovative. So look at Project Marzipan as a way to keep iOS developers happy by giving them a larger market for their existing apps. Project Marzipan is not likely to attract more people to the Macintosh just for the ability to run iOS apps. Project Marzipan is interesting and will likely appear during 2019’s WWDC, but it’s just a short-term solution to help transition the world towards mobile computing so they can leave the world of desktop/laptops behind.

To learn more about Project Marzipan, click here.