WWDC 2019 Live discussion - Was: Sooo umm Apple just released new MacBookPros (2 Viewers)

[Thomas Newton]

If there is a 16 incher it will come in 2 weeks at WWDC, not as a silent launch. And it will likely be a wholly different architecture.

The chances of a 16-inch one? Low.

The chances of one with a different architecture? NIL. That would be completely out of character with the way that Apple handled previous CPU and OS transitions, where there was plenty of press coverage – of a higher caliber than rumor site speculation – in advance.

 

[Thomas Newton]

The MAC OS grew out of the Next OS, which was originally hosted on the Intel architecture.

Mac OS X grew both out of NeXTstep and out of classic Mac OS. Both of those started on the 68K architecture.

Jobs killing the MAC clones destroyed any reason for future PowerPC development.

According to Apple, IBM's slowness in coming up with a mobile version of the G5, and Intel's better CPU roadmap, were the reasons for the change. Analysts noted at the time that IBM had contracts to make Power-related chips for all three major video game console makers. This left Apple with little leverage to get desktop/laptop chips, and probably would have left a bunch of PowerPC clone makers in the same situation.

By contrast, Intel had plenty of financial incentive to keep making desktop and laptop CPUs that were suitable for Apple – whether or not Apple was its largest customer.

BTW, back when Apple first adopted the PowerPC, they were able to pull their customers over to PowerPC-based Macs. IBM was going to pull customers over to PowerPC-based PCs running Windows NT/PowerPC, with the goal of eventually being able to boot both OSes on the same platform. But on the PC side, things didn't go as well.

 

[Sam Posten]

The chances of a 16-inch one? Low.

The chances of one with a different architecture? NIL. That would be completely out of character with the way that Apple handled previous CPU and OS transitions, where there was plenty of press coverage – of a higher caliber than rumor site speculation – in advance.

This simply is not true:
https://www.macstories.net/stories/this-is-not-a-product-the-apple-developer-transition-kit/

The intel transition machine was a brilliant way to have cake and eat it too. Consumers knew what was coming and the developers worked through the wilderness. Going to ARM this way would be brilliant.

BTW, Apple makes the best ARM laptop on the market today. It runs iOS, not MacOS but they are clearly in control here
https://www.macstories.net/stories/beyond-the-tablet/

I'm with Ticci on this 100%

=)

 

[Thomas Newton]

This simply is not true:
https://www.macstories.net/stories/this-is-not-a-product-the-apple-developer-transition-kit/

Apple announced its plan to switch to Intel CPUs on June 6, 2005. That is the same time that it released the Developer Transition Kit. Intel-based Macs for customers did not appear until 2006, and while Apple did release some PowerPC-based Macs in Late 2005, their buyers would have known that Intel-based Macs were coming.

If Apple were to release ARM-based Macs in a couple of weeks, at WWDC, people would have had no advance warning.

 

[DaveF]

I’m especially curious what Apple’s first ARM macOS system is. I think it will be a MacBook Air type laptop: a lower performing, long-battery life machine. Something that makes obvious benefit of the A-series chips as we know them.

Maybe it would instead be a Pro laptop: showing in a thunderclap the power of the A-series at will be in a generation or two juiced by increased power and thermal envelope of a laptop (vs mobile). And taking advantage of smaller volume and higher price point to manage production scaling challenges.

I doubt it would be a desktop iMac to first get the ARM transition. They obviously don’t need the battery life benefit expected from ARM. And desktops seem to be lagging laptops in new features.

I’d still bet on the Air to get ARM first, but Pro wouldn’t surprise me. Third place is MB Nothing. And fourth place is iMac.

The dark horse I'll speculate is that the Mac Pro is the introduction of the ARM-based Mac line. That would make sense of the incomprehensiblly long time to simply build a Xeon-based tower. That would be a heck of a statement to come out with the Mac Pro this year as the Transtion Kit and showoff an ARM architecture that equals top tier Intel CPUs.

 

[Sam Posten]

If Apple were to release ARM-based Macs in a couple of weeks, at WWDC, people would have had no advance warning.

We are saying exactly opposite things. I am saying it is quite possible for Apple to release a DEVELOPER ONLY ARM based 16" Mac transition laptop at WWDC. A 16" ARM Mac laptop fully formed and consumer ready is highly unlikely. If you want that the closest you can get today is an iPad Pro.

 

[Ted Todorov]

We are saying exactly opposite things. I am saying it is quite possible for Apple to release a DEVELOPER ONLY ARM based 16" Mac transition laptop at WWDC. A 16" ARM Mac laptop fully formed and consumer ready is highly unlikely. If you want that the closest you can get today is an iPad Pro.

Clearly Apple would release an ARM developer only Mac, 6 to 12+ months in advance. But IMO there is ZERO chance they would put it on the future hardware. Weren’t the Intel dev. machines like Dell equivalent boxes running Mac OS X? IIRC they certainly did not use the Mac Pro which stayed the same as hardware, switching from PPC G5 to Intel Xeon?

Edit: here is the actual info - my memory is not bad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple's_transition_to_Intel_processors?wprov=sfti1

 

[Sam Posten]

iPod touch updated. Dead man still walking.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/05/new-ipod-touch-delivers-even-greater-performance/

 

[Sam Posten]

Clearly Apple would release an ARM developer only Mac, 6 to 12+ months in advance. But IMO there is ZERO chance they would put it on the future hardware. Weren’t the Intel dev. machines like Dell equivalent boxes running Mac OS X? IIRC they certainly did not use the Mac Pro which stayed the same as hardware, switching from PPC G5 to Intel Xeon?

Edit: here is the actual info - my memory is not bad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple's_transition_to_Intel_processors?wprov=sfti1

You can’t compare box PCs to a laptop format. I’d bet they go less vanilla more high end. It’s also 10 years down the maturity pike. All speculation tho!

 

[Carlo_M]

iPod touch updated. Dead man still walking.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/05/new-ipod-touch-delivers-even-greater-performance/

Considering I was just googling how to upgrade my last-generation iPod to an SSD...I might seriously take a look at this.

 

[Sam Posten]

Want all the good stuff being talked about in the lead up to WWDC?
https://wwdcbysundell.com/

 

[Malcolm R]

iPod touch updated. Dead man still walking.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/05/new-ipod-touch-delivers-even-greater-performance/

The only announcement that holds any interest for me. I'll be checking this out. Still have two iPods that are going strong and are used regularly.

 

[Sam Posten]

Making this the WWDC live discussion thread. I am out from work today acting as escort while my roommate gets sinus surgery so I'll be posting live impressions as we go.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I am heading off to bed to work tonight. I will miss it all but will read all the news later this evening as well as catch up on this thread.

Look forward to reading your impressions of the keynote as well as those from HTF members.

G'Night!

 

[Sam Posten]

Gnight Ron!

Here’s my mobile office for the day as I play #diablo3 and watch #WWDC19 from a hospital waiting room as a bud of mine gets his noggin roto-rootered. Loot Goblin Amiibo on a portable NFC card for the win!

 

[Sam Posten]

Early leak: iOS on iPad to be called iPadOS

 

[Sam Posten]

Head asplodes!

https://twitter.com/neilcybart/status/1135580453266575361/video/1

 

[Sam Posten]

Video is live!

https://www.apple.com/apple-events/livestream/

 

[Sam Posten]

Heartfelt dev video. Tim’s out.

 

[Sam Posten]

Sneak peak of For all Mankind