Content
- In a short line
- About MacBook on ARM chipset
In a short line
Multiple access to WhatsApp
Good news about WhatsApp. The messenger began testing a feature that allows you to use one WhatsApp account at the same time on 4 devices.
Huawei’s response
Reuters posted a note that the US will allow cooperation with US companies with Huawei to “set standards” for 5G. The return of Google services is out of the question. I was interested in what Huawei is doing. There is information that Huawei has offered to foreign semiconductor companies wishing to cooperate with it to move or increase production capacity in China by the end of 2020. It will be funny if such a requirement becomes mandatory for all manufacturers wishing to work in the Chinese market.
About MacBook on ARM chipset
It is believed that it is not the strongest or the smartest who survive, but those who are ready to adapt to change. An event is due to happen next week that proves that Mr. Darwin was thinking about Apple in making this judgment.
With a high degree of probability at WWDC on June 22, Apple will announce that it will release a MacBook based on an ARM chipset of its own design in 2021. It will be good, correct and very logical.
For 20 years we have experienced a rapid development of the mobile phone market. From monochrome tinkling dialers to full-fledged compact computers that allow you to run games with almost desktop-level graphics and perform other resource-intensive tasks, such as processing and editing video in 8K. Along the way, tablets spun off from mobile phones. In fact, they are no different from phones, except for a larger screen diagonal. At least that’s the case in the Android tablet market. Apple has approached the matter much more logically, positioning the iPad as a full-fledged mobile computer. The full-fledged Photoshop from Adobe has become a powerful proof of the iPad’s professional suitability. After the announcement of which, I immediately got sick of laughing at the 1st generation Apple Pencil for $ 99 (the current 2nd generation Pencil costs $ 129).
Let me explain, just in case, why I didn’t want to laugh at the prices of the Apple Pencil. Somehow it happened that all professional things are more expensive than ordinary ones. It is understood that, firstly, they are of better quality and more reliable, and secondly, they are bought not for the soul, but to make money. Accordingly, from the data about freelance designers in the USA, the Pencil cost is 1-3 hours of work, then the stylus will start to make a profit
Thus, smartphones are an example of a rapid leap forward. If you look at laptops, their user experience is almost the same as it was at the beginning of the century. Laptops have become thinner, faster, battery life has increased, but there are no major breakthroughs.
For example, Nvidia has learned how to make Max-Q cards, thanks to which the thickness of the laptop has dropped to 18 mm. For example, I’m currently testing a Lenovo Legion 7i with an RTX 2080 Max-Q card. Slim and fast. But if I want to realize its graphic potential, then I need to connect a 230W power supply of the appropriate size. Imagine that in order to play Call of Duty Mobile, you need to connect your phone with a huge adapter to an outlet. Likewise with battery life. A powerful game will “eat up” the laptop battery in 2 hours. I can play 9 hours on some Redmi Note 8.
This approach indicates that conceptual laptops are still geared towards stationary use. The same iPad Pro with Apple Pencil allows you to work wherever the user wants it, and charging is much easier.
The lack of development in laptops is also confirmed by a market where sales are stagnating, as users do not understand why they need to upgrade. By the way, pay attention. The last couple of years, thanks to Max-Q and ray tracing (RTX cards from Nvidia), new 10th generation processors from Intel with advanced integrated graphics, Wi-Fi 6 and other goodies, the market has received positive dynamics. In 2019, for the first time, people saw at least something that motivates them to part with money.
It would be a mistake to say that manufacturers do not see the stagnation of the computer market. There are many attempts to rethink the category. One notable example is the dual-screen notebooks from ASUS.
But even ASUS ‘creation is an attempt to squeeze the most out of what is available. You may have read the trilogy “The Three Bodies Problem” by Liu Qixin, where earthlings, preparing for a collision with aliens, thought that they had “pumped” their technologies and were ready. And in the end it turned out that the bow can be improved as much as necessary, but the arrow is still slower than the bullet.
3 years ago Microsoft paired Lenovo with the term “Always Connected PC”. In theory, it was a device of the next level – a full-fledged computer on Windows, but with features of smartphones in terms of autonomy, mobility and readiness to work (always on, no need to wait for loading and getting out of sleep). Unfortunately, things are still there. Probably the main problem is that the software is made by Microsoft, the chipset is provided by Qualcomm, and Lenovo is collecting it all. There is no proper level of optimization and synergy.
And where others have problems, Apple will go easy. To date, Apple has not only learned how to make the most powerful ARM chipset designs, but has been able to mitigate their disadvantages (such as increased power consumption due to the large size of the smart cache) thanks to precise optimization of the soft + hardware combination.
A bit of history and how ARM will change the MacBook
The transition to a fundamentally different processor is a significant step that Apple has made more than once in its history. And twice. In 1994, Apple switched to IBM’s PowerPC processors instead of the Motorola 68000. In 2006, the company switched to Intel solutions.
On both occasions, everything went well. For example, it is known that before switching from PowerPC, the company tested macOS on Intel for a couple of years. If this approach persists, then it is likely that Apple has had an ARM version of macOS for a long time. And most likely Photoshop for iPad is partly a by-product that they decided to release to the public in order to get feedback. When the iPad began to outperform some laptops in performance, it became clear that the only thing left was to adapt the software.
The ARM-based MacBook is a win-win project for both Apple and customers. First, the pros for buyers:
- ARM chipsets are significantly more power efficient than x86. iPad provides 10 hours of internet with 42.5 Wh battery. MacBook Pro 16 has a 100 Wh battery. Get ready for a laptop that you charge like an iPad. Once every 2-4 days. The size of the charges may also decrease.
- Another plus of ARM chipsets is that they are cooler and do not require fans to cool. In theory, removing the propellers from the MacBook makes it quieter and thinner. The main thing is that Apple does not get carried away with the last point.
- MacBooks will become fully mobile devices, always ready to go.
However, the main benefits from the transition will be for Apple:
- Complete harmony in the ecosystem. It will be possible to launch services on all devices at once, providing the same user experience.
- Most likely, in the future, iOS and macOS, although they will retain different names, will become similar at the internal level. Another plus as a reduction in development costs.
- With minimal modifications, the application can be run on any Apple gadgets. This will lead to a surge in app stores and attract more developers who create more apps and ultimately make more money for Apple. Apple already has a tool called Xcode to quickly convert applications from Apple chipsets to intel. Now it will be even easier and easier.
- Users will have to upgrade their hardware. Everyone who has elderly “poppies” and who saw no reason to change something will be updated. All new “features” will be on a different hardware.
- Potentially proprietary processors are a better deal than buying from Intel. The fact that these are all ARM chipsets also plays into Apple’s hands. Accordingly, when ordering lots from TSMC, it will be possible to get a volume discount.
- It should be added to the previous point that ARM chipsets are a system on a chip, that is, processor + graphics + DSP + much more. Perhaps you no longer need to buy video cards either. If you don’t believe in the capabilities of ARM, then watch the video how Roma Belykh compares the speed of video rendering on a computer and a Huawei tablet.
- We must not forget about the image component. The company will once again show the world that it can and can both make money and create something new.
Each point is an additional profit for Apple. Expanding on the last point, it is worth adding that ARM-based MacBooks will be much cooler for a long time than ARM-based solutions on Windows or Android. Apple will have a lead in time, while other manufacturers can catch up in quality.
It should be noted that the positions of AMD and Intel are not threatened yet. MacBooks are positioned as a professional mobile tool. And macOS’s global market share is still a stable 8-10%. Probably, the Mac Pro will still come with Intel processors. ARM-MacBooks, if there are no bugs and glitches, will be able to increase their share by attracting those new users who do not care about which operating system to work on, but mobility and battery life are important.
And it makes sense that Apple will introduce an entry-level laptop in 2021. For example, a new version of a 12-inch MacBook. And then more expensive models will be used.
It is likely that Apple, once again introducing a laptop on ARM, will not be the first, but as usual it will create a new niche of devices that other manufacturers will be equal to. For us, the journalists, the expanse. It will be possible to tell why product “A” is better than iPhone, and product “B” is better than iPad, and product “C” is better than ARM-MacBook.
Finally, I will say that a product like the ARM-MacBook is extremely important for the company today. Despite the fact that Apple is becoming more expensive and earning, more and more comparisons are heard not in its favor. And a fundamentally new product, which has no analogues on the market, will help dispel the doubts of skeptics.
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