Rumor: Apple prepares transition from laptops to ARM processors, which will take place in 2013

While not a real source of speculation about Apple and its products, the SemiAccurate claims to have received information that it has plans to abandon the use of Intel processors in future generations of its MacBooks and, later, also to do the same with its desktops. The move would begin in 2013, when ARM plans to launch 64-bit core processor models that are needed to run the current version of Mac OS X.

Apple A5 processor

The development of solutions based on ARM projects is quite heated within Apple, which adopted the British processor models for use in the first generation of the iPhone, launched in 2007. However, heavy investments by Ma and other companies (including ARM itself) in research and development should eliminate the great challenges of a transition from Macs to the same architecture, making it viable for all iProducts.

However, there are still a few factors to consider before concluding that a transition to ARM will be Apple's next big step in its personal computer segment. First, such processors should not be able to handle advanced computing for a few years, perhaps for ordinary laptops and desktops, this will become feasible in less time, but Ma still provides solutions for professional, corporate and science and technology users. . Second, none of the existing challenges for this, if overcome, would dispense with the need for a mass transition of software to the new platform, similar to what happened with the migration to Intel from 2005.

Apple has a lot to consider when roadmap Core i3, i5, i7 and Xeon processors; obviously, Intel does not intend to stand by and watch such speculation. Despite the delay in sending a response to ARM in the embedded systems business, the processor giant is working on a new technology called “Tri-Gate”, which greatly increases the power of its chips while significantly reducing energy consumption using a 3D design. Such a design would be three years ahead of what ARM still intends to deliver in the short term to semiconductor companies, including Apple itself.

Perhaps in the mobile segment, chips such as the A4 and A5 are constantly being updated by Ma for use in iGadgets, thanks to the experience she has on hand to produce them in volume. However, using them on high-end desktops and laptops will require a very large investment in research, which may be useless in relation to what we will see in the future. The way to wait to see how Intel and ARM will behave from now on: whoever is better at prevailing or both will prevail, if they remain good in their respective main segments, as now.

(via MacRumors)