Apple Considering Moving Macs Away From Intel Chips

[eodeo]

I'd love to see AMD in Macs. I think its a win win for both companies involved.

Maybe that would force Khronos to upgrade OpenGL, or Apple/AMD could develop a decent competitor for DX. That would be a big win for the graphic industry.

As it is, between aging gaming consoles and OpenGL, things dont look too good.

 

[army_ant7]

@eodeo
You might just be interested in this article. http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/linux/faster-zombies/

 

[eodeo]

@army_ant7

Wow, what a twist. I did not expect to see that. My understanding and disdain for OGL comes from 3d modeling world. I'm 3ds Max user. I'm not quite sure if its AMD/Nvidia throttling non pro version of their GPUs, or just general OGL slowness, but OpenGL selection was to be avoided at all costs (3ds Max). Other OpenGL only software (Catia/ProEngineer/past Autocad) boiled down to either a getting a professional card or a slideshow. Even with a pro GPU(quadro/firepro), those other apps could not compete with sheer speed of D3D/3ds max in viewport manipulation only. As an end user, I never really took much time to try to understand what was wrong with OpenGL apps.

Random bits of information I found about OpenGL generally confirmed what I already knew- OpenGL cannot compete with DX (10 at the time), or is simply slower while looking worse- Unigine "Heaven" debut.

It looks like as if either OGL got better, or that game engine favors it for whatever reason. Either way, I like the news. Now if AMD/Nvidia drop the throttling to their gaming line of GPUs in OGL, maybe non windows environment would be possible for average users that dont feel like spending thousand of euros on a slowass quadro. Speaking about 3d modeling only here. Games obviously can run fast enough

 

[army_ant7]

@eodeo
I think the article mentioned that the slowness of OpenGL was attributable to its implementation with modern drivers. It is just a specification after all and it's up to the GPU makers as to how that specification is implemented/works with their drivers and cards. Modern drivers are better optimized for DirectX or something. That's why Valve cooperated with the driver coders or something. I forgot, but it may also have had something to do with how OpenGL versions of games are coded.

 

[Camikazi]

[citation][nom]teodoreh[/nom]Who cares about the x86 licence, AMD got the patent of the x64 licence. And after all, if I buy AMD this doesn't mean that AMD will loose it's licenses. This could only happen if I got MERGED with AMD.[/citation]
x64 is just an extension of x86 so the license is needed and Intel would fight it (they have to approve any transfer of license). Intel would not let Apple, or anyone really, buy out AMD they would fund them themselves before they would allow that to happen. Merging or not the license would still have to transfer to the new owners which means Intel would have to say yes. They tried to stop VIA from taking the Cyrix license years ago until they realized that VIA was no threat to them. You don't remember the problem that Intel had when AMD spun off their fabs into GF, they were ready to stop it thinking that the license would be somehow be involved and cause them problems.

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't mind apple doing that. Then AMD users get to hackintosh again! LOL

 

[epdm2be]

[citation][nom]Anonymous[/nom]Maybe Apple can make their own chip tuned to work with the apple OS, maybe that project has been in double secret production while Intel has been partying in their bunny suits! Apple, I am sure, makes plenty of lettuce with their customized ARMs running their iphones and ipads! Maby Captian Cook is ready to 86 that that x86 overboard![/citation]

Apple already makes its own cpu's. They're currently being targetted (and used) in iPod Touch, iPhones and iPads. Considering that the latest iterations are quite little powerhouses driving insane resolutions (new iPad) and/or are blazing fast (iPhone 5). It's clear that IF Apple go with AMD in bed it definitely won't be for long. I predict that eventually Apple will use their A-series of ARM-derivatives in their entire product-range and/or cease laptops/desktops altogether. The line between laptops/netbooks/tablets is already becoming very blurry. Seeing that there's a Photoshop for iPad or that e.g. the Samsung Note has some limited page-layout (DTP/EPP) capabilities with its pen.

Also due to the massive smartphone explosion of quite powerfull models with a diversity of (phone) OS's and Apple's efforts to remove the obsession away from the OS and more onto 'apps' itself; It's clear to me that the need for Windows+Office is starting to fade away. More and more the question "Do we in 2013 really need a Microsoft Windows?" is raised. Why not use an Android PC/tablet/book or an iOS one?

I think homes are changing again, from filled with Windows PC's (both desktop and laptops) to having only one powerfull server PC and consoles, phablets and smartTV's all around.

 

[chibiwings]

Since AMD's New product is hardly optimized on a Windows environment. Apple might be able to help them tapping the potential of their APU it's not a bad deal after all for both parties

 

[Guest]

As long as the Macs are less expensive than with the Intel chips. My Apple shares have already tanked about 75.00 per share. And cook keeps screwing up.

 

[beethree]

The thing about Apple is that they make their own Operating Systems. If they decided to go with AMD, and pick up Piledriver or Steamroller, there is no doubt that they would tailor their OS to take advantage of the Bulldozer module design. It could give AMD a leg up in performance on Apple computers with an OS tailored to Bulldozer's strengths. In he laptop section the same thing applies. They could tailor their OS to APU designs, increasing performance by utilizing the built in GPU.

I don't see this as bad for either and I don't think AMD is all that bad eithers, I think having a company like Apple choose them and tweak their OS to show the potential of their CPU's and APU's is a good thing for bot, considering AMD doesn't sell CPU's for crazy expensive amounts of cash.

 

[Guest]

I would actually love to see this. The rise in profits AMD would achieve would boost their R&D funds massively. Then Intel will truly have competition. I think this is a wonderful thing.

 

[mantion]

I had an AMD k6-2, I had a lot of AMD processors, but sorry since the Intel released the CoreDuo and then the I series, AMD hasn't done very well. I don't see the advantage of not using Intel chips. I could understand adding AMD chips to their current lineup, but why would Apple even consider a budget move. Perhaps Apple is considering buying AMD and make its own processors and graphics cards.

Apple has plenty of cash, AMD has plenty of debt. AMD will go further into debt to court Apple, become worthless and then Apple can buy the company for peanuts.

But seriously the future personal computing are ARM processors. AMD and Intel Processors will be come less relevant every year.

 

[shogunofharlom]

This needs to happen, otherwise AMD will fail or go through a long period of irrelevance. If this acquisition happens, it would no longer be AMD vs Intel in the chip market. It would be Apple vs Intel. Competition would go up. Prices would go down. Quality would skyrocket.
The A10 is a really good chip. I will by one in an hp envy soon. It competes with the i5m very well, beats the i3 and dominates in graphics for a much lower price - nearly $100 lower. I do not know what apple would use in the macbook pro as amd does not have a chip in the caliber of the i7-3000m, but in the macbook air the a8 or a10 would be incredible. The only reason I will not buy a macbook air is because the graphics are sooooo bad. I need to be able to do some kind of gaming/editing on my laptop.

 

[internetlad]

Apple could work with AMD A LA how they worked with samsung to develop the ipad SoCs. Might be one of the first actions of Apple i'd appreciate.

AMD needs some hand-holding right now.

 

[twelch82]

A big part of the problem AMD has is that it does not have the manufacturing capability of Intel. It has to try to keep up using manufacturing technology that's a generation or two behind. If Apple could get AMD better fabs to work with, then they might be able to catch up. But that's a big "if".

 

[twelch82]

[citation][nom]Anonymous[/nom]All I can say is FINALLY! The only reason Apple switch to the dead end x86 arc. was because of Steve Jobs hated for Apple (this would require teaching a longgggg history lesson). Maybe we can finally move back to PPC, or the POWER line and be done with Macintosh's that are 2 years behind generic PC's at launch. It would be unbelievably awesome if we could move back to an "in-house" developed OS as well. UNIX is not a good personal computer OS.Man! If only Steve Jobs would have never come back to apple. We'd probably be using POWER, or Cell based Macintosh's running a variant of BeOS. Damn that alternative present time would have been awesome...I know everyone disagrees with me, but I have been using Macintosh's since the 80's, and became a Macintosh tech. in the early-mid 90's. Back when Apple had a superior hardware platform, and superior OS to almost anything out there. Those were the hay days of Apple, back when Macintosh's were on 10% of the worlds computer desks. Now, most Apple users seem to be mindless "i" sheep instead of the graphics/desktop publishing crowd of old. I'd love to see all these i-Apple zealots just disappear and the crowd of old come back to the Apple side. I'd go back to Macintosh tech support in a heart beat!my 2 cents.[/citation]

Apple switched to Intel processors because they were so much more powerful than the PowerPC chips they were using at the time. They'd been denying it and denying it - and could get away with it to some degree because you couldn't get the same software in many cases for an apples-to-apples comparison - but eventually they couldn't anymore.

 

[supere989]

I can see Steve Jobs rolling in his grave about a move to AMD CPU/GPU Architecture.

 

[joeunderdog]

This has potential for both companies if true. Intel can handle themselves without Apple, but AMD would seem more willing to do what Apple asks then Intel because of their current situation. I despise Apple, but I can't ignore the possibilities with this. Cheaper hardware, with comparable performance to the old one thanks to tweaks and optimizations in a closed hardware environment. This would be VERY interesting to watch in the future.

Just watch the prices go anywhere but down though...

 

[zeratul600]

AMD i know that you need the money, but please dont do it! the only reason why i respect you even when you lost against intel its because you are a great rebel company fighthing against the system, if you sell your soul to apple, you will be lost, no supporter of amd will endure that you do cpu for the icrap stuff!