https://mashable.com/article/apple-switches-intel-chip-to-its-own-arm-processors-wwdc-2020/Apple announces switch from Intel to its own silicon chip in future MacsAfter endless rumors and speculation, Apple has finally announced it's switching from Intel processors to its own silicon at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference. The first Mac to include Apple's new in-house chip is expected to ship before the end of the year, with a full transition slated for sometime within the next two years.
Using its own processor, Apple assures the Mac will have a "whole new level of performance" with lower power consumption and better battery life. Essentially, the company will be building its own family of chipsets similar to what's already available for its iPhone and iPad. With the iPhone 11 lineup, the company built its Bionic A13 chip while the iPad Pro (2020) features the A12Z chipset.
The processor switch will establish what Apple calls "a common architecture across all Apple products," which will make it easier for developers to create and optimize apps for all of the company's products, including the iPhone and iPad.
Apparently, Apple has also been less than pleased with development hiccups on Intel's part. But that Apple is looking to switch to in-house developed processors has me wondering whether this is yet another evolutionary step in a process that has been going on for several decades in the computer world.
Up into the 1990s, various concompter companies - e.g. IBM, Tandem, HP - relied on in-house developed processors and proprietary OS's for their high-performance products. Then in the early 1990s, Unix and Unix variants (e.g. Sun Solaris) took over much of the proprietary OS marketplace. In the late 90s, "WIntel", as Scott McNealy like to call it (derogatorily, BTW) ate the Unix workstations' lunch, and in the early 00s, Apple converted over to Intel processors. Windows and Intel dominated the desktop and became strong in servers (which have largely displaced mainframes and super-minis).
After nearly two decades of Intel dominance, have phone and tablet processors become so powerful and capable that they are starting to eat at Intel's desktop dominance?