All computers Mac and MacBook are currently provided with processors Intel. What many Mac users do not know, is that these processors were not the first ones present on a Mac. They appeared on the Mac about 15 years ago and replaced PowerPC processors. These processors appeared in the pioneering phase of hardware technology for PCs, from the need to build a reliable, solid and flexible architecture for operating systems. PowerPC appeared in 1991 and was created by the alliance Apple, IBM and Motorola(AIM).
There are more and more rumors lately, as at this year's edition of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple will announce the switch from processors Intel the ARM(Advanced RISC Machine) for MacBook laptops. It is about the same processors that are present on iPhone and iPad.
Maybe at first sight it sounds a little strange to have a MacBook with an iPhone or iPad processor, but nowadays many smart phones (not only iPhones) are equipped with much more powerful processors than many laptops on the market. The A13 chip on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, as well as the iPhone SE, is much more powerful than the Intel Core processors present in many laptops on store shelves.
As a more accurate comparison, an A12 chip on the iPad Pro is more powerful than a decent Intel Core i5.
Apple wouldn't be the first company to do this. Samsung and Microsoft have been using smartphone processors for laptops for some time.
Switching from Intel processors to ARM on the MacBook, it will not be possible to do it very easily. A real challenge will be the design of new applications for the new ARM architecture. In other words, the applications currently available for MacBook will not be compatible with the new hardware architecture with ARM. The developers will have to redesign the applications, and this process will require time and financial resources.
Even the macOS operating system will no longer be compatible, but for the new generation of MacBook ARM, it is very possible to meet a modified iOS. As happened with the iPadOS operating system.
Apple considers that the first MacBook models with ARM processors will be built in the second half of 2021, and the first available applications will be the basic ones developed by Apple. Suite iWork, the programs of video editing and audio.
The new generation of MacBooks with ARM processors will be intended for people who need sporty mobility and will be ideal for those who need to work both at home (Remote Work) and from the office. The new architecture will allow the construction of a new generation of MacBook ultraportabil and with a longer battery life.
Apple does not consider (at least at the moment) that ARM processors will be present on the MacBook Pro. These devices will remain on Intel for many years. They need high processing power, compatibility for video cards and high-frequency RAM memories.
