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Coountdown to WWDC 2020
#54882 06/12/20 08:45 PM
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It is ten days until the 2020 WWDC Keynote (June 22 @ 10:00 AM (PDT)) and the rumors are flying over what will be the big reveal this year. There are rumors of new features in both MacOS and iOS and on the hardware side as well. Based on a very credible report at least one major announcement will be the first Mac with an Apple designed ARM processor instead of Intel1️⃣ but the question is will it be an iMac or a MacBook. The iMac is due for a refresh but because of its lower power requirements and cooler running an ARM processor would appear to be ideal for the MacBook. There is another strong rumor of a new MacBook based on the iPad Pro but running MacOS. Are they one in the same? Another rumor predicts Apple keypad capability for more (all?) iPads.
  1. So what do you think?
    • A Mac with an ARM processor will NOT be announced?
    • Will the ARM processor be in an iMac or a MacBook?
    • If it is a MacBook will it be a true MacBook or essentially an iPad Pro running MacOS?
    • How will it stand up to the Intel based Macs in performance?
    • Whatever it is will it have the ability to run both MacOS and iPadOS apps side by side?
    • Something else entirely
  2. What new features would you like to see…
    • On the Mac (MacOS 10.16)?
    • on the iPad (iPadOS 14)?
    • on the iPhone (iOS 14)?


FOOTNOTES:
1️⃣ It just occurred to me a processor change might be the reason for some of the recent changes in MacOS such as Catalina being 64 bit only and the changes in kernel extensions that are apparently for MacOS 10.16❓🤷‍♂️❓



If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #54883 06/13/20 02:00 PM
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  1. So what do I think?
    • A move to ARM processors for the Mac will be announced. Intel is missing too many release dates and really struggling to meet new performance goals. Because of Apples experience custom designing ARM processors for the iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, etc. — by far their biggest selling products — it is a natural fit and would enable Apple to optimize performance and features for MacOS as well as iOS/iPadOS.
    • The MacBook is almost too obvious a choice because of the ARM processor's low power consumption and low heat output, but the iMac is due for a refresh and an iMac as thin as an iPad would be a spectacular upgrade. I am betting the first ARM processor will be in the iMac with a ARM based MacBook release in the fall.
    • If it has cellular capability it is an iPad and if not its a MacBook❓Could be 😳
    • Performance will be the big question and there are those who argue Intel processors are just too powerful to overcome, but like ARM, the AMD is also a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) design and is arguably outperforming Intel processors. Given Apple's ability to optimize the ARM for their own operating systems, I would expect the ARM based Mac to be at least as fast, if not faster, than running on Intel.
    • Last year Apple announced a new set of APIs that would enable developers to write the same code to run on either MacOS or iOS/iPadOS. While I have not seen any tangible results of that, the capability is there. There are definitely some iOS/iPadOS apps I wish would run on my Mac and there are a couple of MacOS apps that I really wish had full featured iPadOS versions. So adding some MacOS functions to iOS/iPadOS could make full or nearly full app inter-compatibility within reach. 👏
    • …or maybe the answer is not this year 🤷‍♂️
  2. What new features would I like to see…
    • There are some iOS/iPadOS apps I would like to have on my Mac. Lets face it, you can't beat the bigger monitor and in many cases the iOS/iPadOS app is quicker, easier, and more convenient than the web interface via Safari (or any other browser for that matter).
    • Three major wishes for iPadOS...
      1. A true Finder (The Files app is a step in the right direction but it doesn't go far enough.)
      2. Spotlight (Not so much for Spotlight per. se. but for some app features that rely on Spotlight functionality.)
      3. Honest to God full blown multi-tasking
    • For iOS I am sure Apple will come up with something I just can't live without, but right now I am living without even knowing what it is. 😜



If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #54896 06/14/20 03:07 PM
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My guess is that, eventually, OS updates will not work with Intel processors, making all present Macs obsolete. I'm not happy about that!


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
jchuzi #54897 06/14/20 04:38 PM
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Originally Posted By: jchuzi
My guess is that, eventually, OS updates will not work with Intel processors, making all present Macs obsolete. I'm not happy about that!

Its not like that hasn't happened before, it was only a bit over a decade ago, when Apple switched from the Apple/Motorola/IBM PowerPC to Intel. That change was forced on Apple by Motorola's inability to build the newer PowerPC processors and IBM'S disinterest in manufacturing anything other than the very high end workstation class versions. Switching to ARM processors for the Mac would put Apple back in the processor designer's seat for their entire product line. Remember, the Mac represents barely 10% of Apple's revenue, if that, and is in a global market that is shrinking rather than growing so they need all the edge they can get.

But yes. It may mean current Macs will reach OS and software obsolescence sooner, but I am sure there will be a transition mechanism as there was when Apple switched to Intel. Actually if the developers have been using Apple's free development tools, following the guidelines, and are actively supporting their products, the transition should be relatively straightforward. If not, then all bets are off. The toughest conversions will be kernel extensions.

It has also occurred to me Apple may continue using Intel processors in the iMac Pro and Mac Pro lines.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55006 06/22/20 07:28 PM
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They Keynote is Over:
  • Say goodbye to Intel 👋, the switch to Apple silicon (ARM) is on with the first Apple silicon based Mac shipping later this year and a target for complete transition in two years. (All of the presentations were done on an iMac Pro running the A12z processor from the current iPad Pro.) Developers can apply for a "Quick Start" development kit that includes a Mac mini with Apple silicon inside as well as the first developer beta of Big Sur. What the first consumer Mac with Apple silicon will be was not revealed.
  • Big Sur (MacOS 10.16) — the most significant features are
    • Rosetta 2 — at application install time will recompile Intel apps to run on Apple silicon or vice-versa depending on the host processor
    • Universal Binary 2 — a compact Intel/Apple silicon binary format for apps
    • new icons and new "look" across all devices
    • major enhancements in Safari and Messages
    • iOS and iPadOS apps will run native on a Mac.
    • Built-in virtualization for running Intel (Windows or Linux) OS and apps.
    • Microsoft Office already running native on Apple silicon and Adobe apps are in process
  • lots of cool new watch features
  • Lots of UI enhancements in iOS
  • handwriting recognition anywhere there is keyboard input in iPadOS


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55009 06/23/20 09:43 AM
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It will be interesting to see if Big Sur allows the user to have the same interface as Catalina. For example, Catalina users have the option to either use dark mode or continue as in previous OSs. Also, Mail users can use the Classic view if they prefer.

I hope that Apple gives us this flexibility. I could adapt to a different interface, but my better half gets very upset about any changes. Time will tell.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55013 06/23/20 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
They Keynote is Over:
Big Sur (MacOS 10.16) — the most significant features are
…

Is it officially called 10.16? Elsewhere I have seen it referred to as 11.x. In my mind, incrementing out of 10, which originally was designated as X, would be the biggest change in this new operating system. smirk


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
Ira L #55014 06/23/20 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ira L
Originally Posted By: joemikeb
They Keynote is Over:
Big Sur (MacOS 10.16) — the most significant features are
…

Is it officially called 10.16? Elsewhere I have seen it referred to as 11.x. In my mind, incrementing out of 10, which originally was designated as X, would be the biggest change in this new operating system. smirk

Good question. The only reference during the keynote was Big Sur with no MacOS version number. Going to MacOS 11 would put MacOS version numbering in synch with iOS, iPadOS, WatchOS, TVOS, etc.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55017 06/23/20 04:57 PM
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Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
jchuzi #55018 06/23/20 09:17 PM
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Another name change at the Keynote? There was no mention of ARM at the keynote. Instead it was all about Apple Silicon and SOC (System On a Chip).

I was intrigued by the possible implications of an SOC. Graphics processing was specifically mentioned along with the neural engine as part of the package but what else might be on the same silicon. Twenty-five or more years ago there was a lot of discussion about having the memory on the chip and even the remote possibility of storage on the chip as well. The objective as always being cheaper, faster, and using less power. Of course hardware upgrades and/or third party add ons would be out of the question. Conceptually intriguing but the technology simply was not available to make it happen at that time. But that was 25 years ago. When Apple started talking about an SOC I began to envision a Mac mini little bigger than today's iPhone Pro Max because of the real estate needed to accommodate multiple Thunderbolt 3/USB C ports and performance on a par with today's 10 core iMac Pro. Add a battery, keyboard and monitor and you would have the MacBook Pro. Bolt it into a slot on a 21" to 27" monitor and you would have an iMac Pro, lose the external device ports, change the energy management firmware add a battery and cellular modem and it is an iPhone, give that version a larger screen and it becomes an iPad.

Okay, I grant the conversion from device to device is greatly over-simplified, but it could be done. As they said during the Keynote, the iMac Pro used for the presentations was running the same A12x processor that is used in the current iPad Pro. (...and it sure seemed fast and smooth!)


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55023 06/24/20 10:02 AM
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Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55025 06/24/20 04:34 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Another name change at the Keynote? There was no mention of ARM at the keynote. Instead it was all about Apple Silicon and SOC (System On a Chip).

I was intrigued by the possible implications of an SOC. Graphics processing was specifically mentioned along with the neural engine as part of the package but what else might be on the same silicon. Twenty-five or more years ago there was a lot of discussion about having the memory on the chip and even the remote possibility of storage on the chip as well. The objective as always being cheaper, faster, and using less power. Of course hardware upgrades and/or third party add ons would be out of the question. Conceptually intriguing but the technology simply was not available to make it happen at that time. But that was 25 years ago. When Apple started talking about an SOC I began to envision a Mac mini little bigger than today's iPhone Pro Max because of the real estate needed to accommodate multiple Thunderbolt 3/USB C ports and performance on a par with today's 10 core iMac Pro. Add a battery, keyboard and monitor and you would have the MacBook Pro. Bolt it into a slot on a 21" to 27" monitor and you would have an iMac Pro, lose the external device ports, change the energy management firmware add a battery and cellular modem and it is an iPhone, give that version a larger screen and it becomes an iPad.

Okay, I grant the conversion from device to device is greatly over-simplified, but it could be done. As they said during the Keynote, the iMac Pro used for the presentations was running the same A12x processor that is used in the current iPad Pro. (...and it sure seemed fast and smooth!)


Fascinating! Simplified, yes, but think about where technology was just 10 years ago and scenarios like you describe are believable. We should all live so long. Or more likely, humans on the planet should live so long.


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
Ira L #55027 06/25/20 09:33 AM
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For a preview of Big Sur: Hands on look at everything new in macOS Big Sur I don't mind the changes provided that BS allows dark mode to be disabled.


Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
jchuzi #55041 06/26/20 05:01 PM
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I downloaded Safari Technology Preview 14.0 this morning, and it is exactly what was shown during the Keynote. It is fast enough that any speed difference one way or the other is unlikely to be detectable in normal day to day use. The new customizable startup screen is cool, but not a game-changer as far as I am concerned. The Privacy Report is also a cool feature and while there may be other sources of information on tracking, it is definitely a convenience. (Even my wife is becoming concerned with how much of what she does on the web is being tracked.)

As a result of start-up prompts, I did discover some new extensions and added Grammarly to those I already had. I haven't made up my mind about Grammarly yet, but it is definitely a far more stringent grammar checker than the one that comes with MacOS. You all will have to judge the improvement, if any, in my spelling, grammar, and punctuation. (Any improvement in my punctuation would be worthwhile.)

Originally Posted By: jchuzi
I don't mind the changes provided that BS allows dark mode to be disabled.
Just because you don't like it does not make Dark Mode "BS". Personally I like it -- a LOT. It is a matter of personal choice and you can activate or deactivate it in System Preferences > General.

Last edited by joemikeb; 06/26/20 05:15 PM. Reason: Add jchuzi comment

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55046 06/26/20 05:43 PM
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I used BS as an acronym for Big Sur, not anything else. I certainly would not state that dark mode is BS! grin

Last edited by jchuzi; 06/26/20 05:45 PM.

Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
jchuzi #55048 06/26/20 09:25 PM
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Now I get it! 🤦🏻‍♂️


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55049 06/26/20 10:00 PM
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Since I brought it up, I will add my considered opinion of Grammarly. The free version offers three features
  1. Spell checking -- it is more intrusive than the normal Apple spell checker. Still, the intrusiveness does help prevent the almost ubiquitous spell check glitches from the Apple spell checker, and therefore opinion, and worth the intrusion.
  2. Grammar checking -- head and shoulders better than the standard Apple grammar checking. As I mentioned previously, it does a great job with punctuation and syntax.
  3. Tone detection -- an experimental feature at this point that detects and appraises the tone of the writing. Whether it is formal or informal, forceful, optimistic, etc. Tone detection could be very useful in business correspondence or academia.

The premium features are
  • Vocabulary enhancement -- suggesting alternate wordings and avoiding hackneyed phraseology
  • Plagerism detection -- what it purports to be.
Whether the premium features are worth $12 a month or not is up to the user. If I were a graduate student working on my thesis or dissertation or back at my software engineering job writing software documentation and manuals, it would be invaluable and well worth $12 a month.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
Ira L #55057 06/27/20 04:08 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ira L
Fascinating! Simplified, yes, but think about where technology was just 10 years ago and scenarios like you describe are believable. We should all live so long. Or more likely, humans on the planet should live so long.

Comments on SoC from OWC
I was happy to find this: time Machine Comes TO APFS
Microsoft Office will love this: Federighi answers questions on converting to Apple Silicon -- but upgrading is probably in you near future.

Last edited by joemikeb; 06/27/20 04:24 PM. Reason: add new articles

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55058 06/27/20 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Originally Posted By: Ira L
Fascinating! Simplified, yes, but think about where technology was just 10 years ago and scenarios like you describe are believable. We should all live so long. Or more likely, humans on the planet should live so long.

Comments on SoC from OWC


You said it! And the author(s) of the OWC article referenced above, agree. Here is a partial quote from the article:
"My head starts spinning at the possibility of what is to come next. A Mac mini with 128 cores? Modular computing on a stick? A Mac Pro with no PCIe limitations? Who knows, but the future looks brighter than ever – and the future is now."


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
Ira L #55060 06/27/20 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: Ira L
You said it! And the author(s) of the OWC article referenced above, agree. Here is a partial quote from the article:
"My head starts spinning at the possibility of what is to come next. A Mac mini with 128 cores? Modular computing on a stick? A Mac Pro with no PCIe limitations? Who knows, but the future looks brighter than ever – and the future is now."

There is also speculation of the iPad becoming a Mac! Like it or not Apple has migrated to an integrated software and hardware continuum from TVOS at the bottom to MacOS at the top all held undergirded by CoS.

It is also a safe bet that the rest of the industry will attempt to move in the same direction but Microsoft has been singularly unsuccessful in creating a scalable OS architecture and Intel is strictly a hardware builder so who or what will their integrating factor be?


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55062 06/27/20 08:46 PM
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Jon

macOS 11.7.10, iMac Retina 5K 27-inch, late 2014, 3.5 GHz Intel Core i5, 1 TB fusion drive, 16 GB RAM, Epson SureColor P600, Photoshop CC, Lightroom CC, MS Office 365
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
jchuzi #55064 06/28/20 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted By: jchuzi
At last! 👍

New thought, how long before WatchOS 7, iOS 14, MacOS 11, et. al. are simply AppleOS?


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55071 06/29/20 04:42 PM
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And to add to the fantasy that should become reality, John W. on MacInTouch had this to say:

"But much more interestingly, if I think the laptop of tomorrow won't look exactly like the computer of today does - perhaps I think it will use machine learning to build in richer natural language interfaces and self-aware slide presentation coaching, or low-level always-present background processing of some sort for bulletproof cybersecurity monitoring - I now have a CPU design that's much closer to what I need. And, if I have an even newer idea the day after tomorrow that's unique to my computers - embedded quantum key generation? - I can probably build that too, instead of waiting for it to become mass market enough for Intel to care."


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
joemikeb #55084 07/02/20 06:50 AM
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Speaking of "how long," has Apple given any indication of their plans for Airport Utility now that they're out of the device business?

I suppose I could switch my music from my Airport Express Base Station to Bluetooth if I had no option, but I like my setup as it is.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Coountdown to WWDC 2020
artie505 #55090 07/02/20 06:47 PM
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I suspect Airport Utility will remain viable until it is no longer compatible with MacOS/iOS/iPadOS but it is no longer under development, and to the best of my knowledge it is no longer supported.

I have a lot of "Home" devices that do not play nice with a mesh network so I use my old Time Capsule to generate a dedicated 2.4 GHz network just for them and replacing it would be a real pain 🤬, so I hope that Airport Utility remains viable for a long time and my Airport hardware doesn't decide to quit on me.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
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