Get Last Intel MacBook or Wait for First ARM MacBook

[Karl Reinke]

If the news is correct sometime in the next 2 years Apple will be migrating the MacBook and all Macs to Apple made ARM processors. That has got me thinking about every time in past Apple migrated the Mac. There were some issues with the first gen Macs using the new processor. There were software issues as well either because of emulation slow downs or software outright refusing to run. The question is whether I should invest in the last Intel MacBook or wait for that first or second ARM MacBook. I'd like to hear opinions either way.
Or perhaps the wildcard is going the iPad Pro/Magic Keyboard route?

 

[mtneer]

In general I wouldn't recommend buying the first generation of anything - especially a completely new platform. If you need a computer now, then buy one now, use it through its life and then buy whatever is available when you upgrade. You'll likely buy into a much more stable and mature ecosystem then.

 

[lagisibuk]

If the news is correct sometime in the next 2 years Apple will be migrating the MacBook and all Macs to Apple made ARM processors. That has got me thinking about every time in past Apple migrated the Mac. There were some issues with the first gen Macs using the new processor. There were software issues as well either because of emulation slow downs or software outright refusing to run. The question is whether I should invest in the last Intel MacBook or wait for that first or second ARM MacBook. I'd like to hear opinions either way.
Or perhaps the wildcard is going the iPad Pro/Magic Keyboard route?

Hmm, no body knows about this rumours.
what happen if intel can made something "new improvement" on their processor??
dont need to wait, if you need today, please buy. we can upgrade tomorrow if we have money, chances and reason to upgrade

 

[oldmacs]

Apple will probably screw the buyers of the last Intel Macs with only 3 years of software support, like they did with the PPC Macs with Snow Leopard (After the transition they only got one more major Mac OSX version).

 

[hobowankenobi]

In general I wouldn't recommend buying the first generation of anything - especially a completely new platform. If you need a computer now, then buy one now, use it through its life and then buy whatever is available when you upgrade. You'll likely buy into a much more stable and mature ecosystem then.

This. Apple—and most tech—rarely get it right the first time. Odds are this will be a slow transition, and that means there is likely to be full support and demand for X86 Macs for years.

Nobody can say for sure....but if I were looking to buy a Mac today, I would be looking for a transitional Mac: something to bridge for 3-5 years until the ARM Macs have matured.
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Apple will probably screw the buyers of the last Intel Macs with only 3 years of software support, like they did with the PPC Macs with Snow Leopard (After the transition they only got one more major Mac OSX version).

While this is possible, Apple is a very different company today. Back then they were they holding on by their teeth. They really had few options to survive other than move forward. Didn't OS X support PPC until 10.5? That's 5 versions, and that was back when they did not roll an OS verson every year.

I would expect at least 5 years, but perhaps much longer than that if high-end Macs (at least iMac Pro and Mac Pro) keep X86 CPUs for at least a few more years.

I don't see them turning their backs on the new Mac Pro so soon. An MBA is one thing...how long before ATOM CPUs can replace and beat Xeons and i9s and Ryzens? And work well with dedicated high end GPUs?

Heck, it is possible they will fork the OS and continue to have x86 support for many years. Really hard to say right now.

 

[oldmacs]

hile this is possible, Apple is a very different company today. Back then they were they holding on by their teeth. They really had few options to survive other than move forward. Didn't OS X support PPC until 10.5? That's 5 versions, and that was back when they did not roll an OS verson every year.

what I meant though was that post the Intel transition, those who bought the last PPC Macs in 2006 only got one more software update (Leopard) and by 2009 couldn’t run the next major release (Snow Leopard).

Apple was nowhere near as big as it is today, but it wasn’t small back then. iPods were massive and the iPhone was starting to take off.
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Heck, it is possible they will fork the OS and continue to have x86 support for many years. Really hard to say right now.

I’d really hope so, but I don’t hold much hope.

 

[Falhófnir]

Apple will probably screw the buyers of the last Intel Macs with only 3 years of software support, like they did with the PPC Macs with Snow Leopard (After the transition they only got one more major Mac OSX version).

I'd probably be more worried about third party software support after Apple 'flicks the switch' - it's easy enough for Apple to keep making a version of macOS for Intel for a full 7 year support cycle, so they can say 'we are still supporting Intel Macs', but if they are pressing developers to support Arm/ make it clear that's the future of the platform, it's likely most developer effort will have switched by a couple of years in, with Intel Macs being a second priority. Depending on adoption figures, by year 4/5 support could have been completely cut for quite a lot of software.

 

[oldmacs]

I'd probably be more worried about third party software support after Apple 'flicks the switch' - it's easy enough for Apple to keep making a version of macOS for Intel for a full 7 year support cycle, so they can say 'we are still supporting Intel Macs', but if they are pressing developers to support Arm/ make it clear that's the future of the platform, it's likely most developer effort will have switched by a couple of years in, with Intel Macs being a second priority. Depending on adoption figures, by year 4/5 support could have been completely cut for quite a lot of software.

Oh yes the same thing happened for PPC, support was dropped quickly even though Apple went on about 'Universal' applications.