Windows support in an ARM future

[imrazor]

Recently rumors have been heating up that Apple will move Macs to the ARM architecture next year (2021.) What does that mean for Windows support on Macs? Will there be a few high performance Macs that still use Intel chips? (I'm looking at you, Mac Pro.) Will Apple offer some kind of emulation layer like Rosetta?

I know Apple has managed these transitions before, but the migration from PowerPC to Intel x86 brought an advantage. Moving to x86 allowed people to run Windows software (either in Boot Camp or a virtual machine) at nearly native performance levels. Now Apple wants to take this away, and apparently not offer an alternative.

How do you think Apple will handle the loss of x86 compatibility? Do you think it's a good idea? I don't, but I doubt Tim Cook cares what I think...

 

[Altemose]

At this point, I am more inclined to believe that Apple would switch to AMD rather than ARM, however that is even questionable. Historically, Apple does a good job with transitions of this sort and they would likely begin with a consumer grade MacBook Air like device, which the majority of the user base uses preinstalled software and some major giants such as Chrome and Microsoft Office. This will build the momentum for the switch the rest of the way.

As for the loss of Boot Camp, it is hard to say what will happen. At this point, Apple is delivering fantastic Intel machines that are also the best PCs (IMO). While there would be some disgruntled customers and even some lost, the benefits for the macOS side are numerous. Apple is a consumer-oriented company, and if it is what is needed to push macOS into the future then it is the best choice. I don't think Microsoft could pull it off the same way due to the fact that their marketshare comes from the corporate world, where tools like Group Policy, Active Directory, SCCM, and many other platforms distinguish the company. Apple does not have any of that and thus is more inclined to make a switch.