Apple has two major product lines. One is the regular computers which includes the iMacs, MacBooks, Servers etc. And the other that has developed recently in the mobile space, includes iPad, iPhone and iPod touch (Apple TV as well). While the Mac OS on the former is X86 the iOS runs on ARM architecture. As the ARM architecture makes progress and chip makers like NVIDIA promise ARM processors that can even run servers, the future for ARM sure looks bright.
Just yesterday we heard of Intel making some advancements with 3D chips, but that seems to have no effect on Microsoft and Apple’s (rumored in Apple’s case) plans of supporting ARM.
Microsoft announced at CES 2011 that the next version of Windows would also run on ARM and that was seen a big cheer. So isn’t Intel’s 3D tech in chips enough to stop companies switching to ARM? Well they surely would have told Microsoft and Apple about the developments long back, but the whispers in the industry surely seem to be in favor of ARM.
The transition to ARM in Apple’s case is said to be scheduled for 2013. Apple has acquired atleast two comapnies in recent years that help them do a lot of work at chip level and the recent iOS products have come out with Apple’s own ARM processors. It might not be totally out of the way to consider that Apple would be doing its own chips for its Mac lineup as well!