The last WWDC 2020 of Apple did not only bring news in terms of operating systems, it brought with it the announcement of something that was already known to all and that the Californian company had not announced: the move from Mac to ARM leaving Intel back. But like any transition of this type, it is not something that can be done overnight and does not depend only on the company, but also on the developers. Precisely for these, an exclusive Mac mini with an ARM chip has been dedicated that will serve as a test bench.
A Mac mini with A12Z Bionic
In the Apple streaming, it was reported that the developers could request a special kit to start testing and adapt their applications and services to the new ARM architecture, which will be given by the Apple Silicon (provisional name of the new processors). It is expected that at the end of this year there may already be some equipment for sale with this feature. This kit is really a Mac mini with an A12Z Bionic processor, the same as that of the iPad Pro 2020 and which is currently the most advanced and powerful chip created by the company. This equipment also has the following components:
- 16 GB of RAM.
- 512 GB of SSD storage .
- 2 Thunderbolt ports (USB-C).
- 2 USB 3.0 ports.
- 1 HDMI 2.0 port.
- 1 Ethernet port .
Apple considers that these specifications are more than enough to serve as an ARM test bed, considering that current Mac mini have four Thunderbolt ports. Of course, the developers will have to previously disburse $ 500, which will not be returned later, despite the fact that the equipment will have to be returned within approximately one year of receiving it. In any case it seems, at least for the moment, that it will be more than enough.
Beyond the mentioned technical specifications, this Mac mini comes with the new macOS 11 Big Sur software, which is still in beta. Xcode 12 is also included in the pack and will be essential to program applications. Efforts have also been made to incorporate advanced code translation tools to make the task much easier. Early developers have already started to order the kit and in many cases have already received Apple approval and it is hoped that it will not take too long to start receiving it.
Historical change on Mac
In the WWDC 2020 invitations, he especially highlighted the images of the MacBook, which could be suggesting a special approach to this product in the midst of the iPhone and iPad era. Finally, it ended up being so to the point that the company cataloged this event as a historic day for what was the announcement of macOS 11 and the arrival of ARM chips manufactured by and for Apple.
Apple specialists once again emphasized the importance of developing common software and hardware for the devices, which greatly improves the user experience and also provides a competitive advantage over rivals. In fact, it is known that in the long run it is a cheaper manufacturing process that, in the absence of confirmation, could mean that in the future the price of Macs will drop compared to the prices that are currently handled.
No less important is the divorce between Apple and Intel , which we could classify as friendly within what fits. The Cupertino company has not only faced the usual handicap of having to negotiate with an external provider, but has also seen how certain orders have been delayed on numerous occasions and this has made it impossible for some Macs to be launched on the scheduled date. and it has even forced them on more than one occasion to launch them with a chip from previous generations. Therefore, this change to Apple Silicon will be very beneficial also in terms of product planning.