268: A Tarnished Brass Age

External GPUs

The use of external GPUs presents both opportunities and challenges for Mac users. John Siracusa highlights the potential benefits for those needing enhanced GPU power on portable devices, such as laptops, which traditionally lack the capacity for powerful internal GPUs. However, he expresses concerns about the reliability of macOS in handling the connection and disconnection of external GPUs, citing personal experiences with connectivity issues 1.

My faith in the reliability of the Mac operating system to handle this is shaken, despite the fact that I realize this is a revolutionary feature for people who are on the go.

Siracusa suggests that while the feature could be revolutionary, the current system's instability might deter users from adopting it 1.

   

macOS Concerns

Concerns about macOS quality have been rising, especially as Apple's focus shifts towards other platforms. Marco Arment voices his worry that macOS has become a lower priority for Apple, leading to sloppier updates and persistent bugs 2. He fears that this neglect could worsen with major transitions, such as a potential shift to ARM architecture.

Every time they rewrite a subsystem, it comes out buggier than the one before it.

Casey Liss shares a more optimistic view, hoping that despite initial challenges, the platform could eventually benefit from such changes 3.

   

Architecture Plans

Speculation about Apple's future architecture plans includes a potential dual-CPU strategy. John Siracusa discusses the possibility of Apple maintaining x86 processors for high-end Macs while transitioning lower-end models to ARM chips 4. This approach could lead to a complex software environment, increasing the potential for bugs.

Throwing another variable into the mix, especially as significant as the instruction set, is not the best way to drive down bugs and cost.

Marco Arment adds that while bringing chip production in-house could offer performance benefits, it also ties users more closely to Apple's decisions, which can be unpredictable 5.