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"Armac" Q&A (Apple Silicon Macs FAQ) @ EveryMac.com
Update Published July 21, 2023
The "Armac" Q&A throughly covers Apple's decision to migrate the Mac to ARM-based processors -- formally "Apple Silicon" SoCs -- and makes an effort to speculate and answer questions about Apple's switch away from Intel processors.
Questions such as "Why did Apple decide to switch to ARM-based Apple Silicon processors?" and "Will applications written for ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs run on Intel-based Macs?" along with dozens of others are answered in-depth.
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Most Frequently Asked Apple Silicon Q&As:
Why did Apple decide to switch to ARM-based Apple Silicon processors?
Will Intel-based Macs be supported in the future? For how long?
What is Apple Silicon? What is ARM? What is "Armac"?
Which Macs will be the first to use an Apple Silicon processor?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs cost less than Intel-based Macs?
Will applications written for ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs run on Intel-based Macs?
Should I buy an Intel-based Mac now or wait for an ARM-based Apple Silicon Mac?
Will existing Mac apps run on ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs? Will they be faster or slower?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs be able to boot Windows? Run Windows under virtualization or emulation?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs support dedicated graphics processors? eGPUs?
General Apple Silicon Q&As:
What is Apple Silicon? What is ARM? What is "Armac"?
Why did Apple decide to switch to ARM-based Apple Silicon processors?
When will the switch from Intel to Apple Silicon processors occur?
Which Macs will be the first to use an Apple Silicon processor?
Will Apple continue to release new Intel-based Macs? Which ones?
Will Intel-based Macs be supported in the future? For how long?
Should I buy an Intel-based Mac now or wait for an ARM-based Apple Silicon Mac?
Is the switch from Intel to ARM-based Apple Silicon processors the end for the Mac?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs cost less than Intel-based Macs?
Where can I buy an ARM-based Apple Silicon Mac?
General Software Compatibility Q&As:
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs run the macOS or iOS? What version?
Will Intel Macs run the same operating system as ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs?
Will existing Mac apps run on ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs? Will they be faster or slower?
What is "Universal 2"? What is a universal binary?
What is "Rosetta 2"? What does it support?
Will applications written for ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs run on Intel-based Macs?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs be able to boot Windows? Run Windows under virtualization or emulation?
Specific Software Application Q&As:
Will Adobe software be available for ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs?
Will Microsoft Office be available for ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs?
Will FileMaker Pro be available for ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs?
Will Apple Boot Camp work with ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs?
Will Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion work with ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs?
General Hardware Compatibility Q&As:
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs support Thunderbolt?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs support external storage?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs support dedicated graphics processors? eGPUs?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs support PCIe slots? Storage bays?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs gain cellular connectivity?
Will existing peripherals be compatible with ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs?
Will it be possible to upgrade an Intel-based Mac to an Apple Silicon processor?
Will ARM-based Apple Silicon Macs be the end of the Hackintosh?
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