Apple considering WWDC Mac Pro reveal, expansion of 'Project Marzipan'
WWDC may not see just the reveal of the Mac Pro ahead of an expected launch later in the year, but also an expansion of the initiative that makes it easier for developers to create one app for most of Apple's platforms.
Apple unveiled the start of its plan to bring iOS apps to the Mac at 2018's WWDC
Bloomberg reports that Apple is continuing what its said to have codenamed Project Marzipan. The initiative, expected to be fully rolled out by 2021, intends to allow developers to create a single app that will automatically work across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Apple revealed the first part of what it called "a multi-year project" at the 2018 WWDC when it launched Mac versions of its own iOS apps such as News and Home. The company said then that this ability to work cross-platform would come to developers in the next year.
Bloomberg also says that Apple plans to release a new software development kit which it may release at June 2019's WWDC. This SDK will allow developers to write their apps once, but it won't yet change the process for submitting different versions to the Mac and iOS App Stores. By 2021, the aim is reportedly to allow developers to make a "single binary" that can be submitted once to a unified App Store.
Apple's News app for iOS has already been ported to the Mac
It's not clear whether the iOS and Mac App Stores will be merged as far as users are concerned, but cutting down the submission work required is hoped to encourage developers.
The 2019 WWDC is also expected to include new productivity features for iPad and, according to Bloomberg, Apple may also preview the forthcoming Mac Pro. The report's sources say that Apple has "internally weighed" whether to do it or not -- but didn't provide any information on what to expect.
The new Mac Pro was originally teased in April 2017 when Apple took the unusual step of briefing journalists on its plans. The company said then that the new Mac would be a modular design and that there would also be a new Apple-made display.
"We have a team working hard on it right now, and we want to architect it so we can keep it fresh with regular improvements," said Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller. "And we're committed to making it our highest-end, high-throughput desktop system, designed for our demanding pro customers."
A year later, Apple confirmed that the plan was for a 2019 release and announced that a new engineering group had been formed to work on it.
In February 2019, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the Mac Pro would be "easy to upgrade." He also said that the forthcoming display would be a 31.6-inch Apple 6K3K display that will feature "outstanding picture quality thanks to its adoption of the Mini LED-like backlight design."
Apple unveiled the start of its plan to bring iOS apps to the Mac at 2018's WWDC
Bloomberg reports that Apple is continuing what its said to have codenamed Project Marzipan. The initiative, expected to be fully rolled out by 2021, intends to allow developers to create a single app that will automatically work across iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Apple revealed the first part of what it called "a multi-year project" at the 2018 WWDC when it launched Mac versions of its own iOS apps such as News and Home. The company said then that this ability to work cross-platform would come to developers in the next year.
Bloomberg also says that Apple plans to release a new software development kit which it may release at June 2019's WWDC. This SDK will allow developers to write their apps once, but it won't yet change the process for submitting different versions to the Mac and iOS App Stores. By 2021, the aim is reportedly to allow developers to make a "single binary" that can be submitted once to a unified App Store.
Apple's News app for iOS has already been ported to the Mac
It's not clear whether the iOS and Mac App Stores will be merged as far as users are concerned, but cutting down the submission work required is hoped to encourage developers.
The 2019 WWDC is also expected to include new productivity features for iPad and, according to Bloomberg, Apple may also preview the forthcoming Mac Pro. The report's sources say that Apple has "internally weighed" whether to do it or not -- but didn't provide any information on what to expect.
The new Mac Pro was originally teased in April 2017 when Apple took the unusual step of briefing journalists on its plans. The company said then that the new Mac would be a modular design and that there would also be a new Apple-made display.
"We have a team working hard on it right now, and we want to architect it so we can keep it fresh with regular improvements," said Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller. "And we're committed to making it our highest-end, high-throughput desktop system, designed for our demanding pro customers."
A year later, Apple confirmed that the plan was for a 2019 release and announced that a new engineering group had been formed to work on it.
In February 2019, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the Mac Pro would be "easy to upgrade." He also said that the forthcoming display would be a 31.6-inch Apple 6K3K display that will feature "outstanding picture quality thanks to its adoption of the Mini LED-like backlight design."
Comments
In other news, WWDC is going to happen in San Jose this year.... I know, I know, but I have sources, trust me.
Been saying for years that Apple should, would, and will have no rational choice other than unification of the platforms.
Given that apps on macOS can have multiple modes (windowed and full screen) and the os can handle multi-platform binaries (like PPC32, PPC64, x86, x86-64) it’s a no brainer to add an additional mode (TouchUI) and an additional platform (arm64).
At the same time Apple can start dumping intel.
The only thing to be feared about this development is that Apple might use it to close down the Mac, and that we’d need to jailbreak our computers, just to get access or verify what software is running on them.
If that were the case, it would leave me with no option but to move to a strictly opensource platform, and abandon all things Apple.
I still see no reason to merge the OSs. Sure Mac OS needs to be worked to be tablet compatible, but giving it iOSes hindering interface wouldn’t really help anything. iOS needs to remain on iPhones for the forseevle future as well as there is nothing that could be practically imported from Mac OS.
That will enable them to develop their app or game once but let them run on both platforms.
I don't see Apple merging the two. iOS was taken from MacOS and stripped down & simplified to meet the predominant uses on mobile devices. Conversely MacOS is a more robust OS for the beefier tasks often performed on a laptop or desktop.
I think an appropriate analogy would be GM making both cars (smaller, less robust) and pickup trucks (big and beefy). Both are needed -- yet they can still share similar components such as sound systems. (By the way, what do you call those things these days? They used to be "radios" -- now they're radios, CDs. Mapping, backup camera displays, text and phone messaging systems, vehicle information displays, etc....)
Cool little rebellion fantasy you wrote in your head tho. Go get ‘em! Abandon Apple!
Yes, it takes Apple minimum 2 years to design a computer from the ground up. They don’t put together off-the-shelf components anymore, and Macs don’t make or break the company anymore like it used to, so schedules aren’t set in stone like iPhones are. Looks like all new Macs will have a T-series co-processor. This will slow down things too, and these co-processors will take more and more work from other off-the-shelf components. Wouldn’t be surprised if future variants have a GPU in it.
Hopefully they don’t preview any new hardware anymore. If they announce it, it should be ready to buy within a couple of months at most. The delays in AirPower, AirPods, and HomePod has hopefully retaught them that it isn’t worth it.
Clueless. Cook is one of the most successful CEOs of modern history. Thank god you’re not in charge of anyone’s money.
Sounds like you’re new to Apple; Craig and others explained in a media event why the MP is delayed and what happened. Read up.
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/06/transcript-phil-schiller-craig-federighi-and-john-ternus-on-the-state-of-apples-pro-macs/
To be more pedantic, Apple is essentially saying that PCs use indirect input devices such as keyboards and point devices (mouse, trackpad) while touch devices use direct manipulation. In other words, input targets for devices with pointing devices can have targets doing to 2 or 3 points while on touch devices it is 20 to 30 points. That order of magnitude difference means the UI has to be changed in some way.
It shouldn’t mean that touch devices shouldn’t have pointing devices though, they should, it means that touch apps should be designed for fingers first.
You managed money inside Apple corporate? And you’re calling Cook a horrible CEO? Cool story, bro. Like I said...clueless.
Hmmm, how many computer companies have you worked for, and how many computers have you designed?
You might try pulling your head out of your ass sometime before you talk about things you know NOTHING about.
Most "computers" (and the iPhone is a computer, just like the Mac) take at least 3 years to build. I'm guessing that some of the subsystems (FaceID, OLED, etc.) on the current iPhone took at least 3 years to come together, they just don't talk about them before they're ready. Getting something out with the complexity of the Mac Pro will take 3 years MINIMUM. More like 5, in my experience.
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