wizard69

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  • Developer devises workaround to run ARM Windows on M1 Mac

    wizard69wizard69
    jdb8167 said:
    wizard69 said:
    It really isn't much of a surprise the somebody has gotten QEMU running.   On my MBA I've rebuilt a number of Mac Ports as native ARM apps with no problems.   There are a few show stoppers, for example RUST isn't ready yet and that has a trickle down effect on software using that compiler.   However for the most part I'm rather surprised at just how well some of this stuff is building this early with the ARM based MBA's being available.   As such the machines are looking good for open source even if there is some lag.   The thing that really stands out though is performance of this software/system.   This machine hardly warms up and compiles faster than I'd would have imagined that a fanless device could.   

    I can build qemu but it doesn’t run. It fails with a memory allocation error. One of the main developers posted a page of patches that should fix things but I don’t know how to apply them. I’m going to have to do some research. But everything looks promising even though it is early in the transition. 

    One of the docker developers also tweeted that he has an early version of docker working as well. It seems the homebrew is a real laggard so far. They are predicting months before they have a M1 release. MacPorts has been the better solution. 

    I'm not sure I'd call MacPorts better, just that they have something that works fairly well right now.  I probably should qualify that, it works well for the software I'm interested in at the moment.   I do believe that some of the port maintainers though are really behind with requirements for libraries that have been long replaced by newer versions.  

    That being said I've long preferred the way that Homebrew went about things.    MacPorts seems to be stuck to far into the dying X11 world.    Maybe the perception is wrong but it is what I see.
    watto_cobra

  • Developer devises workaround to run ARM Windows on M1 Mac

    wizard69wizard69
    It really isn't much of a surprise the somebody has gotten QEMU running.   On my MBA I've rebuilt a number of Mac Ports as native ARM apps with no problems.   There are a few show stoppers, for example RUST isn't ready yet and that has a trickle down effect on software using that compiler.   However for the most part I'm rather surprised at just how well some of this stuff is building this early with the ARM based MBA's being available.   As such the machines are looking good for open source even if there is some lag.   The thing that really stands out though is performance of this software/system.   This machine hardly warms up and compiles faster than I'd would have imagined that a fanless device could.   

    As for Apples backlog, I don't think it is going away anytime soon.   These laptops are so good I can see them pulling significant sales from the PC space.   It is actually too bad that Apple didn't debut them at the beginning of the year, with covid they would have been sold out all year.   The machines are that good.
    Fidonet127GG1tobianAlex1Nwatto_cobra

  • Apple Silicon M1 Mac mini review - speed today and a promise of more later

    wizard69wizard69
    Mike Wuerthele said:
    davebarnes said:
    The 16GB of RAM is a deal breaker for me.
    My 2020 iMac has 64GB of RAM which I figure will last for 5+ years.
    RAM handling is a bit different with Apple Silicon. While if you're hitting swap space on that 64GB often now, it won't help you, how the M1 is handling RAM basically leads to a "8GB is the new 16, and 16 is the new 32" situation.

    We'll see more with time. I don't expect the 16GB limit to remain on whatever comes after the M1.

    These are really nice machines, I'm more impressed with my MBA, 16 GB everyday.    I would expect problems if I have a RAM heavy workload but that seldom happens.    It might be a mistake to call 8GB the new 16 GB, however many could do without 16 GB.    The real question is how many people with 64 GB of RAM on a Mini really hit swap space hard, if they do maybe they have the wrong machine.

    As for the Mini and its class of machines, are they really introductory machines any more?    I know of many corporate sites that have gone to Mini type computers, sadly mostly Lenovos, as the base model for much of the facility.    I just imagine what an uprated M series chip could do in a Mini, imagine 35 to 45 watts.
    watto_cobra

  • Apple Silicon M1 Mac detection of Thunderbolt 3 eGPU gives hope for future support

    wizard69wizard69
    blastdoor said:
    The way Apple has been talking about the benefits of an integrated GPU and UMA makes me really question what eGPU support will look like if it happens at all. The points Apple makes about the value of integration and UMA strike me as much more than just marketing -- they are thoughtful, substantive points. It really is a big deal to have as a fundamental assumption of the entire hardware and software stack that there is one unified pool of memory that all execution units can access equally. 

    If Apple offers supports for eGPUs (or PCIe GPUs in a Mac Pro), I wonder if it will be only for compute purposes, not for display. And I further wonder if it will be a specialized, separate kind of thing, sort of like how Afterburner is in the current Mac Pro. In other words, it would be expensive, specialized hardware for a narrow purpose. It would not be a GPU that is in any way on equal footing with the integrated GPU. 

    First, there will always be a need for higher performance graphics.   I really can't see anybody denying this but the need will diminish quickly for mainstream users.

    Second the value in UMA have been known for some time.   The advantage Apple has here is that they are all on board with it.   AMD was promoting such systems a few years ago but it never really caught on at MS.   One big advantage is that your GPU can be used much more as the copy penalty doesn't show up so even small routines can be accelerated on a GPU.   UMA is a good technology but it isn't a miracle.   It will be very interesting to see how Apple approaches this on the high performance machines because some tasks simply need more RAM.

    Personally I don't see a good reason for Apple to support eGPU.   I know that rubs a lot of people the wrong way, so be it, I see it as a waste of time.    It would be a waste of time on new Intel machines so this has little to do with M1.    In a nut shell should Apple deploy massive resources to serve 0.00001% of its market?   
    Detnator

  • Apple Silicon M1 Mac detection of Thunderbolt 3 eGPU gives hope for future support

    wizard69wizard69
    lkrupp said:
    Interesting how first generation hardware features are assumed to be etched in stone and immutable. It couldn’t possibly be that Apple wanted to get these entry level machines in the hands of users as son as possible to gauge usage and performance  No, no, assume the worst and start ranting and raving about how ALL ASi (current and future) Macs are useless pieces of garbage because these ENTRY LEVEL machines can’t run Windows natively and don't support eGPU.  It’s happening on all the major Apple centric tech blogs. 

    I’m always ranting myself about how negativity and assuming the worst rules these forums.  No room for positive thinking about the future of these machines and what the next generation might bring. Nope, the first ASi machines don't do this and don't support that so they are DOA.

    While I agree with this for the most part the problem I have is that detection of an eGPU chassis indicates nothing!!!!    It is pretty irresponsible of AI to publish such non sense without labeling it as speculation.   I'm of the opinion that Apple is about to give the eGPU world a smart kick towards the trash can but I have to acknowledge that it is speculation.  EGPU in my mind is one of those technologies that sounds so good on the surface but ends up looking idiotic to the vast majority of users.    This leads to abysmal sales and likely has Apple considering if it is even worth supporting.

    On the other hand I have to completely agree with the idea that these are the very first AS machines and are only targeting the low end.    Why people can't grasp this is beyond me.   Further they follow a very familiar pattern when working with Apple.    That is new features or concepts are often brought to market on old platforms to smooth transitions.    I look at it this way, even the MBA was good enough to get me to buy new Apple Mac hardware again.    I did that knowing full well that buying introductory hardware often isn't that smart with Apple but I've wanted a well done ARM laptop for years now and Apple was the first to deliver a decent machine.    As much as I've hated their management of the Mac line over the last 5 years, to the point of not buying the hardware, these new machines have gotten a lot right for being ENTRY LEVEL.

    Detnator