nhughes

tenthousandthings said:

This may be a dumb question, but is there any way the mysterious chip could be used to basically run iOS inside or beside macOS?

This would actually be useful for me. There’s an indispensable Chinese data/reference/research tool I use that is iOS only.

Until we know what the chip actually is (which will require an X-ray of it, and someone willing to pony up $5,000 to let their iMac Pro be destroyed), it's impossible to say. Not a dumb question though!

From a user perspective, I don't think we're going to see vanilla iOS apps on the Mac (though the rumor is a unified code base coming in 2018 will make it easier to port and update/enhance iOS apps for the Mac). From a developer perspective, Xcode already emulates running apps on the Mac, and having an A-series coprocessor could be handy for developers.

racerhomie3 said:

Can I use TB2 Mac with an external GPU to play GTA 5 ?
Do you have any experience with that?

I want to test the eGPU setup on the Mac Mini 2014.

You can hack it to work over Thunderbolt 2, but you lose some of the processing capabilities of the eGPU because the bandwidth is limited. I suspect the CPU would end up being the bottleneck on a 2014 Mac mini.

This topic isn't really related to the story at hand, so I won't be commenting anymore, but we have some info on eGPU over Thunderbolt 2 (and 1) in this article if you're interested:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/09/04/apples-egpu-work-in-high-sierra-is-impressive-but-six-more-months-will-make-it-better

racerhomie3 said:

Guys.
What is wrong with a MBP with an external GPU?
Is there a reason I don’t know to why they aren’t so popular.

For me, the biggest rub is you can't drive the eGPU horsepower to the MBP's internal Retina display. And because the only Retina-caliber monitors out there are LG UltraFine models that connect via USB-C and TB3, you can't use those with any eGPU rigs at the moment either, because graphics cards use legacy inputs like HDMI. So eGPU+MBP is fine for a dual-monitor setup, or with a VR headset, but I think dual monitors diminish the appeal of the Touch Bar.

Apple is getting back into the display market, so I imagine we'll see some Retina-caliber displays that connect over TB3, and maybe even have their own integrated eGPUs. Toss in an external Magic Keyboard with Touch Bar, and I'm in -- but I might be asking for too much in 2018.

Soli said:

So far, I put my investment at around $500 for the console, Pro Controller, screen protector, downloaded game, and the DLC that included both expansion packs. Despite that cost it'll end up being pennies on the dollar for the amount of time spent. And then last week I read that they're already working on another Zelda game for the console which just makes my investment even better.

You raise a really good point. Namely: “What is your time worth?”

In in recent years, games have made me think about this a lot. Not only because of my own time, but because of perceived “value” from internet commenters who wanted games to last 40+ hours. 

I found myself wanting shorter games for my $60. I find more value in accomplishment. 

But it’s interesting to think about in terms of Apple products. I spent $1200 on my latest phone. That’s a lot! But I also, years ago, spent $2500+ on a computer that I was tied to. And had no resale value. And I also made less money professionally. So. 

I would be more than happy with a $60 game that took 8-10 hours to complete. Many people on the internet disagree with me. The new Zelda game can be completed almost as quickly or as long-ly as you want. I find that to be a rather brilliant design decision, among countless other brilliant decisions they made with that game. It’s all all-timer. 

Soli said:

Only because it's listed I'll mention it, I put more hours into my Nintendo Switch than any other device right now other than my MBP, and potentially my Echos (all grouped together), but the Echo use should potentially be considered more passive as I make a request and then it executes it for hours, like "Alexa, play my Spotify housecleaning playlist."

This new Zelda game is beyond amazing and ridiculously large.

Breath of the Wild is a stunning achievement on virtually every level. Considering the relatively low horsepower of the Switch as compared to an iPad (or Apple TV), it makes me both frustrated for the current state of iOS games, and hopeful that things will improve in the future. In terms of graphics alone, Breath of the Wild shows how excellent art design can overcome the limitations of "low end" hardware. And Super Mario Odyssey is just a joy to play as well. Good stuff.