This way, there will be some level of optimization even before you open the app.īut what if it’s a web browser or a complicated app with just-in-time code? Rosetta 2 can also translate instructions from x86 to ARM on the fly, while you’re running the app.Īnd if you’re a developer working on code that is going to run on servers, Apple is also working on a set of virtualization tools. When you install an old app, your Mac will examine the app and try to optimize it for your ARM processor.
Apple is going to ship Rosetta 2, an emulation layer that lets you run old apps on new Macs. But its performances won’t be as good as what you’d get from a native ARM-ready app. If you’ve been using a Mac for a while, you know that Apple used the same process when it switched from PowerPC CPUs to Intel CPUs - one app, two executables.Īs for unoptimized software, you’ll still be able to run those apps.
You can ship those apps with both executables using a new format called Universal 2. If you are a developer or if you run obscure enterprise apps, you may have a lot of questions about how it’s going to work.įirst, you’ll be able to compile your app to run both on Intel-based Macs and ARM-based Macs. In the future, the company is going to switch from Intel CPU to Apple’s own silicon, based on ARM architecture. Apple has announced a major shift for the Mac.
