close_game
close_game

Designing Mac hardware & software is our tour de force: Apple’s Colleen Novielli

Jan 25, 2024 03:00 PM IST

Apple's Colleen Novielli, Doug Brooks and Meghna Lav discuss the trajectory of Apple Silicon’s approach to refresh cycles, a tight-knit ecosystem, AI and gaming

40 years of setting milestones. The Macintosh personal computer debut in 1984. The PowerBook 100 portable in 1991. First iMac in 1998, with colours following in 1999. Software’s modern transition with Mac OS X in 2001. In 2003 the iTunes Store that’s since also defined the iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple Watch too. The most popular ultra slim laptop of all time, MacBook Air in 2008. The cylindrical Mac Pro in 2013. Each of these have defined the computing devices we use today. But at this milestone defined by the expanse of time, Apple isn’t looking in the rear-view mirror. Focus is on building foundations for Mac’s next evolution.

Along the way have been generation defining processors, the M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra. (Apple | HT Photo)
Along the way have been generation defining processors, the M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra. (Apple | HT Photo)

It’s been a few years since, but the seismic shift delivered by Apple’s decision to stop using Intel chips in the Mac line, continues to make its impact felt. This, more than anything else, defines Apple’s approach towards hardware and software as a combination. “That means everything is designed together”, as Colleen Novielli, Worldwide Mac Product Marketing at Apple, describes the genesis of broader approach, in a conversation with HT.

Also Read:Apple MacBook Pro 16 with M3 Max forces PC makers to reset and restart, again

Just any chip couldn’t have done it. “Apple Silicon has really helped us unlock all of the experiences for our users, that have never been possible before. We have huge gains in performance, of course, to the incredible battery life, to reimagining designs for the line-up. We really have this tour de force as we’d like to call it, of this integration and collaboration across chip design, hardware and software, industrial design, interaction design and our services,” Novelli points out.

Now in third generation, with precious little coming in terms of equal response from Intel or AMD, the Apple M series chips have recalibrated performance, thermal and battery goalposts. That is, across a Mac portfolio that is carved into six device families, including the MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Studio. Within these six, further choice for buyers defined by screen size, processor and spec customisations. The Apple India online store allows to configure a new Mac purchase, options such as chip upgrades, RAM, more storage and pre-installed software depending on the device selected.

“We’ve been on this incredible pace of innovation with the transition to Apple Silicon. We’ve never been moving faster and innovating more on the Mac, as we are today,” says Doug Brooks, Worldwide Mac Product Marketing at Apple. Brooks calls this “an amazing synergy”, when every chip is optimised for the Mac device it is being deployed in, optimise the hardware for the software, which subsequently gets its own optimisations for the platform its running on.

Also Read: Apple MacBook Pro 14 with M3 is a strong case, as Air and Pro differentiation blurs

A rival, from other chipmakers, isn’t easily possible too. Take the example of the latest generation M3 chip – it is up to 35% faster than the M1, and up to 20% faster than the M2. Compromise battery life? Not a chance. In fact, the M3 can return similar results for many use-cases, using less than half the power of an M1. “The MacBook Air in 13 and 15-inch sizes deliver 18 hours of battery life. The MacBook Pro is unrivalled at 22 hours of battery life,” points out Meghna Lav, Worldwide Mac Product Marketing at Apple.

Along the way have been generation defining processors, the M1 Ultra and M2 Ultra. Every generation of Apple Silicon has a hierarchy – Apple M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max for instance, depending on performance and positioning. The M1 Ultra was arrived upon by connecting two M1 Max chips, with UltraFusion tech. Similar methodology for M2 Ultra. The result? 134 billion transistors, 16 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, 76 GPU cores, 32 Neural Engine cores, and configurable with up to 192 GB unified RAM.

The Mac Studio, also available with the M2 Ultra is one of Brooks’ favourites, which he uses to highlight “incredible transformation” as he calls it. “We’re able to put this incredible performance in this really compact design that runs really quietly right on your desk. And it is it’s the mainstay of so many ‘pro’ users,” he says.

Also Read: A laptop with no screen, another with two: New twists and turns in PC design

With flexibility in mind, designing these chips gives Apple a tweakable foundation across differing form factors, performance requirements and use cases. “Apple silicon has a scalable architecture, and we can scale it precisely to meet the needs of a dynamic range of customers,” says Lav.

Cycles of computing: AI, gaming and refresh

Over the years, upon close inspection, trends with computing become clear. The pursuit for raw baseline performance, push towards slimmer form factors, convertible computing devices, at different yet often overlapping points of time. Novelli says Apple doesn’t need to alter their approach for specifics. The reason is – the user.

“It’s about designing the products, experiences and designing for the user. We have this combination of our silicon, software and our services. That’s enabled us to really challenge some of the typical trade-offs,” she says. Novelli describes the collaboration in approach. “We work with our technology teams challenging assumptions to design products that previously weren’t possible. From shrinking logic boards, reimagined designs and thermal systems, integrating the tiniest battery cells that we’ve ever put under a keyboard.”

It is the significant size reduction of logic boards that’s proved a significant step forward for computing devices. As Lav explains, that’s allowed for more powerful computers with fan-less designs. “A MacBook Air is a great example of this. As is the iMac which is so thin that it’s hard to conceive that there’s a whole computer inside that beautiful form factor. Much less one that can edit and playback up to 12 streams of 4K content,” adds Lav.

Also Read:Apple widens scope of community initiatives in India, with clean energy in focus

There is pressure on tech companies to constantly innovate, and refresh cycles play an important role. It is important to find a balance with that timing. Or is there a risk of being too late to fall behind the curve or too soon to annoy existing customers?

Every user is unlikely to feel the need to upgrade their Mac every year or feel sorry they just bought one and didn’t wait a few more months because an upgrade arrived, believes Novelli. The pace of development is unlikely to slow down, which means new and faster Macs will arrive every year. But that wouldn’t take away from the performance and experiential longevity of the Mac a user has. An example being, the many Intel-based Macs that are still in use globally.

Apple’s long-term approach pays off too, for users. While smartphones and Intel based Windows PCs are now extensively making a pitch for artificial intelligence processing focused hardware (Intel’s Core Ultra chips now include an NPU, or neural processing unit), Apple’s integrated a Neural Engine since the M1 chips (that’s as far back as the year 2020). And since even earlier, in the chips for iPhone and iPad.

Also Read: Apple Silicon has democratised what a laptop can do: V-P Kate Bergeron

“Existing machines get better with more capabilities over time as software takes more and more advantage of it,” Brooks points out, adding that longevity is the approach Apple is taking with Raytracing and mesh-shading capabilities that underline the new graphics architecture.

For Apple, gaming is a frontier that’s yet to be fully tapped. That’s changing, and hardware leads that. Apart from the new architecture and functionality that gives parity with Nvidia and AMD’s dedicated GPUs, there’s simplification for game developers who can simply code for improved detailing and shadows for rendering using any of the M3 chips, without the need for a dedicated GPU.

Brooks believes there’s momentum to be optimistic about. “Gaming is an interesting one. We are very excited that the Apple Silicon architecture has really brought tremendous momentum to gaming on the Mac. To be able to have all of our systems now be able to play really powerful top-notch games is incredible,” he says.

Also Read: Apple Vision Pro puts your TV, phone and laptop on notice, in one fine swoop

The biggest advantage of designing everything together with hardware and software in sync, is for developers. “A unique thing that we bring to the table for our developer ecosystem is that shared architecture and of hardware allows developers to move apps from iPhone to iPad to Mac. They have very similar API’s (that’s application programming interface, which allows software and computers to communicate), in many cases, identical API’s across those platforms,” Brooks points out.

That’s been particularly useful with gaming, where a game developer can release a title and then have the same game available in versions specific for iPhone, iPad and iMac – same game, but ready for play across all different platforms. “We’re really the only developer only platform in the industry that offers that that capability” says Brooks.

As Apple often says, they not only design products, but also experience. That’s the underlying thought which helps them find a potential answer to what users may be looking for with their next computing device purchase. “You’ve heard us say several times, we’re just getting started,” says Novielli. That can only be good news for us.

rec-icon Recommended Topics
Stay updated with the latest Business News on Petrol Price, Gold Rate, Income Tax Calculator along with Silver Rates, Diesel Prices on Hindustan Times.
See More
Stay updated with the latest Business News on Petrol Price, Gold Rate, Income Tax Calculator along with Silver Rates, Diesel Prices on Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, February 14, 2025
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On