To place it merely: Apple Silicon is impressively optimized for working native AI fashions. And the information is obvious: individuals care about this. Mac Studios are extensively offered out, and Mac minis are unimaginable to seek out. There’s a wide range of causes for this – like OpenClaw and different computer-use brokers. However there’s additionally a gaggle of individuals shopping for up high-end Macs with swaths of unified reminiscence, that are unimaginable for working native LLMs.
Whereas I’m certain Apple appreciates the extra {hardware} gross sales, I feel they may push this even additional – by coming into a phase they’ve so far ignored.
Apple may turn out to be a server supplier
Apple flirted with the concept of promoting servers for some time, within the type of Xserve. There was additionally a variant of the 2019 Mac Professional that may slot in a server rack. That’s now gone – with no direct alternative.
I feel now greater than ever, there’s a superb purpose to need to have macOS as a server – and it has to do with AI. Folks need to have brokers that may faucet into their Apple providers and Mac apps with out utilizing their very own computer systems. That’s why so many individuals are shopping for Mac mini’s to make use of as headless always-on units.
I’m unsure how possible it’s, but when this pattern continues, I feel it is perhaps believable to see Apple enter the server enterprise – just like how suppliers like AWS function. Clients may pay Apple a month-to-month payment for entry to macOS and Apple Silicon within the cloud.
Apple already has a few of the infrastructure for this, with Personal Cloud Compute. These servers are largely underutilized for now, till Apple will get its Gemini-tuned Apple Intelligence fashions able to go.
Both means, Apple may doubtlessly broaden additional. There’s no denying it’s profitable – greater than half of Amazon’s earnings come from AWS, not purchasing.
Wrap up
Apple is already a large firm, and iPhone gross sales present no indicators of slowing down. On this planet of AI although, if Apple needed to develop a brand new chunk of its enterprise, I feel renting out compute on Apple Silicon servers working macOS may turn out to be a scorching new hit. It’d definitely avoid wasting individuals from shopping for up the entire Mac Studios with excessive quantities of unified reminiscence.
Certain, you possibly can promote individuals on a $4000 laptop as soon as, or you would make $200+ per 30 days on them for so long as they want the cloud compute.
With Apple CEO Tim Cook dinner possible stepping down from his function someday within the close to future, I may simply see Apple pursuing this concept underneath new management. Particularly since John Ternus has a {hardware} background.
My favourite Apple accent suggestions:
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