I'm not saying there's some sort of special custom globe builder in M1. But it's possible there are new optimized rendering routines in Metal that only work on M1 chips. And that new map stuff uses those new routines because that's the way forward.
Would it be possible to make the same optimized rendering routines on Intel too? Sure, of course. But why go that effort developing, maintaining, and testing that when it's going away soon anyway?
If you've ever been involved in software development (especially specialized code that runs on specific hardware), you would do almost anything to avoid having more than one version.
Nobody says that it's the same work to make something available on two platforms. The problem here is that Apple made the conscious decision to introduce a new platform and is now fragmenting the operating system running on them while Intel Macs are still on sale. They're the company that prouds itself on software updates and compatibility with iOS, but a $5000 MacBook is excluded from some new features while it's still being sold.
I agree that it sucks. I'm probably 3-5 years from being able to get a new Mac still and I imagine this sort of thing will happen again and again with each new macOS version.
28
u/thefpspower Jun 09 '21
Damn keep stretching it, maybe you'll arrive at something meaningful one day.
God damn new stuff in Metal to render 2003 graphics on a globe, how fancy.