Apple is winding down the Intel Mac era as macOS 27 approaches, marking the final chapter of a two‑decade partnership.
macOS 26, codenamed Tahoe, will be the last release that runs on Intel‑based Macs. The few remaining models that can install it will keep receiving security patches and Safari updates for another two years, while Rosetta—a translation layer for Intel apps on Apple Silicon—will persist in some form for an indeterminate period.
Beyond that, any further activity will be a coda rather than a new chapter. The piece looks back at how the Intel switch initially revitalized the Mac line before eventually becoming a hindrance, setting the stage for Apple’s full transition to its own silicon.
