This is a good high-level overview of Apple’s newly announced Metal framework and shader language. Apple’s goal is to replace use of the general purpose OpenGL ES with the far more precisely targeted Metal.
The linked article is a good read, even if you are not a developer.
Thanks to DED for laying it out in understandable language.
It reveals a huge chunk of veritable Apple innovation the media jackals and the corporate suits have been missing ever since they started scratching their pointed little heads over the need for a 64-bit processors.
An already large installed base of these iOS devices now provides a tantalizing market for advanced applications of Apple’s Metal technology. Pure Apple genius.
Never mind the patent wars. This in itself is going to shut the door on any hopes the competition may have of meeting or beating Apple.
All Apple has to do now is stay the course it’s plotted and keep doing all of the successful actions which keep its stats up.
Also, I liked Guy English’s writeup: http://kickingbear.com/blog/archives/447
AMD’s Mantle and DirectX 12 has the same speedup.
supposedly Sony has been doing it since PS3.
Novel thing Apple has done is extended OpenCL
without telling any one.
On the other hand speed up of games will be less spectacular than 10X.
Bottom line is who is most successful in making the technology available to developers and ultimately to end users. I think Apple is in a uniquely good position to do that.