With new Macs, Apple aims to take on Microsoft, Nvidia in a rush to lower AI costs

Apple plans to launch new desktop computers on Tuesday, aiming to challenge Microsoft and Nvidia in the AI market by offering cheaper alternatives to renting data centers. The Mac Minis and Mac Studios, priced at nearly $20,000, can handle AI tasks locally, bypassing the need for expensive "tokens" from cloud providers like OpenAI or Anthropic.

Apple's strategy is rooted in its expertise in optimizing battery life, a skill honed through years of developing chipsets for iPhones and iPads. This background has led to Macs being well-suited for AI processing, thanks to the unified memory architecture pioneered in Apple Silicon chips. While Apple currently holds only 4.6% of the enterprise desktop market, the company believes its unique approach to power efficiency and local AI processing can provide significant value to businesses.

Apple's Mac Studios have evolved from content creation tools to include specialized features like RDMA over Thunderbolt, enabling them to run complex AI workloads without the cost of cloud services. Johny Srouji, Apple's chief hardware officer, emphasized that once a Mac is purchased, there are no additional costs associated with AI computations, making it a cost-effective solution.

Microsoft is also targeting this market, with CEO Satya Nadella highlighting the potential of on-device AI, which could be integrated into a "super app" for Windows. However, Microsoft's broader compatibility with various hardware vendors might pose challenges in optimizing AI performance. Nvidia remains focused on the data center market, with CEO Jensen Huang downplaying Apple's direct competition, emphasizing the company's interest in enhancing the capabilities of Windows PCs.

Srouji believes Apple's Mac lineup offers a versatile range of products to cater to diverse corporate needs, from high-performance Mac Studios to more affordable Mac Minis and iPhones.