Did Apple Court Other PPC Vendors Before Intel Switch?
PA Semi - a maker of low-power Power processors - formed a tight relationship with Apple - one meant to result in it delivering chips for Apple's notebook line and possibly desktops. The two companies shared software engineering work, trying to see how Apple's applications could be ported onto PA Semi's silicon. When word leaked out that Apple had signed on with Intel, it shocked the PA Semi staff, according to multiple sources.
PA Semi is a silicon-valley startup that boasts having lead designers of the DEC Alpha and StrongARM chips, as well as designers from the Opteron, Itanium, and UltraSparc. It currently plans on quad-core versions of its chips to ship by late 2007, and an eight-core version in 2008.
PA Semi's first chip is a dual-core Altivec-compatible chip with 2 MB of L2 cache, support for DDR2 and PCI-Express. In addition, when running at 2 Ghz, the chip consumes only 7 watts of power according to PA Semi. Comparatively, Intel's Core Duo consumes between 21 and 25 watts.
Despite the startup's impressive portfolio, with the chip sampling in 2006 and shipping in volume by 2007, it may have arrived too late for Apple to consider further. Also, with Intel's Kentfield quad-core chip rumored to arrive by Q1 2007, it appears as though PA Semi is about 9 months behind Intel.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
It's obviously more about the architecture of these core chips that would just blow those PPC chips away anyways. Too bad for them, but it's just better tech.
It's sad Apple went the Intel route. It ceased producing interesting hardware on the computer side (it's nice looking, but everyone who's anyone sells the same stuff, albiet sans webcam or remote), which even when it wasn't desirable was part way responsible for creating innovation in the computer space. And the arguments that Intel somehow was "price-per-watt" efficient never made much sense either. The nadir was the announcement of the Intel iMac, with attempts to suggest it was "twice as fast" as its predecessor. Why? Because the iMac G5 never got the dual core G5 that was put in the PowerMacs. They were comparing latest Intel vs year old G5s. Nice. Isn't marketing great? Cripple your last generation of machines so the replacement technology looks like some great advance.
The last year or so has been one big "Apple: we're just as bad as Dell" fiasco, at least when it comes to computers. Only Mac OS X and Job's RDF are still holding the fort.
And I agree with Hannibal. Apple are doing this because they're seeing their eventual focus being their music/multimedia business. The Mac seems to be a platform for saying to the rest of the industry "This is how we want our widgets to work, you better make your PCs interoperate with our hardware just as well or our computers will compete with yours.", and that's assuming the end game doesn't involve them selling the Mac side of the business to a PC manufacturer anyway.
Still, the question this begs is: was the non-appearance of a comparable-spec chip from IBM due to technical incompetence or bloody-minded unwillingness?
Very Interesting...so, G5 PowerBooks next Tuesday, then? :D
Still, the question this begs is: was the non-appearance of a comparable-spec chip from IBM due to technical incompetence or bloody-minded unwillingness?
Wouldn't it be G6? ;)
And I agree with Hannibal. Apple are doing this because they're seeing their eventual focus being their music/multimedia business. The Mac seems to be a platform for saying to the rest of the industry "This is how we want our widgets to work, you better make your PCs interoperate with our hardware just as well or our computers will compete with yours.", and that's assuming the end game doesn't involve them selling the Mac side of the business to a PC manufacturer anyway.
What do you mean by "Widgets"? Surely not dashboard :confused:Submitted this to Macbytes a few hours back, can i get some credit pleeeeeeeaaaasssse? :p
*druel* Macbook ... although a Macbook with 3x longer battery...mmmm 18 hour battery life...mmm
Uber
[ Read All Comments ]
Analytics firm Chitika today released a report showing that by its metrics iOS has now surpassed OS X in overall web traffic share in the United States. Chitika's methodology involves an analysis...
One of the most frequent reasons for an iPhone to go on a trip to the Apple Store's Genius Bar is because of water damage. Typically, a water damaged iPhone can be replaced for a flat $199...
TheVerge's Joshua Topolsky summarizes the iPad 3 casing findings reported earlier today, but also adds his own sources regarding some details of the iPad 3.
Image from RepairLabs
As...
Last July, Apple discontinued the white MacBook from its consumer lineup, pushing consumers toward the company's popular MacBook Air line or the 13-inch MacBook Pro. The company didn't kill...
Popular iPhone Twitter client Tweetbot has finally arrived on the iPad, with a user interface instantly familiar to any current Tweetbot user. Designed for the Twitter power-user, Tweetbot packs a...
