154633 arm cortex

An Arstechnica article from February outlines some of the challenges Intel has with the emerging strength of ARM processors. While Ars points out that ARM simply can't beat Intel from a performance perspective -- at least any time soon -- they also point out that they don't have to become dominant in the marketplace.

If it turns out that the ARM ecosystem can get within a factor of two of x86 in terms of performance and performance per watt as ARM chips move to higher levels of size and complexity, and if that ecosystem can simultaneously keep the cost of ARM chips much lower than that of x86 chips, then ARM could do to x86 what x86 did to Alpha, MIPS, SPARC, PowerPC, and the other RISC workstation architectures. Intel used its process strength to get close enough to RISC workstation and server performance that the PC's status as a low-cost commodity machine gave the PC an edge. We all know how the story played out: the high-end RISC vendors were marginalized, as the lower volumes on their now-boutique chips kept their prices up; meanwhile, Intel relentlessly narrowed the performance gap and moved the PC into new markets because it was dramatically cheaper and almost as good.

via @cvaucher

Top Rated Comments

arn Avatar
184 months ago
sorry this is a misguided it attempt at a page 2 rumor

this is not a rumor.

arn
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
apparatchik Avatar
184 months ago
no it's confused and misguided analysis about a non issue for the time being.

We disagree.

Sent from my iPad
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adcx64 Avatar
184 months ago
Without a doubt, as long as apple keeps the APIs, the transition will be smooth
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zap2 Avatar
184 months ago
... although AMD tried the same and even outperformed Intel chips in the past, Apple does have the financial ability to overcome the aggression that Intel is going to hit the market with.

Apple isn't trying beat Intel, they work together in a lot of markets.


Apple seems just fine taking the best fitting product from the best computer they design, be it AMD, Intel or ARM
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MoonDogg Avatar
184 months ago
the biggest problem is that Intel stole the technology from Digital. Coupled with Digital's new CEO running the company into the ground, the Alpha chip never really took off. Otherwise Intel would be in the same league as AMD right now, with Digital leading the way in processors. Sad really, cause CISC architecture is much better this RISC. That is the #1 reason why Apple computers were so powerful back in the day with lower speeds.

The problem now is that so much software is tightly integrated into the x86 architecture. Imagine the nightmare of having to try and shift over to a newer technology.

I think you got that backwards... Alpha & PowerPC is RISC and Intel x86 is CISC... not the other way around. :cool:
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrNomNoms Avatar
184 months ago
the biggest problem is that Intel stole the technology from Digital. Coupled with Digital's new CEO running the company into the ground, the Alpha chip never really took off. Otherwise Intel would be in the same league as AMD right now, with Digital leading the way in processors. Sad really, cause CISC architecture is much better this RISC. That is the #1 reason why Apple computers were so powerful back in the day with lower speeds.

The problem now is that so much software is tightly integrated into the x86 architecture. Imagine the nightmare of having to try and shift over to a newer technology.

Just a minor correction regarding your first point, AMD licensed DIGITAL IP which became the basis of their Athlon CPU - it also forms the basis for hypertransport which competes with Quickpath. HP then bought Compaq which then shared the Alpha related technology with Intel as they both worked together on Itanium as a replacement for their MIPS (Tandem), Alpha (Digital) and PA-RISC (HP) lines so that there would be a single architecture underpinning the three platforms.

Regarding RISC vs. CISC - there is no pure RISC or CISC based architectures just as there are no pure monolithic or micro kernels out there in the mainstream; the industry pretty much settled on hybrids of the two extremes rather than be carried away with the politics of one way of doing something over another. If you have a look at the latest Core 2 and future designs as Arstechnica went into depth there are CISC ideas that are actually beneficial when it comes to efficiency.

Regarding your final point there isn't enough benefits to outweigh the pain associated with moving from x86 to ARM. The move from PowerPC was after years of broken promises, an architecture that was more or less dead on the desktop and suppliers unable to keep up with the demands of Apple's growing business. Compare that litany of woes to the more or less smooth sailing with Intel at their side - when ever Apple needs a component Intel can meet the order without breaking a sweat.

I'll bet my bottom dollar that those people who started the rumours probably got the wrong end of the stick - the same idiots who claimed that 10A432 wasn't the Golden Master for Snow Leopard but 10A435 was only to be shown for a pack of fools when 10A432 was the official retail build (funny enough all traces of those tweets from back then have disappeared off the radar, idiots ashamed of their stupidity?).

Some of the rumours so far have been common sense (Verizon iPhone, the iPad being a natural evolution of the iPod Touch etc) but some just defy basic common sense such as the ARM rumour.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching in Three Months With These 12 New Features

Saturday June 14, 2025 5:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of June 2025:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro have a...
apple watch ultra 2 new black

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Finally Coming After Two-Year Hiatus

Monday June 16, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple will finally deliver the Apple Watch Ultra 3 sometime this year, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong (via @jukanlosreve). The analyst expects both the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 to arrive this year (likely alongside the new iPhone 17 lineup, if previous launches are anything to go by), according to his latest product roadmap shared with...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
terminal macos tahoe

Apple's Terminal App Gets Colorful Redesign in macOS Tahoe

Monday June 16, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's Terminal app is getting a visual refresh in macOS Tahoe, and it's the first notable design update since the command-line tool debuted. The updated Terminal will support 24-bit color and Powerline fonts, according to Apple's State of the Platforms presentation at WWDC25. The app will also adopt the new Liquid Glass aesthetic with redesigned themes that align with macOS 26's broader...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Apple Says iOS 26 Won't Be Available on These iPhone Models

Tuesday June 10, 2025 6:58 am PDT by
Apple this week revealed that iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 series and newer. That means that iOS 18 is the end of the road for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, which were all released in 2018. However, those devices will continue to receive security updates for at least a few more years. iOS 26 is compatible with the following iPhone models: iPhone 16e iPhone...
new iphone lockscreen ios 26

iOS 26: Five Changes Coming to Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday June 17, 2025 8:46 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has made some additions to the iPhone Lock Screen that aim to make it more customizable than ever. Of course, things can always change before the software makes its way to the general iPhone-owning public, but here are five new things iOS 26 can do on the Lock Screen as of the current developer beta. Widgets Top or Bottom In iOS 18, the row of widgets on your Lock...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Not Launching Until Next Year, Claims Analyst

Monday June 16, 2025 4:52 am PDT by
Apple may launch the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026, according to analyst Jeff Pu of GF Securities Hong Kong, contradicting earlier predictions of a much sooner release. Pu's Apple product timeline (via @jukanlosreve) comes as a bit of a surprise. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in February that new AirPods with heart rate monitoring were "months away," suggesting a late 2025 launch at the earliest....