“Besides Apple’s stock prices and Steve Jobs’ reputation for visionary entrepreneurship, something else is riding on the success or failure of the new iPad: The future of the semiconductor industry,” Lee Gomes reports for Forbes.
“The chip inside the new iPad is a microprocessor called the A4 that was designed in-house by Apple, most likely using the expertise it acquired via its 2008 acquisition of PA Semi, a Silicon Valley start-up. Selection of the A4 was described as a blow to both Intel and Qualcomm, since products from those companies were spurned in the process,” Gomes reports. “It certainly was that, but it also suggested that semiconductor technology has matured to the point where for many applications, the Intels of the world might not be necessary anymore.”
“It’s clear that this ‘democratization’ process is occurring right now in semiconductor design,” Gomes reports. “The iPad is a relatively high-end device, yet Apple believed it didn’t need to look outside its own walls for a CPU, and thus could forgo paying any form of ‘Intel tax.'”
Gomes reports, “Of course, Apple is a very big company and, especially for the sort of high-volume product it hopes the iPad to be, it can afford the sorts of up-front engineering expenses that would make smaller companies reel. But if it can afford to make an in-house chip good enough for the iPad in 2010, might it not also be able to make one good enough for the Macintosh in 2013? And if it can do so by then, why couldn’t Hewlett-Packard and Dell also?”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple is worth more than HP and Dell combined. HP (worth 4.5 times that of Dell) maybe, but a slim chance at best. Dell has no chance; Mikey’s just struggling to find a reason to keep the lights on.
Apple’s partnership with Intel, and the ability to run MS operating systems, is largely responsible for their popularity today.
Whatever the future holds, I sincerely hope that they don’t handicap this feature.
HP can hardly sustain its own Unix OS. I doubt it will invest in designing CPU or chipsets. HP is following IBM’s roadmap, IMHO.
@critic & No
You both make good points. I believe that Apple looked around at the existing and upcoming mobile CPUs and saw the need to develop an advanced, low-power CPU/SoC. That approach works for Apple because their vertical integration of hardware and software enables them to leverage the custom processor to add unique functionality and value in the marketplace. Otherwise, they would have worked with existing ARM Cortex designs.
Apple is driven by the product and experience. Looking backwards, it seems highly likely to me that the acquisition of PA Semi was driven by the iPad concept. In order to provide the performance, packaging, and battery life, Apple decided that a custom processor was needed and was fiscally justifiable.
Apple may not sell A4 processors now. But, down the road, a large portion of the mobile electronics space might just use an Apple-designed chip. Who knows?
I also have a question that I would really like an answer to. Will I be able to use the iPad as a screen for my Mini, wired or wireless?
In the end CRAPPLE will lose it all.
http://www.bing.com When it comes to decisions that matter, Bing & Decide
MDN just used Dell 3 times in a take without one ‘Beleaguered’.
I’m impressed at the restraint.
@ Priused
I wondered who manufactures the A4 chip also. Designing it is one thing. Making millions of them requires a specialized factory. Could Intel be the one?
@macanon
the wireless keyboard is compatable with the iPad it’s clearly states this on the website
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Steve Jobs has trotted out the quote from Alan Kay in his keynotes that goes something like this, and I paraphrase–Anyone serious about software should make their own hardware.
A4 is this in action, no?
I read on Apples website it is compatable with the wireless keyboard
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@Killbuck
I used Mocha VNC Lite to display my 20″ iMac screen on my iPod touch.
I used it to control my X10 lighting controllers before a dedicated app was released.
I’m sure the iPad will have an abundance of VNC/screen sharing type apps.
@ I’m a PC,
“In the end CRAPPLE will lose it all.”
So well thought out, susinct and to the point.
Just one question. What does this Crapple company do? I know it’s in Windows IT services with a name like Crap, but what does it do?
FTFA:
“By contrast, the iPhones and iPods tend to use a chip called ARM that Apple, like many other ARM customers, need to license.”
The author of this article doesn’t realize that the A4 *is* ARM. It’s not a CPU it’s a SOC based on ARM…that yes, has to be licensed and then fabbed (most likely it’s being fabbed by Samsung).
If Apple were to develop their own for a notebook/desktop, most likely it would still be an Intel designed CPU with Apple designed SOC and then fabbed by Intel…or pretty much Apple ordering custom chips from Intel and letting Intel design the whole thing to spec from Apple.
I could see Apple going with an ARM processor (probably with a bunch of custom silicon on top) to run a laptop–such is the advantage of a hardware agnostic OS…. Imagine the battery life of a 15″ Macbook Pro running an ARM chip instead of an Intel power hog.
Big Al’s MBP:
Can you imagine a Mac users with any self-respect trolling some crummy windoze ‘fan’ site goading the forum participants??!
No, neither can I.
We will see the A4 chip or a better version in the next iPhone S3GS
what would be even better if apple would develop ( i hope that acquiring of PA was the reason ) a chip which will be compatible with intel but will give some sort of exclusivity to have an apple product. something like motorola based macs with the universality of intel based cpus. something from both worlds, something what allows average joe to switch to mac easily and also give him reason to feel being in the family. but somehow i feel (want) apple to be ‘different’ from generic ‘pc’ components. can’t explain why, maybe it’s down to my first experience with macs, power pc cpus, photoshop 3.0, radius monitor…. that was long time ago. i understand that by switching to intel apple gained more market share but i’d like to see that ‘magic’ of apple computers again. it’s still there but not as present as before.
Apple clearly thinks way ahead. The ipad line will flow nicely into a full line of touch computers. The pro line will be mac tablet. The pro line will have camera included be larger and most likely set on a stand of some type. Maybe ideskpad pro? Ipad is just the beginning. Thunk about how far iPod has come in ten years. Think about the next three to five being very exciting re improvements to ipad.
HP might have a chance to start designing chips again, but that’s not the direction Mark is pushing the company. I’m damn proud of the engineer’s at Apple that developed the chip. Just as proud as I was when I worked for DEC and they designed the Alpha.