How Apple’s custom 64-bit silicon embarrassed the industry

Apple A7
Slide from Apple’s presentation revealing the Apple A7

Daniel Eran Dilger for AppleInsider:

After delivering just the first three generations of its custom ARM Application Processors between 2010 and 2012, Apple had already reached parity with market-leading mobile chip designers, even while breaking from the Cortex-A15 road map established by ARM to launch its own new Swift core.

Apple’s next moves embarrassed the industry even further while setting the stage for initiatives that are playing out today.

MacDailyNews Take: Our favorite story from that time was from an insider who told how Apple’s 64-bit A7 chip set off a panic at Qualcomm — it ‘hit us in the gut.’

Qualcomm et al. still haven’t recovered.

9 Comments

    1. While I would agree that high end desktop chips from AMD are back to being very competitive with Intel’s offerings, AMD’s HEDT chips are a bit faster in most applications, a bit slower in a few applications BUT require a lot more power and reject a lot more heat. Cooling those higher end AMD chips is no easy feat. A lot of people and systems builders will chose Intel for that lower power requirement and lower heat disipation.

      I would not say, “AMD is destroying Intel on the desktop”, and I doubt anyone looking at the overall picture would say that either (other than Intel haters or AMD fanbois, that is).

      1. Hi Shadow. I am neither an Intel hater, or AMD fanboy, though until now it was Intel by default. AMD is now firmly on my radar.

        On the desktop heat is an issue, but obviously more manageable than on mobile. First Law of Thermodynamics assures that big jobs require big energy, and due to entropy evolve a lot of heat. Mobile isn’t even in that conversation.

        The new Ryzen Threadrippers are indeed beating Intel when one compares price point for price point.

        1. I measure from the sack to the tip, and I get a solid 10. Unfortunately that is millimetres, but they’re mine and nothing Apple can do can take it away from me or wall me off of it.

        2. I do. And I do love talking to myself, it’s the sound of sanity. I grow an extra 1. Millimetre that is. I am full of beans. Cynical ones, too, free for the taking. Look ma, no walls. No gardens either!

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