Apple Plans To Become A Processor Power For Small Devices

R

Robert Myers

http://www.crn.com/hardware/211800562

"It's no mistake that Apple made the move to bring Papermaster to the
company after it acquired P.A. Semi earlier this year. Apple purchased
P.A. Semi, a 150-person company founded by the lead designer of the
highly regarded StrongARM and Alpha processor. Put Papermaster side by
side with P.A. Semi founder Dan Dobberpuhl and you've instantly got a
processor design powerhouse poised to design and build new processors
that could power the next generation iPhone and T1."

The big news, of course, is that IBM is suing Apple over the hire. As
usual, the world belongs to lawyers and financial engineers. Slavery
and indentured servitude. Anybody else ever had to sign a non-compete
agreement?

Robert.
 
D

Del Cecchi

Robert Myers said:
http://www.crn.com/hardware/211800562

"It's no mistake that Apple made the move to bring Papermaster to
the
company after it acquired P.A. Semi earlier this year. Apple
purchased
P.A. Semi, a 150-person company founded by the lead designer of the
highly regarded StrongARM and Alpha processor. Put Papermaster side
by
side with P.A. Semi founder Dan Dobberpuhl and you've instantly got
a
processor design powerhouse poised to design and build new
processors
that could power the next generation iPhone and T1."

The big news, of course, is that IBM is suing Apple over the hire.
As
usual, the world belongs to lawyers and financial engineers.
Slavery
and indentured servitude. Anybody else ever had to sign a
non-compete
agreement?

Robert.
Click to expand...

Not one as rigid as Papermaster's apparently was, but a noncompete
clause was standard at IBM for many years, as I recall.

Hardly slavery in his case as he was VERY VERY well compensated for
his signature on the line, I am sure.

It is interesting to ponder what Apple is up to. They made the switch
to x86 for computers and it would seem unlikely they would make the
investment to switch back. Perhaps it is the iPhone and iPod and
other products hypothetically being developed.

It will be a real handicap to operate without access to bleeding edge
fab capability.

del
 
R

Robert Myers

It will be a real handicap to operate without access to bleeding edge
fab capability.
Click to expand...
It's pure speculation, but Intel hasn't had a whole lot of luck
outside the PC space. Maybe Intel's fabs will be available to Apple.
Who knows what was built into the switch from PowerPC to Intel x86?

Robert.
 
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