[Info-vax] OT: About proprietary chips

[Shi Difu]

In article <paul.nospam-E0AD20.11002828012010 at pbook.sture.ch>,
 Paul Sture <paul.nospam at sture.ch> wrote:

> In article <nospam.News.Bob-51B685.19484027012010 at nothing.attdns.com>,
>  Bob Harris <nospam.News.Bob at remove.Smith-Harris.us> wrote:
> 
> > In article <00dc9bb4$0$17126$c3e8da3 at news.astraweb.com>,
> >  JF Mezei <jfmezei.spamnot at vaxination.ca> wrote:
> > 
> > > John Wallace wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Yes it seems to be an ARM-based chip.
> > > 
> > > OK, so your arguments about it being less difficult/costly to have your
> > > own version are very valid.
> > > 
> > > But it is still costlier than buying some off-the-shelf ARM processors
> > > for your adult toys/phones.
> > > 
> > > Will be interesting to hear more about whether Apple was able to do much
> > > more with its "own" chip than if it had bought off the shelf ones.
> > 
> > NOTE: I do not have a "Clue" about what Apple did with their own 
> > chip, but I can guess.
> > 
> > I would guess that the value added is the extra bits around the 
> > ARM instruction set.  Things to make the graphics work better.  
> > Things to deal with the multi-touch.  Things to deal with 
> > accelerometer, compass, etc...
> > 
> > The more stuff they can integrate into the CPU chip, the less 
> > power, and the lower the component costs.
> > 
> > And I'm willing to bet that the next generation of iPhone and iPod 
> > Touch may be using a version of this chip.  That is millions of 
> > units per year.
> > 
> 
> Speculation about that is already there. From:
> 
> <http://www.benzinga.com/102343/apple¹s-screaming-fast-a4-processor-­-the
> -best-mobile-cpu-in-the-world>
> 
> "Web pages render so fast it was hard to believe. After using the iPhone 
> so much for two and a half years, I¹ve become accustomed to web pages 
> rendering (relative to the Mac) slowly. On the iPad, they seem to render 
> nearly instantly. (802.11n Wi-Fi helps too.)
> 
> Everyone I spoke to in the press room was raving first and foremost 
> about the speed. None of us could shut up about it. It feels impossibly 
> fast. And our next thought: What happens if Apple has figured out a way 
> to make a CPU like A4 that fits in an iPhone? If they pull that off for 
> this year¹s new iPhone, look out."

There is more info here on Appleinsider;

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/01/28/ipads_custom_apple_a4_proce
ssor_includes_arm_based_cpu_gpu.html