5 ms·

Only if Nvidia stop licencing ARM to other companies like Apple, Qualcomm and … AMD, right?

Eric_WVGG 6y ago
As a founder of ARM, Apple is grandfathered into a "perpetual architecture license," clear sailing unless nVidia deprecated ARM in favor some something completely new (as I understand it), which seems unlikely to say the least.
- KMag 6y ago
  > As a founder of ARM, Apple ... Apple was a founding member of AIM (Apple, IBM, Motorola) for PowerPC. (As rumour has it, after DEC refused to go for a higher-volume lower-margin Alpha AXP derivative when Apple came knocking for an m68k replacement, Apple then asked IBM for a higher-volume lower-margin POWER derivative, leading to AIM and PowerPC.) As far as I know, only Acorn had a role in founding/spinning off ARM. On the other hand, I would be very surprised is Apple wasn't smart enough to get a very-long-term/perpetual license on the ARM instruction set before investing heavily in custom core design.
  - rdsnsca 6y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture "In the late 1980s, Apple Computer and VLSI Technology started working with Acorn on newer versions of the Arm core. In 1990, Acorn spun off the design team into a new company named Advanced RISC Machines Ltd." https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-28-fi-4993-story.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-28-fi-4993-s... " Apple has invested about $3 million (roughly 1.5 million pounds) for a 30% interest in the company, dubbed Advanced Risc Machines Ltd. (ARM), but the exact ownership stake of VLSI and Acorn was not disclosed. "
    - KMag 6y ago
      Today I learned! Thanks, and upvoted.
    - abrowne 6y ago
      They needed it for the Newton!
      - rdsnsca 6y ago
        Yes and they used the StrongARM by DEC (who later sold it to Intel as part of a lawsuit settlement) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StrongARM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StrongARM
        abrowne 6y ago
        IIRC they used StrongARM for the last models, the Apple MessagePad 2000 and 2100. (I bought a used MP2K after the Newton was discontinued that I used in high school. Fun little device!)
  - SahAssar 6y ago
    Apple was part of the change from "Acorn RISC Machine" to "Advanced RISC Machines", so basically a founder of modern ARM. AIM was completely separate and later. Apple and a bunch of others also have a "Arm architectural licence" which IIRC cannot be taken back.

As a founder of ARM, Apple is grandfathered into a "perpetual architecture license," clear sailing unless nVidia deprecated ARM in favor some something completely new (as I understand it), which seems unlikely to say the least.

KMag 6y ago
> As a founder of ARM, Apple ... Apple was a founding member of AIM (Apple, IBM, Motorola) for PowerPC. (As rumour has it, after DEC refused to go for a higher-volume lower-margin Alpha AXP derivative when Apple came knocking for an m68k replacement, Apple then asked IBM for a higher-volume lower-margin POWER derivative, leading to AIM and PowerPC.) As far as I know, only Acorn had a role in founding/spinning off ARM. On the other hand, I would be very surprised is Apple wasn't smart enough to get a very-long-term/perpetual license on the ARM instruction set before investing heavily in custom core design.
- rdsnsca 6y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARM_architecture "In the late 1980s, Apple Computer and VLSI Technology started working with Acorn on newer versions of the Arm core. In 1990, Acorn spun off the design team into a new company named Advanced RISC Machines Ltd." https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-28-fi-4993-story.html https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-28-fi-4993-s... " Apple has invested about $3 million (roughly 1.5 million pounds) for a 30% interest in the company, dubbed Advanced Risc Machines Ltd. (ARM), but the exact ownership stake of VLSI and Acorn was not disclosed. "
  - KMag 6y ago
    Today I learned! Thanks, and upvoted.
  - abrowne 6y ago
    They needed it for the Newton!
    - rdsnsca 6y ago
      Yes and they used the StrongARM by DEC (who later sold it to Intel as part of a lawsuit settlement) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StrongARM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StrongARM
      - abrowne 6y ago
        IIRC they used StrongARM for the last models, the Apple MessagePad 2000 and 2100. (I bought a used MP2K after the Newton was discontinued that I used in high school. Fun little device!)
- SahAssar 6y ago
  Apple was part of the change from "Acorn RISC Machine" to "Advanced RISC Machines", so basically a founder of modern ARM. AIM was completely separate and later. Apple and a bunch of others also have a "Arm architectural licence" which IIRC cannot be taken back.