4 ms·

I don't expect them to wow us again. Most of their gains were from buying the best TSMC node and putting memory on-package.

nomel 4y ago
Any tech advancement can be reduced to “they just did this extra thing”. If nobody else will or can do that extra thing, it’s a big deal.
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 4y ago
  Well, buying the leading node is big $ that not everyone can afford. Putting memory on package runs counter to repairability, modularity, etc. When you're as vertically integrated and rich as Apple it makes sense.
  - nomel 4y ago
    > and rich as Apple Being rich isn’t really related, it’s that they can still profit while doing this (some people say “sheep” while others say “good products with great integration”), where nobody else can, which makes them rich. ;)
  - dwaite 4y ago
    > Well, buying the leading node is big $ that not everyone can afford. It isn't just that Apple can afford a particular part. Apple funds some of the R&D for that part, the building of the factory (sometimes, multiple factories) that create that part, and will commit to buying 100% of its capacity for years. They aren't just outbidding others for capacity. They are making long-term strategic partnerships to _build_ that capacity. > Putting memory on package runs counter to repairability, modularity, etc. Everything is a trade-off. For traditional OEM integration for desktops and laptops, memory on package would be too limiting. Apple is one of the few companies that can pull it off.
- ip26 4y ago
  It is a big deal, but throwing money at the technology provides limited runway as a strategy for impressive gen over gen uplift
katbyte 4y ago
lol so thats all it took to more then double battery life? why doesn't AMD just do that for x64 then?
dwaite 4y ago
> putting memory on-package. Sure, but do we expect AMD/Intel to do this for their processors anytime soon? Apple can decide that their custom processor only needs two memory configurations to meet their product need. Intel and AMD can't easily make that decision for all the OEMs in the world, and the architectural ramifications pretty much demand one to decide one way or another for a given chip generation.

nomel 4y ago

Any tech advancement can be reduced to “they just did this extra thing”. If nobody else will or can do that extra thing, it’s a big deal.

2OEH8eoCRo0 4y ago
Well, buying the leading node is big $ that not everyone can afford. Putting memory on package runs counter to repairability, modularity, etc. When you're as vertically integrated and rich as Apple it makes sense.
- nomel 4y ago
  > and rich as Apple Being rich isn’t really related, it’s that they can still profit while doing this (some people say “sheep” while others say “good products with great integration”), where nobody else can, which makes them rich. ;)
- dwaite 4y ago
  > Well, buying the leading node is big $ that not everyone can afford. It isn't just that Apple can afford a particular part. Apple funds some of the R&D for that part, the building of the factory (sometimes, multiple factories) that create that part, and will commit to buying 100% of its capacity for years. They aren't just outbidding others for capacity. They are making long-term strategic partnerships to _build_ that capacity. > Putting memory on package runs counter to repairability, modularity, etc. Everything is a trade-off. For traditional OEM integration for desktops and laptops, memory on package would be too limiting. Apple is one of the few companies that can pull it off.
ip26 4y ago
It is a big deal, but throwing money at the technology provides limited runway as a strategy for impressive gen over gen uplift

katbyte 4y ago

lol so thats all it took to more then double battery life? why doesn't AMD just do that for x64 then?

dwaite 4y ago

> putting memory on-package. Sure, but do we expect AMD/Intel to do this for their processors anytime soon? Apple can decide that their custom processor only needs two memory configurations to meet their product need. Intel and AMD can't easily make that decision for all the OEMs in the world, and the architectural ramifications pretty much demand one to decide one way or another for a given chip generation.