3 ms·

There's a lot of understandable skepticism about this announcement because there are so many PR announcements. I want to temper that with an alternative perspec

by jmyeet 2y ago

There's a lot of understandable skepticism about this announcement because there are so many PR announcements. I want to temper that with an alternative perspective. I actually think Apple is a potential dark horse when it comes to AI hardware. What we have now is essentially a three-layered monopoly: ASML, TSMC, NVidia. This has been incredibly lucrative for NVidia. But, as we know, Apple doesn't like to rely on third-party hardware. They've invested heavily in ARM going back to buying PA Semi [1]. Apple replaced Intel chips (which originally replaced Power chips) with the M series in recent years. Apple is in the process of replacing Qualcomm modems in iPhones, which is not only a technical feat but a legal one given Qualcomm's patent dominance over 4G/5G. Apple has the resolve for long-term initiatives that few other companies have. Apple Pay continues to chip away and get slowly better in a way that, if it were a Google product, would've been cancelled, rebranded, relaunched probably 3-4 times by now (Google Checkout, Google Wallet, Google Pay, Android Pay, etc). Apple clearly sees AI as a strategic issue. They have loads of cash on hand to finance basically anything they want. And they won't want to be beholden to NVidia. I expect Apple to have a significant impact here but it won't be tomorrow or even this year. It'll be over the next 5-10 years. [1]: https://www.wired.com/2008/04/four-reasons-ap/ https://www.wired.com/2008/04/four-reasons-ap/

nobankai 2y ago
Apple's incentives have definitely aligned with replacing Nvidia entirely ever since they ceased diplomatic relations. But Nvidia also knows this, which is why they invest heavily in things Apple will never do. They write the official Linux drivers Apple wouldn't get caught dead supporting. They give users and integrators freedom to choose their OS, software and library stacks to better suit their application. They sell individual GPUs and unlocked edge compute hardware with no distribution terms or $99/year "developer license" bullshit. Nvidia is a hardware company in places where Apple tries shipping services instead. Then there's also the software issues. Nvidia has invested in GPU-based compute nonstop for the past 10+ years. Apple invested in Nvidia, then invested in OpenCL after abandoning Nvidia, then abandoned OpenCL for Metal compute which would eventually become the proprietary Accelerate framework. Nvidia's eggs are all organized in one, valuable basket. Apple's investments are spread out all over the place, with much of the time and money going into projects that don't even exist anymore. Apple has the TSMC advantage, but that's just about it. Their GPU designs aren't comparably efficient or compute-oriented to what Nvidia ships today. Additionally, Nvidia will continue investing in places that Apple principally refuses to support. Unless a serious tide change occurs at Apple, they aren't going to get a fair competition with Nvidia.

by jmyeet 2y ago

nobankai 2y ago

Apple's incentives have definitely aligned with replacing Nvidia entirely ever since they ceased diplomatic relations. But Nvidia also knows this, which is why they invest heavily in things Apple will never do. They write the official Linux drivers Apple wouldn't get caught dead supporting. They give users and integrators freedom to choose their OS, software and library stacks to better suit their application. They sell individual GPUs and unlocked edge compute hardware with no distribution terms or $99/year "developer license" bullshit. Nvidia is a hardware company in places where Apple tries shipping services instead. Then there's also the software issues. Nvidia has invested in GPU-based compute nonstop for the past 10+ years. Apple invested in Nvidia, then invested in OpenCL after abandoning Nvidia, then abandoned OpenCL for Metal compute which would eventually become the proprietary Accelerate framework. Nvidia's eggs are all organized in one, valuable basket. Apple's investments are spread out all over the place, with much of the time and money going into projects that don't even exist anymore. Apple has the TSMC advantage, but that's just about it. Their GPU designs aren't comparably efficient or compute-oriented to what Nvidia ships today. Additionally, Nvidia will continue investing in places that Apple principally refuses to support. Unless a serious tide change occurs at Apple, they aren't going to get a fair competition with Nvidia.