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Apple Plans To Make Chips For Handhelds

Posted by Soulskill on from the single-core-multi-core-or-apple-core dept.

Preedit writes "Apple plans to get into the business of designing microprocessors for handheld devices, according to legal papers that are part of a dispute between IBM and one of its top technology executives. IBM is suing Power chip expert Mark Papermaster for allegedly violating a non-compete agreement and accepting a job at Apple. In court papers, IBM claims Apple wants Papermaster 'to design microprocessors for incorporation in a variety of electronic devices, including handheld devices.' The suit, according to Infoweek, also notes that Apple earlier this year bought out P.A. Semi. IBM thinks it knows why."

4 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Where is Apple using Power chips currently? by LWATCDR · · Score: 3, Interesting

    OS/X is portable. They are still supporting Power based Macs last time I checked.
    The next IPod touch could be moved to power if they are low enough power.
    The next AppleTV could use a Power CPU.
    A netbook could use Power as well. That might be a big win for Apple since they wouldn't takeaway any sales from Macbooks.

    Now I am just waiting for Apple to buy AMD and Foxconn :)
    I think they have the cash on had for AMD for sure.

    --
    See my blog http://ilovecookes.blogspot.com/ for light hearted technical information.
  2. Re:IBM has a case by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I prefer French law on non compete. If you have one of your employee sign a non compete, three conditions must be respected:
    -limited scope on geography
    -limited scope on time
    and the better one
    -while your former employee is unemployable due to the non compete, you must pay him a compensation for his unemployability. I don't remember how much but it's a certain percentage of the salary.

  3. Re:Gosh and I wondered what they'd do with P.A. Se by WarJolt · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Chip designing these days is like the child game you used to play called connecting the dots.

    People use the term SoC(system on chip) to describe them. It's actually quite modular. Basically you can license a arm core or a mips core and put in all your other blocks(PCI, USB, ethernet) all on the same chip, so if Apple were to license the ppc architecture from IBM I'm sure IBM would be happy. I doubt thats what they are doing since the iPhone is based on ARM.

    Not a lot of people design processors from scratch anymore.

    Unless he designs the processor from scratch he's really not competing. I can't imagine apple doing something that stupid.

    That article alludes to his experience with low power. He probably knows a few tricks on how to reduce power load. This is the expertise they are drawing from. He isn't competing with IBM; MIPS, ARM and intel is.

  4. Re:Steve's plans for world domination? by ToasterMonkey · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Option-Arrow Up
    Option-Arrow Down

    That'll even work on full sized keyboards. :)