Apple to expand CPU design group beyond iPad A4

Apple to expand CPU design group beyond iPad A4
AppleInsider | Apple to expand CPU design group beyond iPad A4

Apple is seeking to hire engineers to design a new CPU micro-architecture, expanding upon its acquisitions of two fabless chip design companies and the release of its new A4 application processor used in the iPad and iPhone 4.

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I think Apple should hire their own design team and build their own computer processor chips.

How cool would it be if Apple actually designed/created all the parts to their computers?!

They will one day. Then maybe they can cut the price on their computers.

idrinorbarsaku said:

I think Apple should hire their own design team and build their own computer processor chips.

How cool would it be if Apple actually designed/created all the parts to their computers?!

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Before the switch to Intel, didn't they make their own processors?

idrinorbarsaku said:

How cool would it be if Apple actually designed/created all the parts to their computers?!

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How cool would it be if Apple actually manufactured all the parts to their computers in their own country of incorporation?

XJ-linux said:

How cool would it be if Apple actually manufactured all the parts to their computers in their own country of incorporation?

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That would be nice...and even more expensive, I would imagine.

idrinorbarsaku said:

How cool would it be if Apple actually designed/created all the parts to their computers?!

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I dunno. That would take people off other teams and moved to the CPU team. Or having to hire more staff for the new CPUs. At the moment I think how things are works best. But Apple to need to be careful of 2 things.

1. If intel go off the rails and start producing junk, Apple need to find someone else to make the CPUs. Even themselves is an option.

2. If Apple do make the CPU's themselves then they will have to make sure the CPU's work with windows as well as OS X. Sure Apple does the OS X optimisation themselves. But they don't do it for windows. Intel and MS do that. But if Apple made their own MS would only optimise Windows for the intel CPU's and not the Apple ones.

Sure you say it's only windows. But the ability to run windows on Mac computers has sold a lot of them of recent. Something that is well worth doing well.

idrinorbarsaku said:

That would be nice...and even more expensive, I would imagine.

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Maybe. Some things are worth the price.

RONE said:

Before the switch to Intel, didn't they make their own processors?

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No. The PowerPC line was codeveloped by Motorola and IBM. Apple was a supporter, but not a partner. It was a natural transition for the Mac, which up until then, had been using Motorola 680x0-series CPUs.

The PowerPC was originally designed to supersede x86, and they had a number of major supporters to do so - unfortunately, Microsoft wasn't one of them.

In an alternate universe, x86 would be dead, we'd all be using PPC-powered machines, and CPUs would likely be a generation ahead of where they are now, as both the 680x0 and the PPC lineup were inherently superior to their x86 contemporaries. But I digress...

kribensis12 said:

They will one day. Then maybe they can cut the price on their computers.

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Doubtful. Apple isn't stupid enough to do that. If companies like Motorola and IBM couldn't compete with the likes of Intel to keep their designs competitive, it's highly doubtful Apple, with its fledgling semiconductor design team, would have the R&D time, money and talent it would take to do the same... in what is now a much more mature industry.

kribensis12 said:

They will one day. Then maybe they can cut the price on their computers.

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And to add to what "cwa107" mentioned...if Apple did decide to design & manufacture their own cpu's...lowering the price probably wouldn't be the direction they would go.

Designing & manufacturing what would be a "low volume" item (compared to the number of cpu's Intel manufactures) is just more expensive. Remembering that the fewer you produce of an item...the greater the cost becomes for each item produced.

Add to this higher cost of design & manufacturing...the fact that a unique Apple cpu would be a reason to charge an even higher price since only Apple would be the supplier. Unique things almost always command a higher price (lack of competition).

- Nick