In a move that is considered by many analysts a blow to
Intel, Apple reportedly acquired P.A. Semi of Santa Clara, Ca., a fabless semiconductor
company which focuses on low-power processors.
Forbes, which was first to broke the news, predicts that
Apple will use its newly acquired chip to build new generations of iPhones and
iPods.
Last year in February P.A. Semi announced the P.A. Semi
PA6T-1682M, developed in 65-nanometer process technology, a 64-bit dual-core
microprocessor, which was designed from the ground up, based on the company's
Power Architecture license from IBM. The 1682M integrates what is typically a
three- to five-chip-set platform into a single chip, called a "platform
processor." According to the company, total device power dissipation is
5-13W (typical), and worst-case power is 25W, with both CPUs running at 2 GHz
and all peripherals active. This is three times to four times lower power than
other processor solutions implemented in 65-nanometer process technology with
equivalent peripherals support.
There are also rumors that Apple was not impressed by the
power specs of the upcoming Intel solution for mobile devices, the Atom
platform. Intel announced Atom during last month, a processor which is based on
an entirely new microarchitecture designed specifically for small devices and
low power, while maintaining the Intel Core 2 Duo instruction set compatibility
consumers are accustomed to when using a standard PC and the Internet.
Intel intends to use Atom MIDs (mobile Internet devices) and
a new class of Internet-centric computers.
While is hard to say why exactly Apple decided to pay $278
million in cash for P.A. Semi, one thing is certain: owning a chip opens a lot
of possibilities for Apple.
For example, let’s not forget that not so long ago,
AppleInsider.com offered some hints about a new product Apple is working on.
Last year in October, quoting an insider source,
AppleInsider.com reported that Apple is developing a minitablet computer based
on the OS X operating system used in its iPhone and iPod Touch.
Back in mid-1990s, exactly from 1993 to 1998 Apple tried to
develop a PDA. The official name of the device was “Message Pad” but because
the device used Newton OS, the name has grown to include the device and its
software.
Apple Insider also offered some details about the new
device. “Externally, the multi-touch PDA has been described by sources as an
ultra-thin "slate" akin to the iPhone, about 1.5 times the size and
sporting an approximate 720x480 high-resolution display that comprises almost
the entire surface of the unit. The device is further believed to leverage multi-touch
concepts which have yet to gain widespread adoption in Apple's existing
multi-touch products -- the iPhone and iPod Touch - like drag-and-drop and
copy-and-paste,” wrote AppleInsider.com.
So, maybe, the recent acquisition could be related to this
rumored new PDA? Only time will tell!
