Apple didn't buy ARM, although rumors have been milling about in the UK that it might.
Apple DID buy PA Semiconductor two years ago... which licenses ARM architecture and DID design the A4 chip which is in the iPad. . . and bears Apple's name and logo.
I know Apple didn’t buy ARM. But someone posted that Apple designed their own CPU for the iPad. That’s flat out wrong.
They probably kept the PA Semi staff to use their SoC design experience acquired designing applications based on the PowerPC (formerly fantastic and wonderful, but now the spawn of Satan since Apple ditched it). Chances are the power management silicon/software they devised would apply directly to any ARM system.
I’ve designed both ARM and PowerPC based systems in FPGAs. In fact, I could have my LLC’s name silkscreened on the ARM based ICs if I wanted. That doesn’t mean I am in the business of designing my own CPU’s. About 80% of that ARM FPGA was pretty much standard IP for ARM systems with about 20% of my “custom logic” (basically glorified peripheral interfaces ... nothing extravagant :-) ). Apple would be downright foolish to create their own CPU anyway ... hell, any company these days would be dumb to do that.
What they weren’t foolish to do is create their own SoC for virtually any future iDevice on their roadmap thereby driving the cost of their core silicon for processing down drastically. They now have an insurance policy against device obsolescence for years to come too :-). Couple that with the fact that people will overpay for Apple devices, well, they’ll just keep growing and growing and growing .... just like Apple board member Al Gore Jr. :-)!
” Apple didn’t buy ARM, although rumors have been milling about in the UK that it might. “
I think this would be a silly move on Apple’s part if true. The silicon IP business has little to do with Apple’s core business ... I know I could be wrong, but it would really not mesh well with Apple’s current business strategy. Then again, stranger things have happened. People think AMD buying ATi was stupid, but I’ve always looked at that as a more long term investment on their part.