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Apple Hires at Least a Dozen Former AMD Employees for an 'Orlando GPU Team', Still Hiring More

melgross

melgross

macrumors 6502
Jan 23, 2004
446
394
New York City
Years ago, Apple bought a small 3D graphics firm that did chip development. Nothing came of that as far as I can tell. What I don't understand is why Apple is so cheap in so far as buying companies goes. Yes, Tim said that they bought 7 companies so far this year, but they're all very small.

They should just have gone and bought Imagination. They are well ahead of all other mobile graphics companies. Apple invested about 11%, but then Intel almost immediately invested 15%. We're seeing Samsung, among other Apple competitors using their technology. Apple should just wrap it up!

Same thing for Sharp. Supposedly, Apple wants their IGZO screens, but Sharp is coming out with IGZO screens Apple can't use. Samsung just invested $5 billion in Sharp, Apple is being out maneuvered all around.
 
Saladinos

Saladinos

macrumors 68000
Feb 26, 2008
1,845
4
jav6454 said:
I'm laughing hard at all the ignorants in this thread. The GPU hiring is not for MacBook or Mac lines. It is for the iOS lines. It is not even for Radeon/nVidia drivers.

I can't stress the following statement enough, but.....

Read the article next time.
Click to expand...

The article doesn't provide any real evidence either way.

They seem to be hiring managers more than engineers, so there's no way to tell.
 
Tankmaze

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,707
351
this goes to prove that apple really serious about hardware.

but this acquisition apple have done, haven't really seen it thru the products, services, etc. well maybe the PA semi for iOS chips. but lala streaming, that maps company, etc..... or could be they are seamlessly integrated with apple products & services.
 
I

iMikeT

macrumors 68020
Jul 8, 2006
2,304
1
California
At this rate, Apple might as well buy AMD. With AMD closing at $3.98 per share today, it would be a bargain for Apple. They'll have their very own CPU and GPU factory.
 
A

appleisking

macrumors 6502a
May 24, 2013
658
3,022
Agreed

jav6454 said:
I'm laughing hard at all the ignorants in this thread. The GPU hiring is not for MacBook or Mac lines. It is for the iOS lines. It is not even for Radeon/nVidia drivers.

I can't stress the following statement enough, but.....

Read the article next time.
Click to expand...

Seriously though people really should read the article before commenting. On a side note you mean ignoramuses not ignorants (ignorant is an adjective, but you're trying to use it as a noun).
 
shawngt2

shawngt2

macrumors member
Aug 28, 2012
69
29
Good Job Apple...Hire the Ones which the Other Company could Afford to Lose! Steve Jobs is Rolling in His Grave. A Team Only!!!
 
mdriftmeyer

mdriftmeyer

macrumors 68040
Feb 2, 2004
3,810
1,985
Pacific Northwest
voyagerd said:
I don't like this news... I want Apple to use Intel Graphics in the iPhone and iPad.
Click to expand...

You want crippled graphics? Please, don't tell me you think those useless results on Phoronix are the measuring stick, right?

Intel will never touch ImgTec, AMD nor Nvidia in GPU power and efficiency.
 
F

fertilized-egg

macrumors 68020
Dec 18, 2009
2,109
57
voyagerd said:
Time will tell. I hope the iPhone and iPad use Intel CPUs some day.
Click to expand...

Intel-made CPUs or x86 CPUs? It's not out of question that Intel could just manufacture the ARM chips designed by Apple instead of x86 chips.

iMikeT said:
At this rate, Apple might as well buy AMD. With AMD closing at $3.98 per share today, it would be a bargain for Apple. They'll have their very own CPU and GPU factory.
Click to expand...

AMD doesn't own any factory. They spun the manufacturing side off a few years ago as GlobalFoundries. AMD isn't the only one, many well known design companies such as nVidia, Qualcomm, Marvell, etc., are all fabless. (As a side note, this is why those who insist an A6 processor isn't an Apple chip but a "Samsung chip" is being ridiculous.)
 
mdriftmeyer

mdriftmeyer

macrumors 68040
Feb 2, 2004
3,810
1,985
Pacific Northwest
shawngt2 said:
Good Job Apple...Hire the Ones which the Other Company could Afford to Lose! Steve Jobs is Rolling in His Grave. A Team Only!!!
Click to expand...

Having worked for Steve at NeXT and Apple you clearly misunderstood his `A Team' reference, like 99.999% of the media.

AMD and Apple clearly swapped some leadership and team talent [one for the HSA future which Apple helped created via OpenCL; and the other to get their SoC and OS X ready for the HSA future, Apple], while working together behind the scenes.

----------
fertilized-egg said:
Intel-made CPUs or x86 CPUs? It's not out of question that Intel could just manufacture the ARM chips designed by Apple instead of x86 chips.



AMD doesn't own any factory. They spun the manufacturing side off a few years ago as GlobalFoundries. AMD isn't the only one, many well known design companies such as nVidia, Qualcomm, Marvell, etc., are all fabless. (As a side note, this is why those who insist an A6 processor isn't an Apple chip but a "Samsung chip" is being ridiculous.)
Click to expand...

It still amazes me how disconnected users across forums are about GlobalFoundries, TSMC, etc.

We've got a nearly $20 Billion massive GF Fab in New York that Apple most certainly will use when possible; and yet people seem to foget its existence.
 
F

fertilized-egg

macrumors 68020
Dec 18, 2009
2,109
57
mdriftmeyer said:
We've got a nearly $20 Billion massive GF Fab in New York that Apple most certainly will use when possible; and yet people seem to foget its existence.
Click to expand...

I always thought it's interesting that we never hear anyone outside TSMC when it comes to an alternative fab to Samsung. That changed slightly when the Intel rumor finally began to emerge slightly, although that's obviously a long shot. Does GF have the kind of capacity with ARM chips required by Apple though?
 
Mr. Retrofire

Mr. Retrofire

macrumors 603
Mar 2, 2010
5,064
519
www.emiliana.cl/en

WWDC guests:

AMD-pit-babes_w_500.jpg

​


----------
fertilized-egg said:
I always thought it's interesting that we never hear anyone outside TSMC when it comes to an alternative fab to Samsung.
Click to expand...
I see no reason, why someone should talk about this option.

fertilized-egg said:
That changed slightly when the Intel rumor finally began to emerge slightly, although that's obviously a long shot. Does GF have the kind of capacity with ARM chips required by Apple though?
Click to expand...
I doubt that @ the moment.
 
macs4nw

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Sep 21, 2010
4,336
1,933
Next-door from the little old lady from Pasadena..
G51989 said:
Give that the better part of a decade, laptops will always be more powerful than tablets. Due to the fact that they have much more room inside for better cooling and much larger batteries
Click to expand...

True enough. All three lines, tablets, laptops and desktops will become more powerful in the future.

Precisely why I believe that in spite of an increased market segment for tablets in future years, laptops and desktops will still be around for many, many, years to come.
 
gnasher729

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
jonathan1683 said:
Exactly what I was thinking. Hiring the rejects from failing company. :apple:
Click to expand...

Quite insulting here, aren't you? When a company closes down, or a part of a company goes down, usually everyone in that part loses their job, regardless of their individual qualifications. I suppose you wouldn't hire anyone without job experience, and you youldn't hire anyone who has so little loyalty that they leave their previous company. Which doesn't leave many people.
 
V

vmachiel

macrumors 68000
Feb 15, 2011
1,772
1,440
Holland
I just don't see them making their own graphics for Macs. This has to be for a replacement for the PowerVR graphics
 
Z

z2daj

macrumors member
Jul 27, 2011
30
0
Worcester, MA
If what I gather from this article is correct, the implications are pretty extensive. If Apple can develop both CPU AND GPU technologies in-house, they would be in complete control over implementation, leading to higher device performance for a given spec and reduced power consumption...

... I'm all for it.
 
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