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Apple to Make an Offer to Acquire ARM?
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This could potentially be a hugely anti-competitive move. I would bet on a major regulatory fight if this is actually true.
I don't think this is a good idea.
I don't think this is a good idea.
What are you talking about? I just hate google too much lately, anything that'd hurt google is welcome.
If this were to fly with regulators I'm sure Apple would have to continue licensing the IP... This would be interesting if it happens. I'm sure Intel will be thanking Apple. The other phone companies might flock to them. Of course it may just mean ARM chipset will essentially fork with Apple going their own way. Component companies that have an interest in ARM are not going to give up easily. I'm not sure what is at stake though. I think the instruction set will be available to existing licensees, just the reference platform isn't. I'm not sure that it will have much effect except increasing the barrier to entry for new component manufacturers. Obviously, Apple would be interested in the talent and pushing the reference design (or only design in this case) in a direction that makes sense for their platform.
If Apple were to make a large acquisition, this would make sense. It is directly related to where they are going and ARM probably has little or no debt unlike most relevant large acquisitions.
If Apple were to make a large acquisition, this would make sense. It is directly related to where they are going and ARM probably has little or no debt unlike most relevant large acquisitions.
For Apple, who hasn't looked all that nice of late? I would rather have neither company buy ARM.
And your Google hate shows you have a definite tilt towards Apple.
Not only because of that. But it felt quite dishonest when Schmidt spent years on Apple's board and suddenly Google is attacking every market Apple is trying to control.
But my hatred towards google goes beyond that. They were the anti-evil company once, and now they became a bigger evil than microsoft ever was. Controlling search, saving queries and sharing with the government, they even started DNS server to log everyones website entries. That's too much of a control for a single company for my taste.
FYI I'd also have neither company buy ARM. But Google is more unpredictable than Apple atm.
You are right, it's not like google stole admob out from under Apple (or tried anyway) or sat on the board and copied iPhone or anything.
Oh wait.
It would seem that it would be a lot cheaper to build a new architecture from the ground up than to buy ARM. It doesn't get you in trouble with anti-trust regulators either.
I don't think a purchase would likely disrupt currently licensed cores, but rather, new licenses and new core designs after the purchase, meaning a disruption in the development of new devices that will be sold over a year from now. Someone mentioned MIPS, I think the industry can possibly switch to MIPS in three years if they had to, it would be quite costly and disruptive.
I don't think a purchase would likely disrupt currently licensed cores, but rather, new licenses and new core designs after the purchase, meaning a disruption in the development of new devices that will be sold over a year from now. Someone mentioned MIPS, I think the industry can possibly switch to MIPS in three years if they had to, it would be quite costly and disruptive.
I would say that Google is actually more trustworthy. They would make the designs available to other companies, maybe even open-source it. Apple will lock it down and not let anyone else even use an ARM fab.
Ok, Apple let the 45-day exclusivity lapse on AdMob. Google did what any other competitor would do. What Google did was LEGAL AND SMART.
And what evidence do you have that Schmidt copied the iPhone? Every single mobile manufacturer since the iPhone has made one that has a touch screen and a similar interface to the iPhone. It was going to happen to Android at some point no matter what.
No Surprise Here
Steve Jobs is a Bill Gates wannabe.
Apple is not better or different than Micro$oft.
If they could, they (Apple) would LOVE to dominate the PC market, and the mobile phone market, and the tablet market, and the portable music player market.
All with proprietary software and hardware.
They would (and do) sue anybody who dares duplicate functionality.
I would love to see other companies challenge Micro$oft, and Intel, and Cisco the that there are real choices for we consumers/users.
But sadly, Apple is cut from the same cloth as Micro$oft and every other monopolist.
Steve Jobs is a Bill Gates wannabe.
Apple is not better or different than Micro$oft.
If they could, they (Apple) would LOVE to dominate the PC market, and the mobile phone market, and the tablet market, and the portable music player market.
All with proprietary software and hardware.
They would (and do) sue anybody who dares duplicate functionality.
I would love to see other companies challenge Micro$oft, and Intel, and Cisco the that there are real choices for we consumers/users.
But sadly, Apple is cut from the same cloth as Micro$oft and every other monopolist.
I don't think this would ever be allowed to happen. This naive article completely fails to mention that tens of billions of ARM-based microcontrollers and microprocessors are produced each year throughout the world and integrated into everything from TVs, STBs, cellphones, MP3 players, computers, printers, household appliances, industrial machinery and controllers, vehicles, airplanes, and a million other things. They are literally ubiquitous throughout the world, seemingly in nearly every electronic device.
Apple tying up the entire architecture would be a huge blow to the entire electronics industry.... though perhaps MIPS would be a comeback. Surely Intel would love this as well..
Apple tying up the entire architecture would be a huge blow to the entire electronics industry.... though perhaps MIPS would be a comeback. Surely Intel would love this as well..
I hope this does not happen. We don't need another Microsoft dominating/controlling/extorting another industry.
Can be great for Apple
This buy would make Apple's dream come true. To build a truly custom mobile devices. Designing their own chips and shaping the market. Apple is heading towards the Microsoft fields, only they are doing it the smart way and the right way.
This buy would make Apple's dream come true. To build a truly custom mobile devices. Designing their own chips and shaping the market. Apple is heading towards the Microsoft fields, only they are doing it the smart way and the right way.
Atom isn't close to dipping down to the low power consumption levels that ARM thrives in. ARM has roughly 70% of the mobile device market. TI uses ARM in their OMAP processors just like Nvidias Tegra chip is an ARM core.
Intel makes billions in commodity CPU & ancillary chipsets. Software & hardware design are not mutually exclusive.
That's still not the same as the CEO basically having first hand knowledge on the iPhone design over 3 years of time, and then leaving the company and making their own phone right away. If you want to compete, then do it the right way.
And if Apple purchases ARM, it'll be legal and smart as well. So good thing we agree on that.
And I already listed why google is not trustworthy at all. I don't even want to search with google anymore, I just do it because there are no competitors.
Yeah. They would probably still license the ARM IP, but discontinue any new reference platforms. That is the only way for this to work and is consistent with what happened to the PASemi acquisition.
Sorry but anyone who thinks this is remotely plausible from a regulatory standpoint is still too high from 4/20 festivities.
What, the US government is going to take Apple's 'word' that they won't jack up licensing rates? Yeah because that's how it goes in the business world.
Nearly 98% of the mobile phone market runs ARM architecture chips. No way the relevant anti-trust agencies (FTC in this case, if not the DOJ as well) allow this to even be discussed. There really isn't a competing tech here to counter ARM. x86 isn't possible for phones. None of you should even want this to happen. You folks hate the Microsoft monopoly, but want an Apple one?
What, the US government is going to take Apple's 'word' that they won't jack up licensing rates? Yeah because that's how it goes in the business world.
Nearly 98% of the mobile phone market runs ARM architecture chips. No way the relevant anti-trust agencies (FTC in this case, if not the DOJ as well) allow this to even be discussed. There really isn't a competing tech here to counter ARM. x86 isn't possible for phones. None of you should even want this to happen. You folks hate the Microsoft monopoly, but want an Apple one?
Who said anything about tying up the architecture? Again Apple is not gonna spend billions to lose business.
Android was purchased by Google back in 2005!
No, I think Apple buying ARM would be in violation of anti-trust laws in either the US or EU and it would be blocked. It is neither smart nor legal.
Every company is evil. Corporations are inherently evil. There is no perfect, good-natured company. You're choosing Apple, who willingly controls what apps you can download, over a company that, so far, has been relatively decent.
I don't think Google bought admob out from under Apple. What I understand is that Apple had an option to buy and Apple let the option lapse. Options can be extended if they needed more time. All that could have been a feint to get Google to over pay and still pick up their real target for a song.
Google bought Android mid-'05, maybe some due diligence on the part of the Apple board wasn't done? I'm not convinced that Google benefited, it took them nearly two years from the release of iPhone to release Android to the public.
How would they get to be a monopoly by owning them. There are other alternatives, to me this is more about apple looking at this and saying, if someone buys these guy we are SOL, then what we have to rush out and get someone else. Come on you think there aren't other companies gunning for apple, lots of companies would be foolish not to be pissed off, the stock owner are looking at this and saying why would I buy so an so when their just second fiddle to apple, look at MS big company, makes tons of money, and yet stock are depressed, and stock holder if they can will pushing executive for stuff like that.
My favorite is now Mr. Dell said a few years ago, they should just shut down Apple break it apart and sell it and give the money back to the stock holder.
Apple can't be a monopoly because there are so many others making stuff, and there is still plenty of people not walking around with iphone.
But as before I would ascertain that they are looking at the big picture and that company could be a real benefit to them, and at the same time make sure someone else does not grab it and do an Nvidia and physx.
Those who game understand the analogy.
Dell stock is 17 dollars
Apple stock is 259 dollars
muhahahahaha
In my terms, a company that want to log my every single dns and search entry and then share it with 3rd parties is the furthest away from relatively decent. Apple doesn't control what apps I can download. Anyone can jailbreak their iphone and install whatever they want if the hundreds of thousands of apps in the store are not enough for them for some reason. Not to mention, every mobile phone maker has a signing system for their apps at the moment.
Its also a bit like McDonald's. When McD enters a new market area (e.g., the old Soviet Union) they are not satisfied to just buy potatoes grown locally in the way that they've always been grown locally. Instead, McD gets heavily involved with the local farmers and has them grow specific varieties of potatoes grown in specific ways; that way they ensure a sufficient quantity of potatoes that meet specific quality standards so that McD can provide consistently high-quality french fries. [Of course, the McD obsession doesn't stop with potatoes. It also includes oils and beef and myriad other things; some of which are sourced locally and others are shipped in.]
Apple buying ARM would be all about obtaining and maintaining complete creative control of their own products. That's not monopoly; that's excellence. Apple is obsessively detail-oriented and one needs complete creative control to have all the details come out just the way you want them. That's why we love their products; that's why we think Apple is so good at product design.