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Apple to Make an Offer to Acquire ARM?

Full of Win said:
Why not spend the money to develop their own non-ARM architecture, that is superior to the current CPU's. This would give them 'bragging rights' that they used back in the Non-Intel days and it would prevent the **** storm that a purchase like this would generate.

With that said, I would like to see them try. Really. The ensuing drama over this would be quite entertaining, popcorn worthy indeed. :D
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Because that would take years and years with tens of billions of dollars. You can't just make up an architecture, and I'm pretty sure apple don't have the people to do it.
 
holy cow

I don't know if they can do this buy legally. Obviously they can't just take the chip technology for themselves. Its important to remember ARM does not MAKE chips they license the design.

But just owning ARM will give them a huge lead time on intricate knowledge of how to optimize for the chips. They can cater the chip technology more to Apple, and everyone else will have to adapt (ie their goals for power consumption vs processing). Not to mention the income from owning the company and licenses! They also won't have to pay for licenses...so they can have multiple tiers, and always have the best, even for their cheapest products.

This would take big balls to buy. I would be IMPRESSED if it happened. I don't know if it will be good or bad, but Apple will definitely get a huge huge leg up.
 
redkamel said:
I don't know if they can do this buy legally. Obviously they can't just take the chip technology for themselves. Its important to remember ARM does not MAKE chips they license the design.

But just owning ARM will give them a huge lead time on intricate knowledge of how to optimize for the chips. They can cater the chip technology more to Apple, and everyone else will have to adapt (ie their goals for power consumption vs processing). Not to mention the income from owning the company and licenses! They also won't have to pay for licenses...so they can have multiple tiers, and always have the best, even for their cheapest products.

This would take big balls to buy. I would be IMPRESSED if it happened. I don't know if it will be good or bad, but Apple will definitely get a huge huge leg up.
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Don't listen to the morons out there stating Apple's doing this to prevent them from having chips. Apple's a shrewd customer..they'd never spend 8 billion dollars just to keep the comp away. They're already beating the comp with the same or less hardware.

This is about making money and becoming the 800lb gorilla in the mobile device market.
 
dernhelm said:
I have only one thing to say:

muhwhaaaahaaaahaaahaaa!

<evil grin>


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Seriously, this would be my favorite merger/buyout that's happened in the computer industry ever. Apple buys ARM, and everyone else either pays thru the nose or is forced to use crummy Atom chips.

Probably won't happen, but that would bollux up a lot of the competition.

And to think, they'd still have 80% of their war chest left.
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Indeed. This would be an absolutely killer move. Though it would undoubtedly stifle the competition, so it is really questionable if it would be approved. But if Apple did manage to pull this off, it would be a brilliant move by SJ.
 
If Apple,Inc. couldn't buy ARM due to control of the mobile monopoly Google couldn't either for the same reason.

On the other hand if owning ARM would make a monopoly does that mean ARM itself is a monopoly ?
 
Peace said:
If Apple,Inc. couldn't buy ARM due to control of the mobile monopoly Google couldn't either for the same reason.

On the other hand if owning ARM would make a monopoly does that mean ARM itself is a monopoly ?
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What monopoly?


There are plenty of companies that design chips.
 
Monopolies aren't illegal. The abuse of them is.

Apple steers clear of any antitrust with a simple statement that they look forward to delivering improved product for current licensees as well as finding net new business in other areas for ARM IP.
 
Peace said:
That was one of the arguments earlier. That Apple would have too much control over chips that go into mobile devices.
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What are you talking about?
Any chip can go into a mobile platform. Some might perform better than others but that doesn't mean squat.

The only thing it hinders is the performance of the competition not the ability of the competition to enter the market or compete with Apple on a level playing field.

Should Google be forced to share its website indexing system to Microsoft because theirs is better?

I am getting really sick of all of this monopoly talk. Apple is nowhere near a monopoly.
There are plenty of chip manufacturers and designers.
Apple purchasing ARM doesn't prevent entry of other products into the marketplace.

Now, if ARM was the only chip designer you might have a point, but they aren't.
 
TennisandMusic said:
Considering a young man died so that Jobs could go on living, I'd say your joke is freakin cold.
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Not to parse it too closely, or to take it further off topic, but I think Jobs could go on living because a young man died. Your phrasing makes it sound like some guy sacrificed himself just so Jobs could have his organs...

Not that there aren't people on these boards who would volunteer...
 
ptysell said:
What are you talking about?
Any chip can go into a mobile platform. Some might perform better than others but that doesn't mean squat.

The only thing it hinders is the performance of the competition not the ability of the competition to enter the market or compete with Apple on a level playing field.

Should Google be forced to share its website indexing system to Microsoft because theirs is better?

I am getting really sick of all of this monopoly talk. Apple is nowhere near a monopoly.
There are plenty of chip manufacturers and designers.
Apple purchasing ARM doesn't prevent entry of other products into the marketplace.

Now, if ARM was the only chip designer you might have a point, but they aren't.
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Just playing the devils advocate bro.

"Imagine a company that controls more than 80 percent of its segment of the cell phone market and has 40 percent of the digital camera market. Now it wants to expand its reach in consumer electronics. Many would consider it predatory--even a monopolist."

http://news.cnet.com/The-unheralded-monopoly/2010-1006_3-5262581.html

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Now imagine Apple owning ARM. The control of all the IP and licensing along with the iPhone market share could be seen as rather hostile by the FTC.
 
i was wondering why my shares in ARM rocketed yesterday:D i have had the Apple buy arm thought on my mind for quite some time(thats one of the reasons i bought the shares) however i don't think it a good fit.

Apple has said that no one is off the radar but i don't see how they could integrate Arm into Apple, they could run it as a stand alone business but thats not really Apples style, Arm recently has been signing contracts left right and centre for its IP into almost everything, from cars to fridges.

it would be the business move of the century if they did, not only permanently securing there future but royally screwing every other handset manufacture, they could either continue to sell CPU's but just keep everyone else a generation behind Apple or just buy Arm and shut them down, move staff into Apple tech labs and really screw the industry over.

as much as i would love Apple to snap them up i think its more likely you will see them take a substantial share in Arm to prevent any one else scooping them up (cough Google).
 
If Google can have 80% of the share in search and be allowed to buy AdMob, and Microsoft 90% of the desktop OS market and take over GNU/Novel - then why can't Apple have 50% of the mobile CPU market? Besides didn't they practically fund ARM into existence in the 90's?

Sounds like the best move Apple could make - gives them total independence from all the wintel bullcrap and a real chance to stay ahead of Google.

It is Google that has forced Apple's hand.

Regulators better think long and hard before they go and disrupt the future of technology by blocking the most advanced and forward driven technology company ever created.

Basically the only move that could even block this would be an illegal anti-competitive move by a competitor.

This is a seriously interesting acquisition and probably the biggest strategic play Apple has ever made.
 
I think this is gossip more than anything, it will be like buying Intel and alll the x64 rights and then deciding to go exclusive with it. it will destroy the computer industry for a while
 
arn said:
I have no clue on the regulatory feasibility of this, but seems like if it were allowed to happen, and apple were to prevent others from using arm chips. it could kill a huge portion of the mobile segment.
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I don't think Apple would spend 40 BILLION of its war chest NOT to make money with it, they'll just make oodles of $$$$$ off the i-Phone and even more selling chips to the others, all about control:cool:
 
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