Apple's A8 Chip Production for iPhone 6 Underway at TSMC

[wizard]

cannot agree more with this. How does the ipad not have user profiles!

Why would they even want to do this? IOS devices by their nature are far more personal devices.

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more cores != more powerful
cores let you split up the computation to run more threads at once but the application and the OS has to be coded to take advantage of it and it depends on the workload

This is true but iOS does have support for parallel operation of threads and the like.

compared to modern ARM chips, xbox 360 and PS3 aren't very powerful. I think the A7 was as fast or faster than the xbox 360. the lack of RAM and storage is holding up the level of depth for game creation

A7 is very impressive. However it isn't just games that are suffering from the lack of RAM on Apples devices. A very large number of apps could use more RAM, far more RAM actually. In fact I'd be fairly happy if the next iPad came with A7 and at least 4GB of RAM. Of course 4 ARM cores would be nice but cores aren't the big inhibitor for more advance iOS apps.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

I'm not sure if a strictly quad-core design would make sense yet when we already have two cores and a co-processor, and big.little configurations for adding additional cores.

Also, people arguing "Why do we need more than 1GB of RAM?" need to stop having technical conversations.

 

[fertilized-egg]

I'm not. But when a consumer knows that they make a part for something that he/she is buying, the feeling that a quality part is being used matters. Since we don't get a peek inside their factories, the logo is the only image of the company that we get. It may not really matter in functionality. But that's not the point of marketing.

I don't really think it matters. TSMC is one of those companies that prefer to be disappear behind the scene even though they are the largest chip foundry in the world. The market just doesn't care too much.

The vast majority of population, even most of those who read technology news regularly, won't be able to answer who makes the iPhone camera, the circuit board, or the power management chip.

 

[nylonsteel]

Each further step away from samsung = progress

 

[RBR2]

Why would they even want to do this? IOS devices by their nature are far more personal devices.

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This is true but iOS does have support for parallel operation of threads and the like.



A7 is very impressive. However it isn't just games that are suffering from the lack of RAM on Apples devices. A very large number of apps could use more RAM, far more RAM actually. In fact I'd be fairly happy if the next iPad came with A7 and at least 4GB of RAM. Of course 4 ARM cores would be nice but cores aren't the big inhibitor for more advance iOS apps.

More RAM would help in some regards, but it won't resolve the problem of iOS's terrible memory management.

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Why would they even want to do this? IOS devices by their nature are far more personal devices.
<snip>

You have got to be kidding!

 

[kds1]

Why would they even want to do this? IOS devices by their nature are far more personal devices.

+1 Agreed

It's like individuals sharing AppleID's.

Don't do it.

 

[RBR2]

+1 Agreed

It's like individuals sharing AppleID's.

Don't do it.

No, it is most assuredly NOT like sharing Apple IDs. Have you ever even used a computer with DIFFERENT User Accounts?

The entire purpose is to keep everything that each user does private and secure from the other user(s). An admin can, for example, restrict privileges of other users e.g. children can have their own restricted user account.

 

[kds1]

No, it is most assuredly NOT like sharing Apple IDs. Have you ever even used a computer with DIFFERENT User Accounts?

The entire purpose is to keep everything that each user does private and secure from the other user(s). An admin can, for example, restrict privileges of other users e.g. children can have their own restricted user account.

Yes, I have used a computer with different user accounts. But an iPad is not a desktop or laptop computer. I am also quite well aware of admin accounts, user accounts etc, as I worked in IT as an Apple/Mac support tech (and unfortunately, had to do Windows support too) in a very large advertising agency here in New York for several years, as well as in a very well known publishing company (you probably read some of their children's books from one of their imprints not so long ago). I've also supported Macs (and once again Windblows) for two different large university medical centers here in the city, and have held OS X Client certification, as well as having taken the OS X Server cert courses (though never bothered to take the test afterwards).

The iPad works best as and is meant to be a personal device. One device, one user. Get separate iPads for kids, or other family members, and use your own AppleID's. If that's not working for you, buy a Surface.

 

[RBR2]

Yes, I have used a computer with different user accounts. But an iPad is not a desktop or laptop computer. I am also quite well aware of admin accounts, user accounts etc, as I worked in IT as an Apple/Mac support tech (and unfortunately, had to do Windows support too) in a very large advertising agency here in New York for several years, as well as in a very well known publishing company (you probably read some of their children's books from one of their imprints not so long ago). I've also supported Macs (and once again Windblows) for two different large university medical centers here in the city, and have held OS X Client certification, as well as having taken the OS X Server cert courses (though never bothered to take the test afterwards).

The iPad works best as and is meant to be a personal device. One device, one user. Get separate iPads for kids, or other family members, and use your own AppleID's. If that's not working for you, buy a Surface.

It is difficult to believe that you even understand the question. Multiple user accounts have nothing whatsoever to do with what you are talking about. You are uttering so much nonsense.

 

[proline]

if production is underway does this mean that the rumored June release is correct? or would they start production extra early for a September/October release?

No June release. ALL iPhones are released with a new version of iOS that was announced three months prior. As such an announcement has not occurred, no new iPhones will be released in June. Only the iPad can be updated separately from iOS in Apple's way of thinking.

 

[kds1]

It is difficult to believe that you even understand the question. Multiple user accounts have nothing whatsoever to do with what you are talking about. You are uttering so much nonsense.

The question? And what nonsense?

 

[davidsdiego]

This one already exists - you can add it by clicking the edit button top right.

Crispy Duck, I never knew this existed, thanks!

 

[cirus]

I'm hopeful that Apple can improve CPU performance but not expecting much. Apple have picked a lot of the low hanging fruit (wide core, 4 MB ESRAM, 64 bit) so CPU improvements are likely to be modest.

There are a few bugs with the A7 that hopefully will be fixed such as random memory access (seen in a few geekbench tests and in 3dmark physics, bullet places the data randomly in memory and the A7 has a hard time getting it out).

A new process node will bring advantages though it will not be cheap.

 

[s2kip]

I am suspicious because usually it is TSMC that gets dropped due to low yields in the rumour mill...although who knows if they were dropped or if these reports are coming out strictly to manipulate stock prices

TSMC is the leader at semiconductor manufacturing technology except Intel. It owns about 50% world market share. The most advanced chips such as Quacomm's mobile SOC, Nvidia GPUs are all manufactured by TSMC.

One of the reason Apple do not choose TSMC is the limited capacity. Quacomm, Nvidia, and many other companies all rely on the most advanced manufacturing process form TSMC. It do not provide sole capacity for single company. So that's a problem for Apple. Apple even tried to invest TSMC to get all capacity it needed. However, it's turned down by TSMC.

Also, TSMC is usually the leader in yield rate, not samsung. Samsung is actually not that good at this area compared with TSMC.

 

[mattopotamus]

Why would they even want to do this? IOS devices by their nature are far more personal devices.

considering tons of people let their children user their ipads...it makes total sense.

 

[gnasher729]

Isn't this exactly the kind of grunt you need to power an Apple TV games console?

It's also the kind of grunt that you would want for a decent laptop. A7 does actually beat some older MacBooks already; the same with quad core would be quite usable.

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So far as the hardware itself goes, just how is it that Apple can not understand that many users want a micro SD card system for additional storage of movies, music, games, photos or whatever and figure out a way to implement it?

Do they actually want that? Many would like more storage. But very, very few would ask for micro SD cards.

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Obviously it makes sense to delay quad cores as long as possible (since most apps won't take advantage of the additional cores but can use better single-thread performance).

For most apps, the performance critical parts are already multi-threaded. Graphics, animation, all multithreaded without the app doing anything. The operating system itself puts lots of things onto background threads.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

It is difficult to believe that you even understand the question. Multiple user accounts have nothing whatsoever to do with what you are talking about. You are uttering so much nonsense.

I think kds1 is unemployed and is using the forum to post his/her resume instead of giving solid reasons for not wanting multi-user support. I'm unclear how kds1 feels about Windows, though.

User profiles work under OSX/Windows and there is enough evidence that (over time) desktops are being replaced by tablets, so why not? The problem is, tablet makers are stingy when it comes to memory and storage. Those need to increase in order to handle multiple users.

"Get separate iPads for kids, or other family members"? Right. Let me refinance my house and see if I can squeeze enough equity out to furnish iPads to my entire family.

 

[kmoreau48]

So now you are equating a persons appearance to a company logo. You avoid buying a product because of the way a company logo looks?

I am just saying that attention to details is important, wheter it is for the logo or the actual product.

I would not avoid a product because of a company logo as long as the product can satisfy my need. But there are a lot of people out there who buy stuff based primarily on look.

 

[TonyYYZ]

i think kds1 is unemployed and is using the forum to post his/her resume instead of giving solid reasons for not wanting multi-user support. I'm unclear how kds1 feels about windows, though.

User profiles work under osx/windows and there is enough evidence that (over time) desktops are being replaced by tablets, so why not? The problem is, tablet makers are stingy when it comes to memory and storage. Those need to increase in order to handle multiple users.

"get separate ipads for kids, or other family members"? Right. Let me refinance my house and see if i can squeeze enough equity out to furnish ipads to my entire family. :d

bingo

 

[thekeyring]

Quad-Core processor sounds nice.

 

[Curun]

I think kds1 is unemployed and is using the forum to post his/her resume instead of giving solid reasons for not wanting multi-user support. I'm unclear how kds1 feels about Windows, though.

User profiles work under OSX/Windows and there is enough evidence that (over time) desktops are being replaced by tablets, so why not? The problem is, tablet makers are stingy when it comes to memory and storage. Those need to increase in order to handle multiple users.

"Get separate iPads for kids, or other family members"? Right. Let me refinance my house and see if I can squeeze enough equity out to furnish iPads to my entire family.

Just sell or stop buying this junk and clutterj.
"LOTS and LOTS of Dell and Alienware Desktops and Laptops!'

$399 new, or far less for used iPad isn't generally going to break the bank for a bday/xmas present. Buy you a new one, hand yours down. A kid is gonna wreck it anyway.

 

[jimstead]

Ya because we need 64-bit said nobody.

Where does "need" come into this? In 2014 modern companies keep trying to improve their products. If you don't think the improvement is worthwhile you don't have to buy it.

 

[BMcCoy]

No June release. ALL iPhones are released with a new version of iOS that was announced three months prior....[\QUOTE]

..so far.

But like the stock market, past performance is not necessarily a guide to future performance.

What if there is no iOS 8 for release this year.. ?

not that I know any inside info or anything.

 

[Born Again]

Where does "need" come into this? In 2014 modern companies keep trying to improve their products. If you don't think the improvement is worthwhile you don't have to buy it.

Oh I'll buy it

 

[jireland]

Does anyone know if the TSMC logo is just a snapshot from a (Conway's) Game of Life?