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Secret meetings Apple Intel and Nvidia: what really happened

G

geekie

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 23, 2010
2
0
Atlanta, GA
Here's my theory about what happened in secret meetings between Apple, Intel and Nvidia.

After hours of intense and laborious negotiations with Intel on new chips...

Apple: Bottom line, we won't take Arrandale, unless you take the graphics out, and let someone else build the chipset for us.
Intel: What are you going to do? Go to AMD? What have you been working on at your PA Semi plants? I hear your iPads have wings.
Apple: Forget you Intel! Get outta here and and your piece of crap Arrandale with you!

Apple walks out of negotiations with Intel. Later, leaks a press story stating that it may skip Arrandale to put the pressure on Intel.

Apple contacts Nvidia.
Apple: We've been friends for a long time? We wouldn't want to let AMD/ATI get in the way of our friendship now would we? See, we built this iMac and it doesn't need your chip. You don't have a chipset for Arrandale. What can you offer us?
Nvidia: We are more than meets the eye. *wink*
Apple takes a step back
Nvidia: I think we can transform our loss into your gain.
Apple: Huh?
Nvidia: Optimus!
Apple and Nvidia go over the details of Optimus, and Apple realizes that this will work perfectly with Arrandale. Apple starts as if to hug Nvidia, but then backs off awkwardly into a handshake.
Apple: Deal, give us Optimus, and we'll keep using your products.

Apple contacts Intel. Apple realizes that it has already won with the Optimus, but takes advantage
Apple: Okay, we'll take your crap... err Arrandale on one condition. Promise to build us an OpenCL driver for the Arrandale and all future Intel IGPs.
Intel: Only if you end this skipping Arrandale business.
Apple: Deal, we'll let you leak a story to the media.

Intel leaks story about Core i5 MacBook Pro Giveaway


This story was originally posted on the Arrandale thread, but I moved it over here so as not to clog that thread. Other minor changes.
 
MacModMachine said:
not gonna happen
Click to expand...

That quote made me laugh, it is this huge story and then some random "not gonna happen"

I don't think it went down quite like that, but I am sure they have had some interesting meetings. I mean they can't just cut ties with Nvidia now that they have made such a big deal of using their graphics (I'm not saying that's a bad thing, I applaud the use of Nvidia) But I am sure that getting them to combine was an interesting process!
 
In my mind apple should just use the Intel IGP and have a nvidia discrete one.

Job done, yes the intel IGP is rubbish but all it has to do is decode H264 and run a 2D desktop and everything is fine.

If we are really waiting until the summer then I will buy a 7D instead. And im already very, very tempted to and that would mean that I would not upgrade my MBP until 2011!
 
The santa rosa chipset MBP came out in June. It lasted for 8 months, and was replacing an october release.

The powerbooks near the end of their lifecycle were averaging 9 months between product releases.

If Apple wants to wait for Optimus, it wouldn't be unheard of, especially if they're trying to say FU to intel for not making the ix series without a video card (or whatever it is they did).

Additionally, by waiting until the end of the month this means Apple doesn't have another product SKU that can't switch GPU's on the fly, something that I
a) always felt was too hard for a consumer to understand, when compared to the single button iphone
b) probably awkward to support.
 
Apple should do with Sony does. Go into energysaving mode or performance mode.

Optimus isn't that great, when working on the battery you don't want to use the descrete GPU at all.

And when connected to a power outlet, then you only want to use the descrete GPU.

Atleast that's how I see it.
 
Apple: FU Intel, we'll just keep selling laptops with your old CPUs in them

Intel: woot easier to fab cpu's with a higher profit margin, not to mention clearing out our old stock. AWESOME.

Apple: *facepalm*


I'm sure apple's not happy about the integrated graphics, but Optimus is a perfectly acceptable solution for the higher end MBPs which have discrete GPUs. Infact, it is *better* since you won't have to log out to switch. The disadvantage is that the new 13" and base 15" macbook will either have to have a more expensive discrete card, or be stuck with inferior graphics to the current generation.

An nvidia integrated graphics core switching with a discrete card would be awesome, but I think for most people, intel IGP + nvidia discrete will be great. Since the nvidia would kick in only when you need it, you don't have to worry about the intel IGP being crap, and then there's the power savings :)
 
MetalPhreak said:
Apple: FU Intel, we'll just keep selling laptops with your old CPUs in them

Intel: woot easier to fab cpu's with a higher profit margin, not to mention clearing out our old stock. AWESOME.

Apple: *facepalm*


I'm sure apple's not happy about the integrated graphics, but Optimus is a perfectly acceptable solution for the higher end MBPs which have discrete GPUs. Infact, it is *better* since you won't have to log out to switch. The disadvantage is that the new 13" and base 15" macbook will either have to have a more expensive discrete card, or be stuck with inferior graphics to the current generation.

An nvidia integrated graphics core switching with a discrete card would be awesome, but I think for most people, intel IGP + nvidia discrete will be great. Since the nvidia would kick in only when you need it, you don't have to worry about the intel IGP being crap, and then there's the power savings :)
Click to expand...

I do not get why Apple could not use both solutions? That's what all other companies do. Some people will be fine with IGP others will prefer IGP+discrete. Why does Apple always try fit everyone into a single category?
 
I think this could happen. Apple keep selling old intel cpu. Maybe late this year or next year apple going to update the macbook pro with own apple cpu.
Apple: FU Intel, we got own cpu better than your.
Apple: No more hackintosh.
 
Maczz said:
I think this could happen. Apple keep selling old intel cpu. Maybe late this year or next year apple going to update the macbook pro with own apple cpu.
Apple: FU Intel, we got own cpu better than your.
Apple: No more hackintosh.
Click to expand...

Apple did build their own CPU, it was called PowerPC (OK, it was an Apple joint venture w/ IBM and Motorola). The wikipedia article is pretty accurate, from what I remember from doing a ton of embedded PowerPC work in the mid-90's.

And Apple will never leave Intel. Nevermind the strategic relationship; no one else in the chip business has the process technology know-how to crank performance, shrink die sizes, and drive down cost the way Intel does. AMD, TSMC, others are close, but most of their process tech is the stuff they learned from Intel's last generation. Intel is clearly the leader in fab tech.
 
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