Tim Cook: 2020 Was Apple's 'Top Year of Innovation Ever'

[quarkysg]

What kind of Innovation? They put an iPad chip in the Mac, that is it.

Apple's engineer created a chip architecture that could run the gamut of wireless headphone/speaker, watch, phone, tablet, fan-less low end notebook to future high-end notebooks, desktops and workstation.

As far as I can tell, no other company has achieve this feat.

I would consider that a tremendous feat of innovation and achievement.

 

[chucker23n1]

Apple's engineer created a chip architecture that could run the gamut of wireless headphone/speaker, watch, phone, tablet, fan-less low end notebook to future high-end notebooks, desktops and workstation.

As far as I can tell, no other company has achieve this feat.

I would consider that a tremendous feat of innovation and achievement.

(Since others will point this out anyway, I might as well: Apple did not create the architecture, though they did create their own design to target it.

Though, since Apple was one of the co-founders of ARM in the first place in the early 1990s, one could argue they even had a hand in that.)

 

[quarkysg]

(Since others will point this out anyway, I might as well: Apple did not create the architecture, though they did create their own design to target it.

Though, since Apple was one of the co-founders of ARM in the first place in the early 1990s, one could argue they even had a hand in that.)

I think you might be confusing the ARM Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) with the chip implementation architecture. The ARM ISA is only for the CPU core.

Apple's Ax/Mx/Hx SoCs has many other cores like the GPU, NPU, etc. that are not ARM IPs and nothing to do with ARM. The ARM CPU is just one part of Apple SoC.

Apple design their CPU chip architecture in-house. They do not use ARM's CPU core IPs for the SoCs. That is why Apple's CPU has ultra wide instruction decode architecture design compared to others for example.

 

[chucker23n1]

I think you might be confusing the ARM Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) with the chip implementation architecture.

Not sure what a "chip implementation architecture" is, but sure.

The ARM ISA is only for the CPU core.

Yes.

Apple's Ax/Mx/Hx SoCs has many other cores like the GPU, NPU, etc. that are not ARM IPs and nothing to do with ARM.

Seems like you're moving the goalposts a lot here. Pretty sure the GPU inside AirPods isn't that impressive.

Apple design their CPU chip architecture in-house. They do not use ARM's CPU core IPs for the SoCs. That is why Apple's CPU has ultra wide instruction decode architecture design compared to others for example.

So you are talking about the CPU, then?

 

[Arsenikdote]

quarkysg said:
Apple's Ax/Mx/Hx SoCs has many other cores like the GPU, NPU, etc. that are not ARM IPs and nothing to do with ARM.

Seems like you're moving the goalposts a lot here. Pretty sure the GPU inside AirPods isn't that impressive.

I have no idea who is arguing what here, LOL However, Chucker, it does appear like you are downplaying how impressive the technical achievement that Apple has pulled off in terms of chip design. It also seems like to make a point you are getting into the details and loosing the bigger point?

As pointed out, while some of their chip design is ARM, they have a lot of other chip design that is part of their SoCs that is not. These SoCs are across the board in their products and simple saying that a GPU chip in an AirPod is not impressive is not a fair statement when it is VASTLY impressive in an iPad. Looked at as a whole, what they have accomplished is wildly impressive and consists of both ARM and non-ARM designs. ALL off it is impressive ARM or not.

As far as "best innovative year" goes, people are saying "yes but what about the iPhone". I get it and agree that these individual things this year MAY (or may not) not be as innovative as releasing the iPhone. But MAYBE what Tim Cook is saying is that in previous years they just didn't do as many simultaneous innovative things and maybe in 2020 with as many as they did, they felt it was the "most innovative year". Do I agree? Eh, what does it matter? I am an outsider with no knowledge of what inner workings of the company are and what metric they are using "innovative". But if someone cared (not sure why they would) about my opinion, it would be no, I still don't see how this year is better than some previous years. But we got the M1 chip, so I am beyond happy!

 

[martyjmclean]

Cook is a soda pop salesman.

No, that was Sculley.

 

[chucker23n1]

I have no idea who is arguing what here, LOL However, Chucker, it does appear like you are downplaying how impressive the technical achievement that Apple has pulled off in terms of chip design.

Not at all. They did a very good job.