gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu (11/29/90)
----- Yesterday's New York Times reported that Apple was buying a (controlling?) interest in VLSI, a chip manufacturer. Today's NTY reports the following (reprinted w/o permission): "A new computer chip company has been formed with the backing of Apple Computer Inc., VLSI Technology Inc., Acorn Computers of Britain and the Sanyo Electric Company of Japan. Based in Cambridge, England, Advanced RISC Machines Ltd, will develop and produce chips using reduced instruction set computing technology in designs originating at Acorn. The company will focus on applications in which ultralow power consumption, high performance and low cost are critical, including personal and portable coputers and telephones. VLSI will manufacture the designs. Larry Tesler, an Apple vice president, said in a statement "We believe that the technology represents an important trend for the 1990's." He did not indicate how Apple might use the chip. Apple's involvement could be read as a blow to Motorola Inc, which has supplied the central microprocessor for the company's computers..." Interesting, no? Robert ============================================================================ = gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu * generic disclaimer: * "It's more fun to = = * all my opinions are * compute" = = * mine * -Kraftwerk = ============================================================================
ldo@waikato.ac.nz (Lawrence D'Oliveiro, Waikato University) (11/29/90)
I remember reading rumours in Computerworld last year (?) that Apple had looked at the Motorola 88000 and decided it wasn't fast enough for them. The rumours were saying that they were seriously considering the MIPS chips. I guess even MIPS aren't the hottest thing in town any more... Lawrence D'Oliveiro fone: +64-71-562-889 Computer Services Dept fax: +64-71-384-066 University of Waikato electric mail: ldo@waikato.ac.nz Hamilton, New Zealand 37^ 47' 26" S, 175^ 19' 7" E, GMT+13:00
josh@e40-008-11.MIT.EDU (Josh Hartmann) (11/29/90)
In article <1990Nov28.195451.7400@midway.uchicago.edu> gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes: >----- >Yesterday's New York Times reported that Apple was buying a (controlling?) >interest in VLSI, a chip manufacturer. Today's NTY reports the following >(reprinted w/o permission): > >"A new computer chip company has been formed with the backing of Apple >Computer Inc., VLSI Technology Inc., Acorn Computers of Britain and the >Sanyo Electric Company of Japan. > >Based in Cambridge, England, Advanced RISC Machines Ltd, will develop and >produce chips using reduced instruction set computing technology in designs >originating at Acorn. > >The company will focus on applications in which ultralow power consumption, >high performance and low cost are critical, including personal and portable >coputers and telephones. VLSI will manufacture the designs. > >Larry Tesler, an Apple vice president, said in a statement "We believe that the >technology represents an important trend for the 1990's." He did not indicate >how Apple might use the chip. > >Apple's involvement could be read as a blow to Motorola Inc, which has >supplied the central microprocessor for the company's computers..." > Today's Wall Street Journal reported the same, except it said that Apple's business with Motorola is NOT in jeopardy. The new chips will be used in "supportive" roles, the paper said. Josh josh@athena.mit.edu
torrie@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Evan James Torrie) (11/29/90)
gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes: >Larry Tesler, an Apple vice president, said in a statement "We believe that the >technology represents an important trend for the 1990's." He did not indicate >how Apple might use the chip. >Apple's involvement could be read as a blow to Motorola Inc, which has >supplied the central microprocessor for the company's computers..." In the San Jose Mercury, Tesler is quoted as saying something to the effect that the decision to invest in Acorn has no relevance to what microprocessors Apple will use in future machines... And we keep reading news of Apple's search for 88K engineers to work on the RISC-based Macintosh... makes one wonder. Perhaps the Acorn chips will be used in graphics coprocessors (a la Radius). (Then there is the issue of the NYT's accuracy... in their article on Motorola's first volume shipments of the 68040, they mentioned how "Motorola currently does not make RISC chips" :-) ) -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Evan Torrie. Stanford University, Class of 199? torrie@cs.stanford.edu "Dear Fascist Bully Boy, Give me some money, or else. Neil. P.S. May the seed of your loins be fruitful in the womb of your woman..."
ih@doc.ic.ac.uk (Ian Harries) (11/29/90)
In article <2384.2754de1c@waikato.ac.nz> ldo@waikato.ac.nz (Lawrence D'Oliveiro, Waikato University) writes: >I remember reading rumours in Computerworld last year (?) that Apple had >looked at the Motorola 88000 and decided it wasn't fast enough for them. > >The rumours were saying that they were seriously considering the MIPS >chips. > >I guess even MIPS aren't the hottest thing in town any more... > >Lawrence D'Oliveiro fone: +64-71-562-889 >Computer Services Dept fax: +64-71-384-066 >University of Waikato electric mail: ldo@waikato.ac.nz >Hamilton, New Zealand 37^ 47' 26" S, 175^ 19' 7" E, GMT+13:00 reprinted without permission from MICROSCOPE, "The news weekly for the microcomputer industry" (a dealer magazine published in the UK by Dennis Publishing Ltd - anyone remember the Oz trial ?) issue dated 28th November - Acorn and VLSI chip in for Apple Risc deal by Tim Bajarin in San Jose and Caroline Bassett Apple was expected to announce a joint venture yesterday with UK PC manu- facturer Acorn Computer and chip manufacturer VLSI to develop its first Risc chip. VLSI, a long-time provider af ASIC chips for Apple's machines, collaborated with Acorn to develop ARM (Acorn Risc Machine) in the late 1980s, and the new deal is likely to be based on a new version of this chip. The move caused some surprise as Apple has been assessing Risc processors from MIPS and from Motorola - which currently provides the CPU chips at the heart of all its machines - for some time. It was widely expected that its first use of Risc technology would be on a motherboard. However, according to sources close to Apple in the US, the company plans to put its first Risc chips on a new range of laser printers which will be launched at the January MacWorld, and has chosen ARM chips over Risc offerings from Motorola and MIPS because of their low cost. On a printer, the chip would serve as a raster image processor (RIP) which would speed up printing time, particularly for PostScript and TrueImage tech- nologies. It could give Apple a performance angle to challenge the rash of low- price laser printer manufacturers entering the market, with which it cannot compete on price. Some reports suggest Apple's adoption of an ARM could be a serious setback for Motorola, currently pushing to get its 88000 series of Risc chips adopted by Apple and other major manufacturers. However, a spokesman for Motorola UK suggested it was unlikely that Apple intended to replace its central CPU chip with an offering from VLSI, pointing out that Apple has always used different sources for peripheral chips while maintaining Motorola's chips as the core CPU products. "We have a very good relationship with Apple and are working on future products with it," he added. All three companies refused to comment on the deal as Microscope went to press.
jtc@latcs1.oz.au (John Catsoulis) (11/30/90)
gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu writes: >Yesterday's New York Times reported that Apple was buying a (controlling?) >interest in VLSI, a chip manufacturer. [stuff deleted] >Apple's involvement could be read as a blow to Motorola Inc, which has >supplied the central microprocessor for the company's computers..." >Interesting, no? > Sad, I think. I was *so* looking forward to (maybe/hopefully) seeing an 88000 based mac. That processor is a beautiful machine, and I believe the best that's out there. If you haven't already done so, check out the Motorola User's Manuals on the 88100 (cpu) and 88200 (mmu). Ah well, guess I'll have to build my own.... :-) Pax Motorola! John. jtc@ee.latrobe.edu.au
ncliffe@axion.bt.co.uk (Nigel Cliffe) (11/30/90)
From article <1990Nov28.195451.7400@midway.uchicago.edu>, by gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu: > ----- > Yesterday's New York Times reported that Apple was buying a (controlling?) > interest in VLSI, a chip manufacturer. Today's NTY reports the following > (reprinted w/o permission): > [NY Times Article Removed] The Financial Times (London) reported that the Apple stake was about 8%, with approx 40% each to Acorn (Olivetti) and someone else (Sanyo?). Nigel. _____________________________________________________________________ Nigel Cliffe ncliffe@axion.bt.co.uk (...ukc!axion!ncliffe) Tel: +44 (0)473 645275
jbiggs@acorn.co.uk (John Biggs) (12/06/90)
In article <1990Nov30.100007.18367@axion.bt.co.uk> ncliffe@axion.bt.co.uk (Nigel Cliffe) writes: >From article <1990Nov28.195451.7400@midway.uchicago.edu>, by gft_robert@gsbacd.uchicago.edu: >> ----- >> Yesterday's New York Times reported that Apple was buying a (controlling?) >> interest in VLSI, a chip manufacturer. Today's NTY reports the following >> (reprinted w/o permission): >> > [NY Times Article Removed] > >The Financial Times (London) reported that the Apple stake was about 8%, >with approx 40% each to Acorn (Olivetti) and someone else (Sanyo?). > >Nigel. I now work for this new start up you are talking about, which BTW is called "Advanced RISC Machines Ltd", and would like to put the record straight :-) Unfortunately the Financial Times got the percentages wrong. In fact both Acorn and Apple have a 30% stake in Advanced RISC Machines Ltd and VLSI Technology have 5%, leaving 35% for future investors. For more details of this new company see the copies of the press releases which have been posted to comp.arch, comp.sys.acorn or eunet.micro.acorn by rwilson@acorn.co.uk under the subject "Joint Venture Announcement". John _ /\ /^\ /| |_) |\/| Formerly of /__\ _ _ _ _ |___| and now of /~|. | \. | |. / \(_ (_) | | | \___/ /\ /\ /\ ..| \/ \/ \/ `