
Google Ramps Up Chip Design - luu
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320981&cid=SM_ELE_EET_Edit
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quarterwave
One does not simply walk into Mordor. As mentioned in the article, at the spec
level it makes perfect sense. Examples include hot-swap processor and memory
boards. But to actually go about designing large processor chips - that's not
easy. It needs DNA, one simply can't put together such a team by ones and
twos. Apple had to go buy PA Semi, a start-up that had serious expertise in
chip design covering two processor families.

That apart, does anyone know how much capex and opex benefit a company like
Google or Facebook will gain by designing their own chips, as opposed to using
commodity silicon?

