

Apple Buys a Chip Maker Behind the iPad Brain - mechanician
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/technology/28apple.html?hpw

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unfair
I don't really understand why Apple would spend half a billion on buying chip
manufacturers and paying their employees. What is the benefit for them to
throw away profit and get into competition with part suppliers?

Seems like a poor business decision to branch so far from their core business
model - especially in a field where you have to keep up with heavy
competition. Haven't they always bought their chips from IBM(PPC) or
Intel(newer Macs and ARM chips for iPhone), previous to this?

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qq66
They're just trying to keep the best technology away from competitors. At
their scale it's worth the money. Half a billion is nothing compared to
iPod/iPhone/iPad profits -- if they can keep the technology out of
competitors' hands for 6 months it's worth it.

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tcdent
I thought the A4 was a result of their acquisition of PA Semi a couple of
years back.

I doesn't really make sense for them to develop the chip offsite, and then buy
the company _after_ it ships. Especially when they've already got the team to
do it internally.

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wmf
_I thought the A4 was a result of their acquisition of PA Semi a couple of
years back._

There's no evidence of that.

 _It doesn't really make sense for them to develop the chip offsite, and then
buy the company after it ships._

Perhaps consider it the world's longest job interview.

 _Especially when they've already got the team to do it internally._

It's not clear to me how much skill overlap there is between PA Semi and
Intrinsity.

Since everybody loves unfounded conspiracy theories, here's one: PA Semi's
hotshot circuit designers went to Agnilux so Apple had to buy Intrinsity as
plan B.

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fleitz
It's a bit strange how Jobs is referred to as "Steven P. Jobs", I checked
Apple's exec profile and it's still Steve Jobs according to Apple.
<http://www.apple.com/pr/bios/jobs.html>

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glhaynes
That's because of the New York Times' style guide. The same reason they say
"I.B.M.". Ugly.

