ericthehalfbee

About

Username
ericthehalfbee
Joined
Visits
210
Last Active
Roles
member
Points
9,787
Badges
2
Posts
4,499

Reactions

7.4KLike6Dislike323Informative

  • Apple not interested in takeover of Arm Holdings, report claims [u]

    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee
    civa said:
    The way I understood it is that Apple license the instruction set and not the chip architecture. It is why Apple calls their chips Apple Silicon and not Apple Arm. 
    Specifically, the way I understand it, Apple silicon is an SOC, however still has ARM at the core. As the nanometer process for ARM advances, so does Apple silicon. It’s like they bought a Chevy small block, and built a drive train around it, added turbos, improved the fuel injection, THEN put it in their car. I could be wrong, but that was my understanding.
    flydog said:
    civa said:
    Okay, this is gong exactly where I thought it would go. 
    Apple announces they are completely switching architecture. 
    Softbank suddenly decides to sell ARM Holdings. 
    A competitor swoops in to pull the rug out from under Apple
    You wouldn't have thought that if you actually knew what ARM does. 
    Please enlighten me

    Completely wrong. If you want to use automotive as an analogy this would be closer:

    Chevy will either sell you complete engines or they’ll sell you the “rights” to manufacture your own.

    Samsung, Qualcomm and others buy generic off-the-shelf Chevy small blocks direct from Chevy with cast iron blocks and heads. They’re cheap and reliable.

    Apple makes their own engines adhering to the standards Chevy provides for a small block. Except Apple makes both their block and heads from billet aluminum and CNC machines them to exact tolerances. They have the exact same dimensions as a Chevy small block so they’ll mate with the same transmissions and accessories (like alternators or PS pumps). They are better than the Chevy engines in every regard (lighter weight, stronger, much higher power output, excellent reliability). The only thing in common with the original Chevy small block are the dimensions.


    This is the difference between Apple processors and everyone else. Apple designs 100% custom processors that run the ARM instruction set. The same way AMD makes 100% custom processors that run the Intel x86 instruction set. AMD isn’t using Intel cores to make their processors just like Apple isn’t using ARM cores to make theirs. 
    aderutterhammeroftruthMacQcrob53Xedqwerty52watto_cobra

  • Why the Mac's migration to Apple Silicon is bigger than ARM

    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee
    crowley said:
    ErlendurK said:
    Apple doesn't use ARM cores.  They have a license of the instruction set that they use to develop their own cores, so technically they aren't ARM cores, but Apple cores that are using ARM instruction set.
    That's not a useful distinction; ARM aren't a manufacturer of any processors, so any processors that use the ARM instruction set are going to get called ARM cores for convenience.  Insisting that they be referred to as "Apple cores that are using ARM instruction set" is needlessly long winded pedantry.

    Say what?

    I'm surprised the article referred to Apple processors as using "ARM cores". That's what I expect to see on Android sites where they try to make it appear Apple processors are nothing special and are just ARM cores with a "few tweaks". They are far from it.

    While it's true ARM doesn't make processors, they sure as hell design processor cores. They even give them names (A55, A76 or similar). These cores are what Qualcomm, Huawei, Samsung and others use when they build processors, which saves them a massive amount of work that would be required to design their own custom cores (micro-architecture).

    @ErlendurK is correct. Apple has a license to use the ARM ISA (instruction set architecture) and then builds 100% custom designed cores that run that instruction set. It's the same as AMD building processors that are also 100% custom, but run the x86 ISA. I never hear anyone claim that AMD processors are using "Intel cores" so why should we do it with Apple/ARM?

    It's not pedantic to tell the truth.
    macplusplusStrangeDayslolliverfastasleeppatchythepiratetmayroundaboutnowspock1234thtwatto_cobra

  • Apple Watch ECG detects heart condition in German woman

    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee
    digitol said:
    Caution! Apple watch and it’s measurements/monitoring is often inaccurate. This should not substitute for a Doctor. In fact, it’s almost criminal how horrible these devices are. Many things to account for, that isn’t taken into consideration for health, which may hurt certain individuals with underlying health issues or other circumstances. Apple watch is more of a toy. 

    Shut up!
    lollivertmayviclauyycwatto_cobrabloodshotrollin'redkudu

  • Cellebrite pitching iPhone hacking tools as a way to stop COVID-19

    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee
    Idiots.

    First off, they'd never be able to break into everyone's (or even a majority of users) phones. So it's meaningless to track the population when large chunks aren't included.

    Further, these companies are only to keep their exploits a secret by restricting who gets access. Which is why state actors use them against specific individuals as opposed to malware companies trying to use them to serve ads to millions. Using their "hacks" on a large number of people almost certainly guarantees them being discovered in a very short time, at which point Apple will release a patch making their tracking system useless in a matter of days.
    olsStrangeDays

  • 2020 iPad Pro's A12Z shows little improvement over 2018's A12X in early benchmarks

    ericthehalfbeeericthehalfbee
    Apple mentioned the A12Z has better thermals to improve sustained performance.

    People running benchmarks need to perform tasks that actually stress the processor for more than a minute or two to see how it holds up under continuous use.
    foregoneconclusionjdb8167watto_cobramerefield