tenthousandthings

About

Username
tenthousandthings
Joined
Visits
179
Last Active
Roles
member
Points
2,055
Badges
1
Posts
1,068

Reactions

1.1KLike0Dislike163Informative

  • Microsoft cranks up entire Surface line with new Intel processors

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    charlesatlas said:
    tenthousandthings said:
    I’d still love to see Apple come out with an M2 iPad+ in two sizes, around 16-18" and 22-24" …
    That wouldn’t be a tablet. That would be a poster board.
    Yes, exactly, art is made on poster boards—in reality, Apple is hesitant to compete with Wacom (e.g., Cintiq Pro 16" 24" 27" 32"), and graphics tablets are a niche market anyway. But Wacom tablets and pens are input devices, they are tethered to computers. An M3 iPad+ graphics tablet wouldn’t have that limitation, at least not to the same extent. 
    ravnorodomwatto_cobraFileMakerFeller

  • Microsoft cranks up entire Surface line with new Intel processors

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    Microsoft is faced with the same sort of trade offs re: Intel that Apple faced. The anemic Studio 2 refresh is particularly telling and reminiscent of Apple’s choices in that context. Small wonder why Apple decided to try a different approach.

    I’d still love to see Apple come out with an M2 iPad+ in two sizes, around 16-18" and 22-24" …

    This clears the decks for Apple to start promoting their next event!
    williamlondoniOS_Guy80watto_cobra

  • Apple's A17, M3 processors will be first to use new TSMC 3nm technology

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    This feels like big news? By process of elimination?

    Because Apple is using the second-generation 3nm process, not the first. Interesting also that TSMC may be changing their naming convention for the second-generation from "N3P" to "N3E" -- it's not hard to imagine Apple calling this "3 Nanometer Enhanced" (or some other E word) technology.

    Regardless, it's big news because it makes a new Mac Pro more likely to use the M2 Ultra+ built with the A16 cores on N4P (unconfirmed, but rumored; could also be N4). What that means for the timetable for its release, I don't know. I mean, it's hard to imagine not refreshing the Mac Studio at the same time, but it's only been eight months since that launch. But maybe, with a generous trade-in program for Mac Studio early adopters.
    watto_cobra

  • Apple isn't done with 2022 -- here's what's still coming

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    netrox said:
    netrox said:
    I am pretty sure that the new M2 MacBook Pros will be based on 4nm process, not 5nm process. Apple said that A16 is created on 4nm process and it's likely that it will use the same process. 
    Yes, that’s correct. And it’s thought to be the N4P process. It’s useful to know that it is still 5nm, “4nm” is just a name, indicating further refinements. TSMC has four generations of 5nm: N5, N5P, N4, and N4P.

    So the M2 being N5P (A15) and M2 Pro/Max being N4P (A16), nicely mirrors the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro divide.
    No, Apple literally said, "4 nanometer" - here's a screenshot of the video:


    No, maybe you should take like three seconds to look it up before responding. This is text directly from the TSMC site:

    “TSMC’s 5nm (N5) Fin Field-Effect Transistor (FinFET) technology successfully entered volume production in the second quarter of 2020 and experienced a strong ramp in the second half of 2020. […]

    In addition, TSMC plans to launch 4nm (N4) technology, an enhanced version of N5 technology. N4 provides further enhancement in performance, power and density for the next wave of N5 products. The development of N4 technology is on schedule with good progress, and volume production is expected to start in 2022.”

    Source: https://www.tsmc.com/english/dedicatedFoundry/technology/logic/l_5nm

    It’s been broadly discussed as such — it’s not a secret or anything. 

    Um… it’s been 2022 for a while now… plenty of time to have produced the A16 at 4nm and Apple is stating that explicitly and emphatically. It’s 4nm - actually matching the statement and timeline you quoted. There is no disagreement or contradiction. 
    The point is that the so-called “4nm” is still the 5nm tech. It’s inaccurate to suggest that it’s not, which is what netrox did. 4nm (N4 and N4P) is just a marketing name.

    Yes, it is a refinement. But no, it’s completely wrong to suggest it is like the transition from 5nm to 3nm technology, or from 7nm to 5nm before that, or from 10nm to 7nm before that. 
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra

  • Apple isn't done with 2022 -- here's what's still coming

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    netrox said:
    netrox said:
    I am pretty sure that the new M2 MacBook Pros will be based on 4nm process, not 5nm process. Apple said that A16 is created on 4nm process and it's likely that it will use the same process. 
    Yes, that’s correct. And it’s thought to be the N4P process. It’s useful to know that it is still 5nm, “4nm” is just a name, indicating further refinements. TSMC has four generations of 5nm: N5, N5P, N4, and N4P.

    So the M2 being N5P (A15) and M2 Pro/Max being N4P (A16), nicely mirrors the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro divide.
    No, Apple literally said, "4 nanometer" - here's a screenshot of the video:


    No, maybe you should take like three seconds to look it up before responding. This is text directly from the TSMC site:

    “TSMC’s 5nm (N5) Fin Field-Effect Transistor (FinFET) technology successfully entered volume production in the second quarter of 2020 and experienced a strong ramp in the second half of 2020. […]

    In addition, TSMC plans to launch 4nm (N4) technology, an enhanced version of N5 technology. N4 provides further enhancement in performance, power and density for the next wave of N5 products. The development of N4 technology is on schedule with good progress, and volume production is expected to start in 2022.”

    Source: https://www.tsmc.com/english/dedicatedFoundry/technology/logic/l_5nm

    It’s been broadly discussed as such — it’s not a secret or anything. 

    watto_cobra