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Apple to support PA Semi's PowerPC chips for military

updated 09:45 pm EDT, Sat May 17, 2008

PA Semi's PowerPC chips

Apple will reportedly offer legacy support for PA Semi's line of PowerPC-based processors following pressure from the government and clearing up rumors that surfaced after the chipmaker's acquisition by Apple last month. In effort to continue to push the chip power efficiency envelope, the Cupertino-based company purchased the microprocessor design company for nearly $300 million, but reports following the announcement said that the US Defense Department may have objected if Apple discontinued support for its current chips that are used in a wide variety of military devices, but are not used in Apple's current generation products (PowerPC chips were used by Apple before its transition to the Intel architecture almost three years ago). The Register says that the government may have pressured Apple into supporting the current PowerPC-chip design and PA Semi's customers.

While Apple declined to elaborate on the rationale behind the acquisition, the PA Semi acquisition appears to be focused on the company's intellectual property and talent for reducing chip power consumption rather than its products.

According to the report, PA Semi has started notifying a limited set of customers that the company's existing dual-core processor will enjoy long-term support, but the company will abandon any efforts to push the PA Semi architecture forward, The Register reports.

Apple will also retain a number of employees to help support its current operations and customers, the report indicated. PA Semi's PWRficient processor is reportedly designed into DoD programs in every major branch of the armed services and the chips are used in more than 10 defense systems made by companies such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon and for military systems, such as missiles, mine-sweeping gear and storage boxes.

 
Previous Comments

Great

05/18, 07:14am reply

So now Apple is in the arms business, what next?

rytc

Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Jan 2001

+1

What next?

05/18, 09:24am reply

The iTank!

ClevelandAdv

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2004

+2

Here ya go...

05/18, 10:16am reply

to quote the register:

"The iBomb"

wymer100

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2003

+1

I

05/18, 05:47pm reply

Oh balderdash, Apple computers are well-regarded by the US Army alread:

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2008/01/usarmyinstall.html

My question is, if Apple really only cares about having PASemi for new product development, perhaps they can release the blueprints for their 'legacy' processors to a project like OpenCores?

http://www.opencores.org/

It could make customers happier AND reduce support costs for a platform that Apple doesn't really care about going forward.

OtisWild

Junior Member

Joined: Feb 2005

+1

Re: I

05/19, 10:21am reply

Balderdash to whom? Nothing I read says the army hates Apple. They certainly would if Apple killed the product they depend on, though.

testudo

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

+1

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