June 11 - 10:45am EDT   The purpose of acquiring PA Semi was the creation of chips for iPhones and iPods, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has admitted. "PA Semi is going to do system-on-chips for iPhones and iPods," Jobs tells the New York Times. Although Apple has dismissed rumors that it is unhappy with Intel, or that it is planning to resurrect some PowerPC technology, it has been unclear what PA Semi was needed for other than designing chips for portable electronics. [full story]

May 21 - 7:20pm EDT   Apple’s recent acquisition of PA Semiconductor is being reviewed by the US Department of Defense, since the latter company’s processor chipsets power many of the military’s portable devices. According to the EETimes, the acquisition left PA Semi’s future lines of processors in an uncertain state, while Apple has said it would provide legacy support for the military. The Department of Defense said the component is an important and unique part of its integrated electronics systems. [full story]

April 25 - 3:50pm EDT   Intel has nothing to fear from Apple's acquisition this week of chip designer PA Semi, says Steve Jobs. The Apple CEO has dismissed rumors that the company is looking to distance itself from Intel, a view based primarily on the fact that Intel is also involved in the kind of mobile processor technology PA specializes in. Apple depends heavily on Intel technology for its desktop and notebook computers. [full story]

April 23 - 10:55pm EDT   Apple's recent acquisition of PA Semiconductor appears to revolve around the latter company's intellectual properties and expertise, not its current products as was initially believed. AppleInsider reveals that Apple is more concerned with PA's technologies and engineers, since the semiconductor manufacturer has in the past created a dual-core 64-bit chip which only uses 15 watts of power to operate. This could allow for integration of low-consumption processors like the Intel Atom. [full story]

April 23 - 9:40am EDT   In an unusual deal, Apple has announced a decision to buy PA Semi, a microprocessor design company. An Apple spokesman, Steve Dowling, has declined to elaborate on the reasons or terms of the deal, except to say that Apple "buys smaller technology companies from time to time," and it does not comment on "purposes and plans." It is atypical however for the company to buy hardware firms, particularly as it has come to rely on ready-made components from a variety of manufacturers such as Intel, Samsung and Infineon. A source cited by Forbes claims the deal cost $278 million in cash. [full story]