Imagination Technologies, the FTSE 250 company formerly known as VideoLogic that licenses
architectures for graphics processing units (GPU), has agreed a deal to buy the
operating assets of MIPS, a US company which designs central processing units
(CPU) used in devices like Blu-ray players, games consoles and network routers.
The deal, which includes 82 patents and is worth $60m (about £38m), is an
attempt to allow Imagination to compete more effectively with ARM, the
Cambridge-based company that licences its chip designs to Apple, Microsoft and
others.
The
iPad 4’s Retina graphics are driven by Imagination’s PowerVR technology
Imagination spokesman David Harold told
MacUser: ‘Imagination has been steadily developing its CPU capabilities for a
number years using its Meta processor, and sees an excellent fit for the MIPS
architecture and customer base with our plans for developing its position in
the mainstream CPU market in the years ahead.’ Harold explained that the deal
‘opens new markets for Imagination, such as networking, where MIPS is very well
established, as well as TV/STB, which has historically been strong for MIPS and
which is a rapidly growing market for Imagination.’
Imagination licenses the architecture for
its PowerVR GPU to Apple and Sony, among others. Apple uses ARM’s CPU designs
alongside the PowerVR in the system-on-a-chip architectures in the iPhone, iPod
touch and iPad, while Sony uses ARM’s Cortex architecture with the PowerVR in
its PlayStation Vita. The heating up of competition between Imagination and
ARM is a sign of how significant this area has become.
PlayStation
Vita
In a separate deal, ARM and its partners
agreed to buy 580 MIPS patents for $350m (about £220m). According to CEO Warren
East, that deal should ‘neutralise any potential infringement risk from these
patents in the further development of advanced embedded technology.’
Imagination has a royalty-free perpetual licence for the patents.
While Imagination is moving into CPU
architecture, ARM is moving into the design of GPUs. Google’s Samsung-built
Nexus 7 tablet uses ARM’s Mali GPU design. With the move towards
system-on-a-chip solutions by device makers, sourcing GPU and CPU from a single
designer becomes more attractive.
Apple’s use of system-on-a-chip
is currently limited to its mobile devices, but a recent report by Bloomberg
suggested that it may be considering using them in Macs too. According to
Bloomberg, ‘Apple is exploring ways to replace Intel processors in its Mac
personal computers with a version of the chip technology it uses in the iPhone
and iPad.’
The report, based on conversations with
three people who Bloomberg said had ‘knowledge of the work’ Apple was doing to
prepare for a possible move away from Intel, said: ‘While Apple is now
committed to Intel in computers and is unlikely to switch in the next few
years, some engineers say a shift to its own designs is inevitable as the
features of mobile devices and PCs become more similar.’
According
to Bloomberg, ‘Apple is exploring ways to replace Intel processors in its Mac
personal computers with a version of the chip technology it uses in the iPhone
and iPad.’
That story followed another report by the
same publication in October which said a move away from Intel ‘would allow
Apple to further distinguish its laptops and desktops from those of competitors
that run Intel’s chips and Microsoft’s Windows software.’ But it would also
mean an end to Boot Camp, which allows Macs to run Windows natively, and make
virtualisation software such as Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion much more
difficult and inefficient to implement. The move to Intel in 2005 has been
partly credited with reviving the fortunes of the Mac, which continues to
outperform the rest of the PC market in sales growth.
Apple made the move to Intel in 2005
because the chip maker’s processors were faster and used less power than the
PowerPC chips in Macs in previous years. ARM’s CPU architecture is more
power-efficient than the Intel x86 chips used in today’s Mac range, but lacks
processing capability by comparison. Intel’s advantage may not last long,
according to analysts Seeking Alpha: ‘As mobile devices grow in popularity and
use, it will be necessary for their functionality to increase and approach
current personal computer capabilities, and eventually surpass them.’ Today’s
iPhone and iPad already outperform the last of the PowerPC Macs.
Nevertheless, any transition is likely to
be years away and to start with Macs aimed at portability rather than power.
The MacBook Air, if it’s still around, could be an ideal candidate to begin a
move towards putting systems-on-a-chip into a Mac.
