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Thursday, November 04, 2010, 10:45 pm
ARM CEO not worried about Intel tablet PC threat
The chief executive at ARM, whose CPU designs are used in Apple's iPad, affirmed the continued growth of the tablet PC market, while dismissing concerns that Intel tablets will pose a competitive threat to the company.Warren East told the Financial Times that sales of tablet PCs next year could jump to as many as 60 million units, most of which will contain ARM chips.
East conceded that a few models would use Intel's Atom processor, but doubted that they would be successful. “Atom designs are just not good enough in terms of power consumption [right now]. Intel knows this,” said East.
Apple's iPad, which uses an ARM-based CPU, is currently dominating the tablet market. Recent data from research firm Strategy Analytics suggests that the iPad made up a massive 95 percent of tablet sales last quarter.
According to East, the Consumer Electronics Show early next year will see a "raft of new devices" as the nascent tablet market begins to take off. Companies have rushed to develop competing tablets after seeing the runaway success of the iPad. Last month, one analyst calculated that the iPad has the fastest adoption rate of any consumer electronics device ever.
East wasn't completely optimistic about next years' sales, though, admitting concerns that consumer spending on electronics may weaken in the coming months.
“You can’t avoid that, it’s like the weather. We’re concerned that it might rain. There are clouds up there," said East. "But what we’ve experienced in 2009 was that Arm still outperformed the industry in a down year."
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Previous Comments View All
I really wish you'd bother to get at least the most basic facts right.
ARM doesn't make the iPad's CPU. ARM is a licensor of designs.
Thanks for the correction.
According to East, the Consumer Electronics Show early next year will see a "raft of new devices" as the nascent tablet market begins to take off.
Nascent? I keep seeing this word, every time people talk about the tablet market. I feel like the Spaniard from Princess Bride. You all know the line.
Forgive me for being pedantic here, but this bothers me. Tablets have been around for frikken ages. Remember the Newton? Don't wanna call that a tablet? Okay, then remember the Go tablet? Windows was in version 3.1 when that thing came out. Microsoft later made a whole version of Windows specifically for tablets. There were tons of tablets out there.
That's not to minimize the iPad. Exactly the opposite. These things have been around forever. They've appealed only to niches. They didn't set the world on its ear.
This year, Apple stepped in and showed everyone how to do it right, got 95% of that market. It has everyone scrambling to copy them. And so we have to recast the market as being nascent to explain it? Nascent brings with it the connotations of youth and future vitality. Just meeting the last criteria shouldn't be enough to use the term, because it then implies the first criteria and is thereby misleading.
Part of why this bothers me is that it minimizes Apple's contribution here. It's like a lot of things that came before. The iPod was not the first MP3 player; but after it came out, people acted like Apple succeeded because of some first-mover advantage it hadn't actually had. When the iPhone was announced, tons of people scoffed because the smart phone market had already matured to the point than no one could reasonably be expected to step in and make a splash. Now everyone is copying the iPhone and acting like it was an immature market that Apple got an early break with. And here we are now, talking about the iPad like tablets are some new thing. Be fair here. They've been around for ages, they sucked, Apple recast them in a way that took everyone off guard, and the market is exploding. But it's an ancient market. It simply sucked up until 2010.
Nascent? I keep seeing this word, every time people talk about the tablet market. I feel like the Spaniard from Princess Bride. You all know the line.
Forgive me for being pedantic here, but this bothers me. []
You are being pedantic, but thats okay. The definition can be defined as its emergence and showing evidence of future growth and popularity. It really depends on how you define the tablet market.
Apple has redefined and re-imagined the tablet market, so we can consider it as being reborn. Also, in todays society we can easily regard something that has become popular as its start. For instance, we could define an unknown actors nascent career that gets a lead role and becomes a household name seemingly overnight, regardless of how long theyve been working at their craft. In the grand scheme of things this is still the beginning of the personal computer industry.
You are being pedantic, but thats okay. The definition can be defined as its emergence and showing evidence of future growth and popularity. It really depends on how you define the tablet market.
Apple has redefined and re-imagined the tablet market, so we can consider it as being reborn. Also, in todays society we can easily regard something that has become popular as its start. For instance, we could define an unknown actors nascent career that gets a lead role and becomes a household name seemingly overnight, regardless of how long theyve been working at their craft. In the grand scheme of things this is still the beginning of the personal computer industry.
Really... He was right, but you felt you just had to throw your two cents in. The tablet market has been around for a long, long time. They were giving them out to executives like crazy during the .COM craze because it made people feel they were in the LEAD of the industry.
The consumer tablet is however something new. Apparently no one ever thought to include the every day person on their tablet. Now it's .....NEW
Really... He was right, but you felt you just had to throw your two cents in.
Yes he was, and I acknowledged that.
You just backed up my point with your two cents. Thank youˇ
I would never dismiss Intel in the processor business.
Apple has been working with ARM processors since the Apple Newton days. Apple was actually instrumental in the design of ARM and owned part of ARM. However, I believe that they would switch to Intel if Intel offered a clear advantage in power and performance.
If Apple switched from the PowerPC to Intel, Apple can switch from ARM as well if there is a good reason to do so. ARM will continue to lead as long as it offers better battery life than Intel and adequate performance for tablet devices.
Apple also has ARM in house talent advantage with with PA Semi and Intrinsity enhancing ARM so...
Time will tell.
Nascent? I keep seeing this word, every time people talk about the tablet market. I feel like the Spaniard from Princess Bride. You all know the line.
Forgive me for being pedantic here, but this bothers me. Tablets have been around for frikken ages. Remember the Newton? Don't wanna call that a tablet? Okay, then remember the Go tablet? Windows was in version 3.1 when that thing came out. Microsoft later made a whole version of Windows specifically for tablets. There were tons of tablets out there.
That's not to minimize the iPad. Exactly the opposite. These things have been around forever. They've appealed only to niches. They didn't set the world on its ear.
This year, Apple stepped in and showed everyone how to do it right, got 95% of that market. It has everyone scrambling to copy them. And so we have to recast the market as being nascent to explain it? Nascent brings with it the connotations of youth and future vitality. Just meeting the last criteria shouldn't be enough to use the term, because it then implies the first criteria and is thereby misleading.
Part of why this bothers me is that it minimizes Apple's contribution here. It's like a lot of things that came before. The iPod was not the first MP3 player; but after it came out, people acted like Apple succeeded because of some first-mover advantage it hadn't actually had. When the iPhone was announced, tons of people scoffed because the smart phone market had already matured to the point than no one could reasonably be expected to step in and make a splash. Now everyone is copying the iPhone and acting like it was an immature market that Apple got an early break with. And here we are now, talking about the iPad like tablets are some new thing. Be fair here. They've been around for ages, they sucked, Apple recast them in a way that took everyone off guard, and the market is exploding. But it's an ancient market. It simply sucked up until 2010.
++ Great analysis!
I can see so many possibilities with the iPad. If the 2nd and future generation would be able to ensure
a stand-alone iPad
cheaper MobileMe (or a free basic Mobile Me for average users). The free basic MobileMe perhaps can be subsidixed partly by iAds(???) while the premiun MobileMe would be ad-free.
cloud computing to allow less dependence on local storage
more robust wireless connectivity to peripherals
the iPad would really take off even beyond its current and obvious potential markets.
The list did not include what are already expected with the iOS 4.2 -- front-facing camera for FaceTime (including multiconference use for the enterprise), multi-tasking, etc. And of course, I hope even more powerful CPUs, lighter, improved battery life, etc. in the iPad 2, and succeeding generation.
Initially, I considered a camera at the back to be rather awkward, but in one article such a camera could be useful for many purposes especially in the professional field and the enterprise -- like initial site planning for architects and industrial construction, plus many other potential uses.
For the enterprise, apart from security, internal network, cloud computing, etc., Apple should really spend more research time and money improving the iWorks, including better compatibility with MS Office. For the average user, iWorks may suffice for the average user. However, for more complex uses, especially the "Numbers". I have been trying the full version for the Mac, in the case of "Numbers", it cannot do so many tasks that even my old Excel 1998 is capable of doing.
The iPad (aka, iPad) is for fun. The Mac (aka, x86) is for fun and for work. Apple should make a truly light (400 to 600 g) and pocketable (or almost) Mac of any form factor (tablet, slider or clamshell). Even if it has lower battery life than the iPad, because that is a Mac. A Mac in your pocket or purse.
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The chief executive at ARM, which makes the CPU for Apple's iPad,
I really wish you'd bother to get at least the most basic facts right.
ARM doesn't make the iPad's CPU. ARM is a licensor of designs.