Apple to end Imagination Tech GPU reliance over next 2 years

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Originally Posted by DanceswithUnix

Isn't the Metal API aimed squarely at these GPUs? So if they don't behave very similar, they break software compatibility?

<sharp intake of breath>
Should have used Vulkan :)

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I would imagine that if they've been developing their own GPU or have decided to go another direction with more control over the outcome, that any software will have been kept in mind for future products.

Perhaps if IMG had agreed to being purchased, this wouldn't have been the outcome. It's unlikely that Apple is going to be making an announcement without being confident of a GPU product timescale. Will be interesting to see if they have infringed patents.

Apple would only do this if they've signed a licensing agreement with someone else.

My money would be on team green as they've been going after everyone else for using universal shaders.

It's a shame really as the powervr gpu was the best bit of the apple soc.
The rate of improvement has only seemed lower because it started off at such a high point with all their competitors scrabbling to catch up. Whilst the cpu has hamstrung by ios' poor multi thread support hence they've stuck to a low core count

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Originally Posted by scaryjim

Surely you're not suggesting anything untoward is going on there...? ;)

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If ARM can be bought out, then IMG certainly can be bought out. The share price crashes after this news and Apple gets a wonderful deal when/if the pounds drops in value. I suspect IMG shares will drop more over the coming weeks and months if nothing but silence comes from Apple on the topic.. then they'll probably pounce.

Arse. Was going to sell my shares tomorrow to bank my profit this tax year. Win some, lose some.

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Originally Posted by keithwalton

Apple would only do this if they've signed a licensing agreement with someone else.

My money would be on team green as they've been going after everyone else for using universal shaders.

It's a shame really as the powervr gpu was the best bit of the apple soc.
The rate of improvement has only seemed lower because it started off at such a high point with all their competitors scrabbling to catch up. Whilst the cpu has hamstrung by ios' poor multi thread support hence they've stuck to a low core count

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>>My money would be on team green as they've been going after everyone else for using universal shaders.
They wouldn't have taken 25 of our employees if signing an agreement with someone else, most likely.
We've been targeting other companies for some time, it's not as big news as made out from our perspective

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Originally Posted by kingpotnoodle

Well its not a false announcement if Apple do actually have their own GPU and then use it? Imagination's only option for revenue then is licensing patents that cover elements of Apple's design ...

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The announcement is that they're not licensing any of Imagination's GPU IP and will not have to pay any licensing or royalties to Imagination at all. Imagination's assertion is that the statement is likely to be false, Apple will infringe on their patents/IP and will need to continue to pay licensing fees. If Apple pay any amount of IP licensing fees to Imagination after this, their statement will have been proven false...

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Originally Posted by krazy_olie

... all I can say is that quite a few of our former employees are now theirs ...

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That's really not going to help Apple's claims that their new GPU tech is completely distinct from Imagination's ... incidental transfer of commercially sensitive knowledge when staff move between companies is one of the classic ways to "accidentally" infringe someone else's IP... ;)

EDIT to add:

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Originally Posted by keithwalton

... My money would be on team green as they've been going after everyone else for using universal shaders. ...

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Ironic when ATI had a product in retail using unified shaders almost 18 months before the GeForce 8800GTX hit retail.... ;)