There are many good things about ARM, but here are the ten best:
It uses less power than other processors
It's small
It's ubiquitous
Anyone can make one
Co-operates with customers
Delivers compatibility across most handhelds
Doesn't want to rule the world
Doesn't win slots with MDF
Doesn't sue customers
And the catch is?
Tou tell me Wayne
What a fickle cove you are David!
How about: http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/david-manners-semiconductor-blog/2010/12/arm-on-the-slippery-downward-s.html#more
Or has the MS "Windows 8 to run on ARM" announcement wiped the slate clean of all that apparent hubris, and ARM are back from the brink of believing their own hype? If so it is a salutary lesson in what happens when ones believes the tittle-tattle without seeing the full picture.
I agree with all of it, by the way, except I'm not sure I know what you mean by "Generally tells the truth" - I take it you mean the company rather than the processor architecture? If so it is pretty lousy reflection on the other players, although I suppose one has damned themselves by their own hand in employing MDF...
Keep it up - the world would be very dull without your excelent line in Kremlinology!
Thank you Stooriefit, but a few bad apples don't necessarily spoil the crop and I assume, and hope, that the behaviour of some ARM people, as reported in the 'slippery slope' piece, is not typical. As to telling the truth - it's always seemed to me that - going back 30 years or so - there's more bollox talked about microprocessor performance than about that of any other electronic component. And the Great Marketeers who thought up MDF and MOAP are the most blatant exponents.
The catch: for its ubiquity it really doesn't make a whole lot of money
You're right, Chris London, at 10 cents a core ARM's an absolute steal compared to the $100 cores of Intel - why isn't the world more grateful for this largesse?
Surely David, being British has to be up there in the top ten?
Yes JP, but it's not very British to say so
So why today's headline 'ARM grows slower than the market'?, when ARM reported processor royalty revenues in Q4 2010 grew 29% year-on-year which compares with industry revenues growing by 14% in the shipment period (Q3 2010 compared to Q3 2009 Processor Royalties). The report explains royalties are recognised one quarter in arrears with royalties in Q4 generated from semiconductor unit shipments in Q3.
Well Mark, take the statement from ARM's financial results: "Total 2010 full-year revenues were $631.3 million, up 29% on 2009." And compare that with today's SIA statement: "Worldwide semiconductor sales for 2010 reached a record $298.3 billion, a year-on-year increase of 31.8 percent from the $226.3 billion recorded in 2009." Self-explanatory I trust.
Another great thing about ARM: the evolution of their architecture has been gradual (which makes it interesting to examine) and they've certainly come a long way: http://www.beyond3d.com/editor/articles/111/
Okay, I admit that's a shameless plug to my latest article, but it seemed very apropos and I thought you might want to glance at it David so I figured I might as well :)
Thanks Arun, that's a really comprehensive account of where ARM came from, where it is, and where it's going. Very impressive.