The first Mac computers based on the M1 processor came out more than a month ago and have already managed to show themselves in all their glory, but competing chip manufacturers have pretended that nothing has happened almost all this time. Neither Intel nor AMD, which are considered industry leaders, were slow to comment on the matter. The first to break the silence was Qualcomm, which called the M1 an innovative solution that could change the market. But Qualcomm’s audacity can be explained by the fact that it did not have to compete directly with Apple in the personal computer market. Unlike the rest, who gradually began to speak out on this score.
AMD believes that the M1 processor will definitely affect the computing industry and lead to the spread of the ARM architecture among personal computers. Whereas previously it was primarily used in mobile devices and powered servers, now are the time for it to appear in consumer products. However, AMD is not afraid of this, the company’s CEO Lisa Su made it clear, just as they are not worried about the termination of cooperation with Apple.
Is the M1 really better than other processors?
According to the top manager, the release of M1 only indicates in what direction hardware technologies used in the computer industry can develop. Of course, Apple’s new ARM processor can be considered an innovative solution, but this does not mean that there are no other players in the industry who can offer their own innovations to the market, says Lisa Su.
After all, innovation, in its view, is determined by the uniqueness of developments, which do not have to be of a common nature, not to mention the fact that the suppliers of such technologies compete with each other. Apparently, she forgot about the higher performance and energy efficiency of ARM processors compared to x86. Or maybe she didn’t forget, but she pretends that this does not deserve the attention of the audience.
“M1 is, rather, a story about how many development directions the market currently offers us. Of course, this is another opportunity for hardware and software upgrades. But from our point of view, the industry can offer other innovations as well. It’s just that now users will have a choice and they can use different equipment to perform the same tasks, ”said Su.
In fact, AMD CEO’s speech can hardly be called a revelation. It seems that she said all this just because she just needed to say something. Lisa Su did not make any hints about AMD’s own solutions and did not even predict the model of competition with Apple. On the contrary, she seemed to be afraid to make any confessions, leaving the full impression that the company entrusted to her simply does not know how to behave in this situation.
Apple Computers Graphics
Some Apple computers still use AMD graphics, but not for long
“We expect more focused solutions in the PC market over the next two years, bringing greater differentiation. This will give consumers more choices. But, as far as Apple is concerned, we continue to be its partner and supplier of graphics for its computers, ”concluded Su.
Obviously, the top manager could not say about the imminent termination of cooperation with Apple, so as not to bring down the shares of the company entrusted to her. But at the same time, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that a couple more years will pass and Apple will no longer need AMD products that it has been using for many years. After all, as Tim Cook said, the entire line of Mac computers will switch to the ARM architecture before the end of 2022.
AMD is in a difficult situation. On the one hand, it loses a strategically important partner, although it does not talk about it, and, on the other hand, it itself cannot offer the market anything else. After all, it is logical that otherwise Su would definitely have said this, especially since several years ago AMD had an ARM processor project, which it curtailed due to its technical imperfection and, apparently, is not going to return to it.
