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May 8, 2008

business

More on Apple gobbling up PA Semi

Posted May. 8, ’08, 8:47 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Business

Apple chipsSteve Jobs does not mess around. When the man wants a bag of chips, he buys a chip company. Disappointed to find that PA Semi does not in fact make Fritos, Jobs and co. decided to make lemoade by asking them to design some microchips for an Apple-branded toaster or something.

But why buy the company in the first place? The EETimes sheds some light on what went into the decision. Apple, which was allegedly an investor (potentially anonymous) in PA Semi before the acquisition, wanted the company to design a chip for them, but PA Semi had already exhausted their venture capital funds. At which point, Steve Jobs apparently sighed, beckoned over his manservant, and had them pay off the rest of the investors in solid gold ingots he has trucked around with him (why do you think he needs a private jet?).

Of course, that still leaves the burning question of what precisely the requested chip is for. Given Apple’s close ties to Intel for the Mac and the fact that PA Semi previously worked on PowerPC chips, it seems unlikely that it will be for anything in that line; much more likely are products in the consumer electronics division. Or, just maybe, something that we haven’t seen yet.


4 Comments

andy said:

is that last line an old school reference? Are you equating computer chips with an olive garden waitresses panties?

May 8, 2008 9:09 AM
krye said:

It's for a robot Steve. You know, for when he's gone.

May 8, 2008 9:10 AM
Catatonic said:

Steve Robot won't have Intel Inside??

May 8, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said:

Apple needs chips for those new multitouch keyboards

May 8, 2008 4:28 PM

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