U-Vratislav Holub Ama-chipsets avela emndenini wakwa-Apple Silicon ashaya emathunjini amakhompyutha e-Mac anamuhla. I-Apple iqhamuke nabo kakade ngo-2020, lapho ishintshela kusixazululo sayo esikhundleni se-Intel processors. Umdondoshiya uklama ama-chips awo, kuyilapho umdondoshiya waseTaiwan i-TSMC, ongumholi womhlaba wonke emkhakheni wokukhiqizwa kwe-semiconductor, inakekela ukukhiqizwa kwawo nokusekelwa kwezobuchwepheshe. I-Apple isivele ikwazile ukuqeda isizukulwane sokuqala (i-M1) sala ma-chips, kanti okwamanje kulindeleke ukuthi sizobona ukufika kwamanye amamodeli amabili esizukulwane sesibili ngaphambi kokuphela kuka-2022.
Kungaba njalo okuthakaselayo
I-Apple Silicon chips isize ukuphakamisa ikhwalithi yamakhompyutha we-Apple izinyathelo ezimbalwa eziya phambili. Ngokukhethekile, sibone ukuthuthuka okukhulu ekusebenzeni nokusebenza kahle. I-Apple igxile kuyo ukusebenza nge-watt ngayinye noma ukusetshenziswa kwamandla nge-Watt ngayinye, lapho kudlula umncintiswano ngokuphawulekayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakungelona ushintsho lokuqala lwezakhiwo zalo mdondoshiya. AmaMacs asebenzise ama-microprocessors e-Motorola 1995K kuze kube ngu-68, i-PowerPC edumile kuze kube ngu-2005, bese kuba ama-x2020 processors asuka ku-Intel kuze kube ngu-86. Kwabe sekufika inkundla eyakhiwe esakhiweni se-ARM, noma i-Apple Silicon chipset. Kodwa kunombuzo othakazelisayo. I-Apple Silicon ingahlala isikhathi esingakanani ngaphambi kokuthi ithathelwe indawo ubuchwepheshe obusha?
Kungani i-Apple ishintshe izakhiwo
Okokuqala, ake sikhanyise ukuthi kungani i-Apple empeleni yashintsha izakhiwo esikhathini esedlule futhi isiyonke yashintsha amapulatifomu amane ahlukene. Nokho, cishe kuzo zonke izimo, wayenesisusa esihluke kancane. Ngakho masiyifingqe ngokushesha. Ushintshe i-Motorola 68K kanye ne-PowerPC ngesizathu esilula - ukuhlukana kwabo kwanyamalala futhi kwakungekho ndawo yokuqhubeka, okubeka inkampani esimweni esinzima lapho iphoqeleka ukuthi ishintshe.
Igalari yezithombe
Kodwa-ke, lokhu bekungenjalo nge-architecture ye-x86 kanye nama-Intel processors. Njengoba ngiqinisekile uyazi, ama-Intel processors asekhona nanamuhla futhi enza ingxenye enkulu yemakethe yamakhompiyutha. Ngendlela yabo, bahlala besendaweni ehamba phambili futhi bangatholakala cishe yonke indawo - kusukela kumakhompiyutha amageyimu kuya kuma-ultrabook kuya kumakhompyutha asehhovisi asendulo. Kodwa-ke, i-Apple isahamba ngendlela yayo futhi yayinezizathu ezimbalwa zayo. Inkululeko iyonke idlala indima ebalulekile. Ngakho-ke i-Apple yalahla ukuncika kwayo ku-Intel, ngenxa yalokho akusadingeki ukuba ikhathazeke ngokushoda okungenzeka, okwenzeka izikhathi eziningana esikhathini esidlule. Ngo-2019, umdondoshiya we-Cupertino waze wasola i-Intel ngokuthengiswa okubuthakathaka kwamakhompyutha ayo, okusolwa ukuthi kudalwe yi-Intel ngenxa yokubambezeleka kokulethwa kwamaprosesa.
Nakuba inkululeko ibaluleke kakhulu, kungenzeka ukuthi isizathu esiyinhloko silele kokunye. Amaprosesa akhiwe esakhiweni se-x86 ahamba ngendlela ehluke kancane kunaleyo i-Apple engathanda ukuya ngayo. Ngokuphambene nalokho, mayelana nalokhu, i-ARM imele isisombululo esihle ekukhuphukeni, okuvumela ukusetshenziswa kokusebenza okuhle ngokuhambisana nomnotho omkhulu.
Izophela nini i-Apple Silicon?
Yebo konke kunesiphetho. Yingakho nje abalandeli be-apula bexoxa ngokuthi i-Apple Silicon izoba nathi isikhathi esingakanani, noma izothathelwa indawo ngani. Uma sibheka emuva enkathini yama-Intel processors, anika amandla amakhompyutha we-Apple iminyaka engu-15. Ngakho-ke, abanye abalandeli babamba umbono ofanayo ngisho nasendabeni yesakhiwo esisha. Ngokusho kwabo, kufanele isebenze ngokuthembekile cishe okufanayo, noma okungenani iminyaka engu-15. Ngakho-ke uma sikhuluma ngoshintsho olungaba khona lweplatifomu, kuyadingeka ukuqaphela ukuthi into efana nale izofika eminyakeni embalwa.
Kuze kube manje, nokho, i-Apple ibilokhu ithembele kumphakeli, kuyilapho manje ibheja ngendlela yama-chips ayo, ayinikeza inkululeko eshiwo kakade kanye nesandla samahhala. Ngalesi sizathu, umbuzo uwukuthi ngabe i-Apple izoyishiya yini le nzuzo futhi iqale ukusebenzisa isisombululo somunye umuntu futhi. Kodwa into enjalo ibonakala ingenakwenzeka kakhulu okwamanje. Noma kunjalo, sekuvele kunezimpawu zokuthi umdondoshiya waseCupertino ubheke kuphi ngokulandelayo. Eminyakeni yakamuva, isethi yemiyalo ye-RISC-V ithole ukunakwa okukhulayo. Kodwa-ke, kufanele siveze ukuthi lokhu kuyisethi yemiyalo kuphela, engamele noma iyiphi imodeli yezakhiwo noma ilayisense okwamanje. Inzuzo eyinhloko ilele ekuvulekeni kwayo yonke isethi. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi iyisethi yemiyalo evulekile efinyeleleka ngokukhululekile nawo wonke umuntu. Ngokuphambene nalokho, endabeni yesikhulumi se-ARM (kusetshenziswa isethi yemiyalelo ye-RISC), wonke umkhiqizi kufanele akhokhe izimali zelayisensi, ezisebenza naku-Apple.
Kungaba njalo okuthakaselayo
Ngakho-ke akumangazi ukuthi imibono yabalimi bama-apula ihamba ngale ndlela. Nokho, kuzodingeka silinde eminye iminyaka embalwa ukuze kube noshintsho olunjalo. Ngokombono, kungenzeka ngezizathu ezimbili ezibalulekile - ngokushesha nje lapho ukuthuthukiswa kwama-chips e-ARM kuqala ukuntengantenga, noma ngokushesha nje lapho ukusetshenziswa kwesethi yemiyalo ye-RISC-V kuqala ngezinga elikhulu. Kodwa ukuthi into efana nalena izokwenzeka ngempela akukacaci okwamanje. Kuzoba mnandi ukubona ukuthi i-Apple ingawenza kanjani lo msebenzi. Kungenzeka ukuthi ngenxa yokuvuleka kwesethi, uzoqhubeka nokuthuthukisa ama-chips akhe, abezowakhiqiza kamuva umphakeli.
