Wired
Former Intel engineer Zen Lee said the development of the first MacBook Air-only processor led to the subsequent realization of thin Windows notebooks.
Development of a dedicated processor for the first MacBook Air started in 2006
In a conversation with Apple product analyst Jean Manster, Lee learned from the development of the Intel processor dedicated to the first MacBook Air to realize the subsequent thin Windows laptop “Ultrabook”. I revealed that I was connected.
Lee seems to have been involved in the development of the first MacBook Air processor, which began secretly in 2006.
According to him, when developing the first MacBook Air dedicated processor, Apple requested Intel to make a proprietary one in order to exceed the existing product, but what kind of product will the processor be installed in? It is said that Apple did not reveal Ruka.
The first MacBook Air leads to the advent of ultrabooks
Apple requested Intel to achieve the same performance as existing processors even when installed in a (thin) form factor, and it took about a year from design to manufacture.
According to Lee, the dedicated processor made in this way may have been contracted to ban the provision of other than Apple products, but based on the knowledge gained here, Intel engineers He said he developed and provided a similar processor for Windows laptops such as Dell and HP.
Shortly after Apple launched the first MacBook Air, competitors began developing the same thin form factor, and a year later the Ultrabook, a laptop similar to Dell and HP, was launched, Lee said. Stated.
“These moves had a lead time of six to twelve months before competitors could catch up, as Apple’s innovations on the Mac were quickly imitated by other manufacturers,” Lee said. I have.
In the future, chips for Mac will shift from Intel processors to Apple silicon such as M1 chips developed in-house, so Apple will realize a powerful and proprietary form factor that no one can imitate in the future. Lee expects.
You can check the content of the dialogue between Mr. Lee and Mr. Munster in the video below.
Source: iDrop News
Photo: AppleInsider
(FT729)
Source: iPhone Mania