AMD says its x86-powered APUs (accelerated processing units) are ready to compete in the lucrative tablet market – a space which is currently dominated by RISC-based ARM processors.
“We definitely see the APU moving steadily into the tablet market. Of course, there are still set pieces to be determined around OS, size and scope,” AMD exec John Taylor told TG Daily.
“But we have at least three OEMs introducing tablets that use our APU. From my perspective, the x86 APU is the new kid in town. No one else really has anything in market like it besides AMD.”
Indeed, according to Taylor, the current ARM versus x86 paradigm is somewhat “simplistic” and not all that applicable to the recently introduced APU.
“It is definitely a misconception to say that ARM has a definite advantage over x86 (in mobile). We believe the APU is basically a piece of silicon that redefines the game. For example, it provides all day battery life (on an 11.6 inch display notebooks) and offers more compute power than any current Windows-compatible chip out there.
“Plus, it can run various operating systems and be implemented in multiple form factors. Clearly, x86 executed in the form of an APU has real opportunity and a future in more than one market.”
Taylor also commented on AMD’s first annual Fusion summit, which is scheduled to be held in Bellevue, Washington this June.
“One of the most interesting items on the agenda is a keynote by ARM’s VP of technology, Jem Davies, who will be presenting on the future of heterogeneous computing and ARM’s support for standards such as OpenCL.
“Although I can’t talk about any specific announcements or in-depth keynote content, there will definitely be newsworthy items coming out of the conference. The substance of the talks as well as the ability to showcase (specific examples) will add up to a fair amount of news,” he added.
