The Chip Letter

Apple and AI : Siri the Early Years

One of the reasons for studying technology history is to look for recurring patterns: characteristics of either the technology itself or of firms that…

10 hrs ago • Babbage

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June 2026

The Secret Life of Computers

A brilliant and fun exposition of the development of computer technology

Jun 22 • Babbage

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Floating Point: The Origin Story

Where does floating point arithmetic come from?

Jun 3 • Babbage

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May 2026

Arm, the UK and Apple

The Softbank takeover and ISA transitions

May 10 • Babbage

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Intel Inside the Micro Revolution: 8008 Origins

How Intel gained its key position in the original micro-computer market

May 2 • Babbage

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April 2026

The Infinity Man

Demis Hassabis, colleagues and rivals with a little help from their chips

Apr 11 • Babbage

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Arm Makes Chips!

Is Arm getting its hands on its customers' business?

Apr 1 • Babbage

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March 2026

Compatibility and Fragmentation in the AI Era

New architectures pose new challenges but AI may help to provide solutions and break down barriers

Mar 11 • Babbage

29

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Nvidia's Groq Plot Thickens

Jonathan Ross 'Builds Fast'

Mar 4 • Babbage

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February 2026

The Origins and Limitations of AMD's Historic Revival

Hector Ruiz almost oversaw AMD's end in the 2000s but the risks paid off - eventually!

Feb 12 • Babbage

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January 2026

Intel's Larabee Legacy

Intel's long series of unforced errors on graphics and vector instructions

Jan 24 • Babbage

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Qualcomm's Ventana RISC-V Acquisition

Qualcomm has won one architecture battle but is still engaged in another CPU war

Jan 13 • Babbage

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