Acorn Archimedes: Difference between revisions
Updated with more contemporary examples
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What really makes the Archimedes interesting is the processor. Whilst other systems at the time tended to use the Motorola 68000 as the processor of choice, Acorn instead chose to design their own processor. Like other new CPU designs at the time, it used a RISC architecture, which gave their new CPU a relatively simple design that used little power, but gave high performance. This Acorn RISC Machine proved to be amazingly successful, but not for its original platform. The low-power-but-high-performance nature of the ARM design was recognised by, amongst others, Apple, who wanted to use the CPU in their notepad sized touch screen computer — the Newton. This led to the processor side of Acorn to be spun off into Advanced RISC Machines (now ARM Holdings). The ARM design spread to many low-powered devices, and has since outlived the original Acorn Computers.
Nowadays, ARM-based processors are used by most mobile phones, MP3 players, a fair number of netbooks, and even the ARM-based iPad. It's even commonly found in routers, set-top boxes, and other embedded applications. If you've got some kind of handheld device like a
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== Specifications ==
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