from http://www.gamespot.com/news/6154279.html
Report: Nvidia GPUs to be in next-gen iPods
American Technology Research changes rating on graphics-chip-maker's stock on belief its technology will be part of forthcoming crop of media handhelds.
By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Jul 18, 2006 9:07 pm PT
In late May, a Silicon Valley recruiter told GameSpot that it looked like Apple was forming a secret games division. According to the source, former LucasArts technical director Mike Lampell is heading up a group inside the storied iTunes division, and hiring for "C/C++ coders with a 'gaming background.'"
Today, further evidence surfaced that indicate a future version of Apple's ubiquitous iPod player will have gaming functionality. The news came when industry-research firm American Technology Research raised its rating of graphics-chip-maker Nvidia from "hold" to "buy."
The reason?
"Based on our analysis, we believe Nvidia is designed into the next-generation video iPod socket at the expense of Broadcom," ATR analyst Satya Chillara told the EE Times, referring to the maker of the graphics processing unit (GPU) in current-generation video ipods. "We believe the Nvidia chip adds 3D graphics functionality in addition to all of the existing features that Broadcom supported with the existing vPod."
Besides the existing video playback, a 3D Nvidia GPU has one other obvious application--gaming. However, it must be emphasized that Apple has not officially announced any iPod with anything more than the rudimentary games on current-generation iPods. Requests for comment on the use of Nvidia chips in iPods had gone unanswered as of press time.
Report: Nvidia GPUs to be in next-gen iPods
American Technology Research changes rating on graphics-chip-maker's stock on belief its technology will be part of forthcoming crop of media handhelds.
By Tor Thorsen, GameSpot
Posted Jul 18, 2006 9:07 pm PT
In late May, a Silicon Valley recruiter told GameSpot that it looked like Apple was forming a secret games division. According to the source, former LucasArts technical director Mike Lampell is heading up a group inside the storied iTunes division, and hiring for "C/C++ coders with a 'gaming background.'"
Today, further evidence surfaced that indicate a future version of Apple's ubiquitous iPod player will have gaming functionality. The news came when industry-research firm American Technology Research raised its rating of graphics-chip-maker Nvidia from "hold" to "buy."
The reason?
"Based on our analysis, we believe Nvidia is designed into the next-generation video iPod socket at the expense of Broadcom," ATR analyst Satya Chillara told the EE Times, referring to the maker of the graphics processing unit (GPU) in current-generation video ipods. "We believe the Nvidia chip adds 3D graphics functionality in addition to all of the existing features that Broadcom supported with the existing vPod."
Besides the existing video playback, a 3D Nvidia GPU has one other obvious application--gaming. However, it must be emphasized that Apple has not officially announced any iPod with anything more than the rudimentary games on current-generation iPods. Requests for comment on the use of Nvidia chips in iPods had gone unanswered as of press time.
