[rkangel]

This article points to another bit of the technology stack that Apple doesn't own - LLVM IR.

LLVM is open source and therefore doesn't require licensing unlike the ARM Instruction Set, but it's another thing they don't perfectly control and they're happy with that.

Developing a new ISA would be extremely expensive, and they'd have to have a really good reason for doing it. The post doesn't suggest why it would be beneficial, merely extrapolates a pattern.

[leoedin]

According to Wikipedia Apple hired Chris Lattner, one of the original authors of LLVM, in 2005. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LLVM)

So they don't own it, but they do employ some of the most knowledgeable developers of the project. They almost certainly have control over the direction it takes, and could easily develop features behind closed doors.

[RegW]

> This article points to another bit of the technology stack that Apple doesn't own - LLVM IR.

Hmm, I saw the "LLVM owned since ~2005". What exactly does the article mean by "owned"?

Perhaps, Apple owns it in the same way that all of us do, or perhaps the article just needs a little more work.

[Rotten194]

Apple can also fork LLVM if they want to assert more control.