[lysace]

Not that I wouldn't want Apple to pay ARM more, but,

a) Apple is getting really good at switching CPU architectures when needed.

b) Don't they already have a forever licence to the ARM ISA (since the 90s/Newton) as well as a substantial in-house design team? I guess the renegotiations are about future/roadmapped ARM archictural enhancements.

It would be sad if there was a substantial fork of the arm64 ISA.

[throwaway72361]

Apple doesn't have a "forever" license. They have an architectural license, similar to a small number of other Arm architectural licensees, with certain contractual payment terms, lengths, restrictions, and timelines for extension, etc. The idea that Apple has a special, perpetual free license to Arm ISA/technology as a result of their involvement in its founding is a myth.

[lysace]

I guess we both have zero verifiable sources we can refer to.