Cirrus Logic to Develop Chip Set for Apple’s Newton Architecture
HANNOVER, Germany — March 25, 1993 — At the CeBIT trade show here Thursday, Cirrus Logic, Inc., (NASDAQ:CRUS) announced that it intends to support the establishment of the Apple Newton technology as a standard for personal digital assistants (PDAs).
The company also said that it would supply Newton-compatible chip sets for use both by licensees of the Newton operating system and by Apple Computer itself for use in members of its planned Newton family.
"In Cirrus Logic, we found a unique combination of technology and systems expertise. The company also has the commitment that will be required to work with us in expanding the market for the Newton family of personal digital assistants," said Gaston Bastiaens, Vice President and General Manager of Apple's Personal Interactive Electronics Division.
Cirrus Logic has in recent years accumulated, through internal development and judicious acquisitions, a strong technology base that ideally suits it to PDA chip set development. This unique set of technological capabilities includes low-voltage and mixed-signal (combined analog and digital signal processing in one integrated circuit) design, liquid crystal display (LCD) control, small-form-factor PCMCIA interfacing, digital wireless communications, data and fax modems, high-quality audio, and mass data storage.
According to Michael L. Hackworth, Cirrus Logic President and CEO, "We see the Newton architecture as superb for handheld computing and communications devices, and as compatible with our strategic direction. Since we entered the portable computing market in 1989 with our first LCD graphics controller chip, we've focused on technology and products that meet the needs of these small-form-factor devices, and have assembled a powerful technology portfolio and experience base. The selection of Cirrus Logic by Apple as a partner in this development is a significant testimony to the success of our strategy."
George Alexy, Cirrus Logic Vice President of Marketing, said, "We're very pleased to have been selected by Apple for this joint effort, and are fully committed to working to develop the specifications for and, eventually we believe, the chip set to implement the next generation of the Newton architecture platform."
The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Cirrus Logic, Inc.,
Headquartered in Fremont, Calif., Cirrus Logic develops innovative architectures for analog and digital system functions and implements those architectures in very-large-scale-integration (VLSI) silicon for applications that include mass storage, user interface (graphics, audio, and video), communications, and data acquisition. Key markets for Cirrus Logic's products include desktop and portable computing, workstations, telecommunications, and consumer electronics.
Apple Computer, Inc.
Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Apple is a leading supplier of computing technologies to consumer, education, business, and government markets worldwide. A recognized pioneer and innovator in the personal computer industry, Apple has been named first in customer satisfaction among business computer users in the United States for the past 2 years by J.D. Powers and Associates.
Note to Editors: Apple and the Apple logo are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Newton is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc.
CONTACT:
Cirrus Logic, Fremont
Paula Jones, 510/226-2259
Joe Fowler, 510/226-2239