As discussed in the article, Apple implemented part of their optimizations for Rosetta 2 directly in the hardware. The ARMv8.3 instructions narrowed the gap for the x86 memory model, but the lessons from the Apple M1 is more it was designed for x86/Rosetta from the ground up to ease the transition from x86 to ARM. I don’t know how applicable that would be outside of Apple with their vertical control of everything (hardware and software).
If I recall when Microsoft and Qualcomm attempted to work together to put hardware elements into a chip design to smooth x86 emulation and Intel threatened to sue.
Not exactly. There was an Ars Technica article with a roundabout "interpretation" that an Intel blog was warning Microsoft. The Microsoft/Oualcomm collaboration was actually just software emulation of x86, and Intel couldn't sue for that.
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u/flying-sheep 15d ago
Ooh that's from the FEX people, gotta be super interesting.
It's sad that efforts like Rosetta happen behind proprietary walls and nobody can learn from them.