AT&T, once a giant in computing, designed and manufactured its own microprocessors, including the unique and interesting Hobbit. The Hobbit was optimized to run C programs efficiently, but faced challenges when Apple decided to switch to the ARM architecture for its Newton handheld. Despite its potential, the Hobbit eventually fell out of favor, leading to the demise of the EO Personal Communicator and the end of the Hobbit’s journey. The recent failed takeover of Hobbit Inc. by Nvidia on antitrust grounds has left the Hobbit homeless, prompting a settlement with the J.R.R. Tolkien estate to rename the company. The alternative history where the Hobbit replaces Arm seems unlikely due to market dynamics and technological advancements favoring register-based architectures. Throughout its history, AT&T’s vision for its own devices powered by the Hobbit chips to revolutionize mobile computing took a different turn with the rise of partners like Apple and ARM.
https://thechipletter.substack.com/p/at-and-ts-crisp-hobbits