Intel has announced it will not proceed with X86S, an experimental instruction set architecture that aims to simplify its processor design by removing legacy support for older 32-bit and 16-bit operating modes. The decision comes after gathering feedback from the technology ecosystem on a draft specification that was released for evaluation. The x86, and its 64-bit x86-64 we use today, is a giant cluster of specifications that contains so many instructions rarely anyone can say with precision how many are there. All of this stems from the era of original 8086 processor, which has its own 16-bit instructions. Later on we transitioned to 32, then 64-bit systems with all have brought their own specific instructions. Adding support for processing of vector, matrix, and other data types has increased the ISA specification so much that no one outside a few select engineers at Intel (and AMD) understands in full. From that x86S idea was born to solve the issue of supporting legacy systems and legacy code, and moving on to the x86S ISA, where "S" stands for simplified.

The X86S proposal included several notable modifications, such as eliminating support for rings 1 and 2 in the processor's protection model, removing 16-bit addressing capabilities, and discontinuing legacy interrupt controller support. These changes would have potentially reduced hardware complexity and modernized the platform's architecture. A key feature of the proposed design was a simplified boot process that would have allowed processors to start directly in 64-bit mode, eliminating the current requirement for systems to boot through various legacy modes before reaching 64-bit operation. The architecture also promised improvements in handling modern features like 5-level paging. "Intel will continue to maintain its longstanding commitment to software compatibility," the company stated in the official document on its website, acknowledging that the x86S dream is over.

Days of Arm-Qualcomm legal disputes continue, and with new day we get new updates. Gerard Williams III, CEO and founder of Nuvia, also one of the main brains behind Qualcomm's Oryon cores inside Snapdragon X processors, testified before the court that the chip design contains minimal Arm IP despite using the company's instruction set architecture. Williams estimated that "one percent or less" of the final design originated from Arm's IP. Despite Qualcomm using Arm ISA license, the company has very little Arm IP in its SoCs. Most of the Snapdragon X design has been done within Qualcomm's labs, in addition to Nuvia. Williams, who co-founded Nuvia in 2019, explained that while their processors use Arm's Armv8 instruction set, the core design was largely developed from scratch. Nuvia initially secured two non-transferable licenses from Arm: a Technology License Agreement (TLA) and an Architecture License Agreement (ALA).

These agreements allowed the company to develop custom cores while implementing Arm's instruction set. The development team created their own proprietary microarchitecture, including custom data paths and cache systems, rather than using Arm's existing designs. The controversy erupted when Qualcomm acquired Nuvia and announced plans to use the cores in PC processors rather than the initially intended datacenter applications. Arm demanded a renegotiation of licensing terms following the acquisition, which Qualcomm refused, arguing that its existing ALA covered Nuvia's designs. The dispute escalated when Arm revoked Nuvia's licenses in 2022 and terminated Qualcomm's Architecture License Agreement this October. Arm is now seeking the destruction of all Nuvia designs developed before the merger, arguing that the licensing agreements couldn't be transferred through acquisition. Qualcomm builds a case on TLA not being violated since the designs are mostly custom, so we have to see how the ruling proceeds. Arm wants to "hurt" Qualcomm with ALA revoking, and perhaps the final case ends with a settlement, given that Qualcomm is one of Arm's biggest customers.