APM vs ACPI: Difference and Comparison

The everyday use of computers tends to be the reason behind their upgrade. The daily new versions of the applications and different software have made it mandatory for the manufacturers to make computers compatible for them to work. Software is the keen part of the computer that works as the bridge between the working of any application on any computer. The software has been classified into many different categories.

Key Takeaways

  1. APM is an older power management standard, while ACPI is a newer and more advanced standard.
  2. APM manages power on a per-device basis, while ACPI manages power on a system-wide basis.
  3. ACPI allows for more advanced power management features, such as waking a computer from sleep mode at a specified time.

APM vs ACPI

APM (Advanced Power Management) is an older power management standard that was developed by Intel in the 1990s.  ACPI (Advanced Configuration and Power Interface) is a newer power management standard that was developed by Intel, Microsoft, and other computer hardware and software manufacturers.

APM vs ACPI

APM is one type of programming interface that was built by the company Microsoft and Intel. The company released the software in the year 1992. The respective programming system was made as to the power management. The programming system has three different versions and is 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2, which is the latest one.

ACPI, the acronym for Advanced Configuration and Power Management, was built by three companies: Toshiba, Intel, and Microsoft. The software was built to manage the quantity of power distributed among the different parts of the computers while they are turned off. The software is very advanced, compatible with various other devices, and used on the latest computers.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonAPMACPI
Acronym stands for Advanced Power ManagementAdvanced Configuration and Power Management
Built By Microsoft, IntelToshiba, Intel, Microsoft
Released in19921996
VersionOldLatest
CompatibilityOld devices  New devices
Dependent OnBIOSOperating System
What is it?Software built to cooperate with two different softwareThe software determines the power outage used by the other parts of the computer when not in use
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What is APM?

APM is the acronym that is being used in place for the term Advance Power Management. The software was built by two companies: Intel and Microsoft. It was initially released in the market in the year 1992. And the respective software was one of its kind as it was built to manage power consumption.

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APM depends on the computer’s BIOS system, where BIOS is known as the Basic Input/Output System. The software is a part of the application programming tool, and it can be classified into two different power states: system power states and device power states.

The software has three different versions of itself. The initial version of the software is 1.0 and 1.1, and the latest among them is 1.2.

What is ACPI?

ACPI is the acronym that stands for Advanced Configuration and Power Management. The name of the software itself provides a slight hint about the software, which is why it was developed or built. The three companies worked on the software as a joint program and are renowned technology companies in the market. The name of the company is – Intel, Microsoft, and Toshiba.

The program was built to determine the power outage used by the different parts of the computer, such as – printers, CD players, and many others. The software has been installed in all the new and latest devices like – MacBooks, laptops, PCs, etc. The software was introduced in the market through Microsoft Windows 98 in the year 1996.

Because of being focused on the operating system, the software faced many problems at the initial stage, but then it became the best software to manage the activity of the different applications on the computer. Although being the successor of the APM software, the working of ACPI was slow with older version computers and thus was a better option for compatibility with the new devices.

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Main Differences Between APM and ACPI

  1. The acronym APM was used for the term Advanced Power Management whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the acronym ACPI is used instead of the term Advanced Configuration and Power Management. 
  2. The APM software, or say, the application, was built by two companies. They were – Intel and Microsoft, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the ACPI software was built by the three joint ventures of the company, and they are the same as APM – Microsoft and Intel. Still, in addition, Toshiba was also a part of it. 
  3. The company introduced the APM software in the market in the year 1992, whereas comparatively on the other hand, the application ACPI was introduced in the market around in the year 1996.
  4. The software APM is a bit older version for the hardware devices, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the software ACPI is the latest version for the hardware devices.
  5. The amount of compatibility of the software APM was with the older version of computers, but comparatively, on the other hand, the compatibility of the application ACPI is installed with all the new devices.
  6. The software APM is focused or dependent on the computer’s BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) system, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the application ACPI is focused on the computer’s operating system. 
  7. APM is software that allows two different software to communicate with each other, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, ACPI is an application built to manage the power used by different computer parts when they aren’t in use.
References
  1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8209706/
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1474667015366234
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7497830/
  4. https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=kR2iUt-CuwMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA219&dq=difference+between+apm+and+acmi&ots=43v1Ykx0F1&sig=pyFMM2u7DOEPvkXDDrZi0cxVZQI&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=difference%20between%20apm%20and%20acmi&f=false
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Sandeep Bhandari
Sandeep Bhandari

Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.

8 Comments

  1. The information about APM and ACPI and the differences between them is quite beneficial, especially considering the increasing importance of power management in the technology sector.

  2. The breakdown of APM and ACPI is very informative; it’s crucial to understand power management standards, especially with the advancements in new software and applications.

  3. The distinctions between APM and ACPI, as well as their respective capabilities, provide valuable insights into their roles in managing power consumption and compatibility with different devices.

  4. Very detailed explanations. It’s clear how APM and ACPI have evolved to meet the needs of hardware devices over the years.

  5. Understanding the categories and the development of APM and ACPI is key to comprehend the evolution of power management. The comparison table is particularly useful.

  6. Thanks for explaining in detail the reasons behind computer updates and the differences between APM and ACPI.

  7. The information presented highlights the importance of APM and ACPI in the context of power management, and how they are tailored to different types of computer hardware.

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