Addendum:

> I'm going to tell how I perceive this "quite a story" came along in
> chronological order:
> [...]
> 4. Apple calls P.A.Semi's existing customers for final PA6T
> orders as the chip is going to be discontinued. Varisys informs
> A-Eon about this call.
> 5. A-Eon asks Varisys to place an order for an (unknown to us)
> amount of PA6T chips. Varisys agrees.
> 6. Varisys orders the chips from Apple. The chips arrive at Varisys.
> 7. A-Eon in turn purchases those chips from Varisys, effectively
> rendering Varisys A-Eon's CPU supplier (the chips remain at Varisys,
> though, for obvious reasons). As part of this supply agreement
> between Varisys and A-Eon, Varisys demands an NDA* to be signed.

Taking into account Trevor Dickinson's most recent statement about A-Eon/Varisys now having to pay double the price for the PA6T chips, there must be something to the story that I missed. Maybe the (unknown to us) amount of PA6T chips they purchased from Apple's "final call" has been depleted and they now have to source further remnants from other, much more expensive sources?