Qualcomm Demos Eee PC Running Android OS

angry tapir writes "Qualcomm has showed off a version of Asustek Computer's Eee PC based on its Snapdragon processor at the Computex exhibition, including one running Google's Android operating system. The new laptop — which Qualcomm calls a smartbook — is thinner and lighter than current members of Asustek's Eee PC netbook lineup because the 1GHz Snapdragon processor that it uses does not require a heat sink or a cooling fan."

Comments

Because Snapdragon Is an ARM Processor!

[eldavojohn]

The new laptop -- which Qualcomm calls a smartbook -- is thinner and lighter than current members of Asustek's Eee PC netbook lineup because the 1GHz Snapdragon processor that it uses does not require a heat sink or a cooling fan.

Yes, of course, because of an important point in the article:

Qualcomm's Snapdragon includes a 1GHz Arm processor core, a 600MHz digital-signal processor and hardware video codecs. Currently, Asustek's Eee PC line of netbooks relies on Intel processors, in particular the low-cost, low-power Atom chip, which has an x86 processor core.

Which makes complete sense, because of its low power consumption you're going to see less heat and longer battery life (why do you think OLPC moved to it). And for those of you skeptical of the speed:

When the first Snapdragon-based devices hit the market later this year, they will have a 1GHz Arm processor core but that will increase to 1.3GHz next year, with the release of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8650A, Pineda said.

Every single eee PC available (with Atom processors) on the market is x86, to my knowledge.

This headline really got my hopes up as I just bout an eee PC 1000HE last weekend and have it dual booting to Windows XP & Easy Peasy Ubuntu. I love it. It's totally replaced my 5 year old laptop. I was hoping this meant I could partition out some space for Android but it looks like I'm left to emulating it (pretty much not an option considering the overhead). Maybe Google just doesn't see a point of porting Android to x86 since it's probably pretty dependent on the power efficiency of ARM?

Pare away the heat sink and all that junk, add super small RAM and flash storage and ... hand held computers (like the article notes from Toshiba). Microsoft better not be resting on its laurels and should either be beefing up Windows Mobile or porting Windows 7 to ARM ... or they're going to miss out big time again.

Has anyone found anything on how Android applications dependent on cell phone-ish hardware (like GPS location and the like) will be handled inside a device like the eee PC?

Re:Because Snapdragon Is an ARM Processor!

[Hal_Porter]

Pare away the heat sink and all that junk, add super small RAM and flash storage and ... hand held computers (like the article notes from Toshiba). Microsoft better not be resting on its laurels and should either be beefing up Windows Mobile or porting Windows 7 to ARM ... or they're going to miss out big time again.

People keep saying this sort of thing, but I really don't see it being viable. A Snapdragon is probably going to end up being at best the same speed as an Atom for native code. Windows 7 is probably quite portable and from the tests I've done on the Beta on Atoms might run quite okish on an 1Ghz Snapdragon if it were ported. Even there we're talking about a 1Ghz in order core with a memory controller designed for cellphone SDRAM. High performance desktop memory is really different to the stuff used in cellphones - the buses are narrower and slower. Here's are the details for an Atom

http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLB73

Note the bus speed, 533Mhz and the cache size, 512KB. By desktop standards the Atom is slow. Most Arm systems run memory much slower than this and have less cache. Look at the Snapdragon based Toshiba L01

http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=specs&id=1855&view=1&c=toshiba_l01

It uses "mobile DDR SDRAM". I don't know the clock speed, but look at this

http://www.eetasia.com/ART_8800457078_499486_NP_197bb814.HTM
Hynix claims 'fastest' 512Mbit mobile DDR SDRAM with a 185Mhz clock speed.

See the thing is that the sort of memory you get in a cellphone is a lot slower than the stuff you get in a desktop because the power budget is so much less. If you want to run desktop applications or emulate an x86 that will really bite you.

Once you get past the OS it gets worse. Office is probably less portable than Windows and Office 200x runs terribly on an Atom and would be worse on Snapdragon given the lower performance memory. Most Windows applications will not be ported and will run even worse in emulation - a Snapdragon emulating x86 will be unusably slow.

Of course maybe ARM will do a Jazelle style extension where common x86 instructions are turned into ARM ones via an extra pipeline stage. I think that would mean a Snapdragon chip would run x86 code say 90% as fast as an Atom at the same clockspeed. Still a 1Ghz Atom is not a quick chip.

Re:Because Snapdragon Is an ARM Processor!

[Taxman415a]

See the thing is that the sort of memory you get in a cellphone is a lot slower than the stuff you get in a desktop because the power budget is so much less. If you want to run desktop applications or emulate an x86 that will really bite you.

All interesting information you added, but for a netbook platform where the battery is an order of magnitude larger than a cellphone, what makes you think they can't put in a different memory controller with a wider bus to run regular sodimms? You'd still get all the power savings from the lower power chip and no active cooling, but without the performance hit you refer to.

Re:Because Snapdragon Is an ARM Processor!

[horza]

ARM + chipset runs at 0.5 watts, according to this CNET article from last June.

Phillip.

Wait for Pandora

[tepples]

I ask for ARM UMPCs and get ARM netbooks.

Is an "ARM UMPC" essentially a PDA with a keyboard? If so, then wait for Pandora to enter mass production.

Re:Keep an eye on google...

[doti]

Cm'on, their motto is "do no evil".
What can go wrong?

'Asustek puts Android netbook on ice'

[snydeq]

Asustek appears to have already scuttled this project, calling the technology 'not mature' and disavowing any pressure from Microsoft and Intel over the use of Android and Snapdragon in the Eee PC.

Of course, the Android-based Eee was demonstrated by Qualcomm, not Asustek. Yet, Asustek's distancing itself from the machine while competitors like Acer are announcing Android plans is a little bit intriguing.

Re:That's great, but...

[Locutus]

there should be no need for supporting "mobile broadband cards" with the universal 3G radio built into the Smartbooks. Unless they are misusing the term universal. The only difference between a netbook and a Smartbook is that the Smartbooks have the 3G radio builtin and the software to use it.

I think Qualcomm has a hit here.

LoB

So let me get this straight...

[ChaoticCoyote]

Android uses Linux, but isn't Linux (no standard libraries, for example).

Android uses Java, but it isn't standard Java nor is it compatible with most Java apps.

Android is open source, except for certain fiddly-bits they keep private.

This is not the competition for Windows we've been looking for.