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ARM and Dual-Atom Processors in New Portables
chrb writes to tell us that Dell's new Latitude Z has finally been delivered as promised, complete with ARM processor. Codenamed BlackTop, the device runs a modified version of Suse Linux, and is capable of near-instant bootup. Dell's research has apparently found that some early users spend 70% of their time in the Linux environment." Relatedly snydeq writes "Colombian computer maker Haleron has designed a netbook that combines Atom processors in an effort to provide the performance of a standard laptop at a price more affordable to Latin Americans. The Swordfish Net N102 includes two Atom N270 processors running at 1.6GHz. Haleron worked for six months to modify Intel's 945 chipset to run the two processors. The processors divide the workload, much like a dual-core processor does, the company said. The netbook, which begs the question, when does a netbook stop being a netbook, comes with Windows XP Home Edition. 'We found that it works best on the Windows XP operating system. Both Windows Vista and the new Windows 7 performed below Windows XP in the load sharing department,' the company said."
I'd say somewhere around $500 or so, just on gut instinct. Much beyond that and you just have an ultraportable.
This guy starts at $1800. So, um, no. Notnetbook.
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The Swordfish Net N102
So if you take a couple Hollywood movies about hackers and that kind of stuff, and shove the names together, voila! Colombian computer.
Personally, I'm holding out for their upcoming Tron Matrix laptop. I hear the graphics are really good.
Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
That's the Dell that's not a netbook. The Swordfish is $450.
The World Wide Web is dying. Soon, we shall have only the Internet.
Why wouldn't they just have used the Atom 330? Yes, it's a "nettop" processor, rather than a "netbook" processor; but it's natively dual-core, supports 64-bit, and would use less power than two physical separate N270s.
Not to mention, it would have been a *LOT* cheaper for them to develop than to "modify Intel's 945 chipset", as they claim to have done. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm going to have to call BS on this. If they literally "worked for six months", on this, it wouldn't be cheap. Claiming that this is cheaper than just throwing in a dual-core Celeron is bogus. (Atom may be ultra-low-power, and ultra-cheap; but it is still slower than a Celeron.)
Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
The purpose of that site was not known.
What the fuck is a netback?
As a followup, how long until we see a netmainframe?
So editors, what the hell is a netback? Is that what we get with net neutrality? Then we get our netback? Seriously - a spellchecker is built in to Firefox...
'We found that it works best on the Windows XP operating system. Both Windows Vista and the new Windows 7 performed below Windows XP in the load sharing department,' the company said.
*snort*
I could'a told them that.
A quick look at that Dell link shows me the Latitude has a Core 2 processor, not an atom?
Skype, youtube, and porn videos aren't really essential for studies,
Okay, all kidding aside, I would like to know what's new here? These people were clever in modifying Intel's chipset to make SMP work, but they're acting like having two discrete processors is a new thing compared to multi-core processing. Again: multiple processors is not a new thing. It's downright ancient history in the world of microcomputing.
Contract Intel to produce a multi-core Atom processor - oops, it exists already. Check out the Atom 330. could have saved yourselves a ton of effort, reduced development costs, and remained within the scope of the design specs that Intel will actually support.
Kudos for the neat hack though!
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No trackpoint mouse.
Only two mouse buttons.
No mouse buttons reachable with your hands on the keyboard.
I'll keep my Thinkpad.
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Still, Windows 7 needs to be ported to Arm to get more consideration from PC makers as a replacement for Intel CPUs, Gold said.
Yeah right, like it's gonna help to have an ARM Windows when people run Windows only so they can run their x86 binaries (Microsoft are not Apple, who gets any developer to do what they say, they can't make developers give a crap about making ARM binaries). Now I understand why people seldom bother RTFAing anymore. Also what's "Arm"?
You just got troll'd!
personally I am looking forwards to the proposed quad core arm 9 architecture cpu's. Should be able to match or exceed the power of a modern laptop at a tiny fraction of the wattage.
But wake me up when Dell starts shipping an ARM-only netbook (for roughly a sixth of the price), and then we will be talking for real !
"Begs the question" has a specific meaning related to circular arguments. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question Here the combination of two Atom processes raised a question as to what constitutes a netbook. No begging involved.
But yes, it has a Core 2 processor *and* an ARM system on a card that boots instantly.
I just went to Dell's site to look for the details of their 'Instant on' features, and it's not mentioned in the specs ANYWHERE. In fact, the only place I found any mention of it is that there's a link to a PDF with 'Latitude ON' info that calls it smart phone technology 'basically a "system within the system"' and a 'thin client'. No mention of any details other than that it has 'its own smartphone processor', and especially no mention anywhere of Linux.
Maybe they're doing it to hid the fact that it's Linux from people, but whatever the reason I'm not buying it (either way :)).
So I have no idea WTF is going on here. First I read something about a new dell laptop that virtually has a mini ARM computer in it for instant on linux and then i'm reading about a "netback that combines Atom processors".
Maybe i'm just doing it wrong. Maybe i should just stop RTFA and RTFS and go straight to reading the comments.
That sounds to me like the perfect writing tablet, if you put a proper keyboard on it.
"Colombian computer maker Haleron has designed a netback...
What the fuck is a "netback"? Just when I thought I was catching up to the buzzword machine, something always throws me for a loop.
Said, "It's just like dice but it's got more sides And it tells me who lives and who dies"
"In traditional "thick" mode, users access data through standard Windows..."
Sounds right to me :-D
Sorry, couldn't resist.
Also what's "Arm"?
Arm is Core's antagonist. Lighter, cheaper to build, but a bit less powerful.
WYSIWIG, but what you see might not be what you need
This is proof that they can build a cheap ARM linux machine with a great screen. Too bad all vendors are scared crazy of what the first eeePC delivered even Asus. Good enough processor in a very small form factor with commodity pricing. It is all working and build into this way to expensive laptop. Features and prices have gone up on all netbooks so close to most notebooks it does not seem worth it anymore to buy one.
Yeah! If we could pull that off, it would be a literal coup!
If I have seen further it is by stealing the Intellectual Property of giants.
http://mvista.com/blogs/jefro/2009/09/29/latitude-on-launched-today/
Full disclosure: I work for MontaVista, worked in this project, and wrote the above-linked blog posting.
At this time, XP home is only licensed for single CPU use, for dual or more you have to go with Vista or 7. It sounds like a so-so idea, but what OS can you LEGALLY sell on it? XP isn't legal, and Vista/7 starter isn't legal, and a multi cpu windows OS overwhelms the cost on a netbook. A single CPU with multiple cores would be legal, but at that pricepoint for a multi-core arm you can get something with a Core 2, not a Arm x 2. Now Ubuntu or some other Linux is ok, but many people want Winx86 compatibility. (don't start with Whine :)
> a netback that combines Atom processors
What's a netback? :)
As a followup, how long until we see a netmainframe?
This particular one would probably evolve into a "netcluster". See: 1 instant-on Linux/ARM, 1 Linux/ARM in the network controller, 1 Linux/GPU in the videocard, and 1 Linux inside the BIOS.
Oh, and I forgot the dual-core Atom running Windows.
WYSIWIG, but what you see might not be what you need
[ARM is] a processor architecture which was originally developed by a UK company called Acorn to power a range of computers
But does this Acorn have anything to do with the President of the United States? (Oh wait, that's another Acorn.)
When's the last time someone told you something was awesome, you looked at what they were talking about and you felt awe inspired or awestruck?
When you look at pandas at play, aren't you "awww"-inspired?
1% of users run Linux
But how many users use Linux on a machine that's not their own? Netcraft confirms that more than 1 percent of web users visit sites hosted on Linux.
Unfortunately, the ARM CPU doesn't have access to the memory you paid for, or the hard drive you paid for - it runs out of flash memory. So it delivers precisely the feature they want to deliver, using Linux, without actually making anyone who wants to run Linux for real happy. That would be a damned sweet machine if they had left out the Intel CPU. Oh well.
I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking of just gutting an existing netbook and putting a GumStix CPU in. I'm pretty sure it would fit...
Does anyone make an ARM based single-board computer that has real PCI/AGP/PCIx slots so that I can plug my regular expansion cards into it and run linux?
I'm pretty much sick of burning 200 W just so that my always on applications can sit around and do nothing.
Even these Atom based motherboards use over 50 W because they are loaded up with worthless peripherals. (And they only have 1 PCI slot so you can't even expand them that much with the peripherals you actually want.)
No mention of the Touchbook? http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/touchbook/
It's already been released as of last month.... of course it doesn't involve Intel in any way, so is can't be mentioned. It's only an ARM netbook with some sweet features such as the ability to separate the keyboard and use the screen like a 1lb tablet... also great battery life.
A computer that boots Windows on x86 but runs ARM Linux too?
What if one could use both at the same time?
i.e. kind of like coLinux but using a distinct CPU for each environment. A number of IT professionals feel hamstrung by using Windows but have corporate dependencies. One can run apps in wine, access a shell via cygwin or use virtualization. This might provide another alternative. i.e. the full power of Linux but the ability to run Office and test web applications in IE. The ability to run a linux server and Windows desktop on the same machine. A phone developer that can emulate an ARM phone using the ARM CPU (no CPU translation required)
You might want to take a look at OpenPandora.
Please correct me if I got my facts wrong.
Microsoft just fired there entire windows mobile software managers so they can attack the ARM issue head on by putting windows mobile variant on the ARM based netbooks.