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iPad Mini-Style Specs, On the Cheap, In Android-Based ASUS ZenPad S 8.0
MojoKid writes: The ASUS ZenPad S 8.0 is a well-designed Android tablet based on an Intel X86 platform that boasts better specs than the iPad mini 3 in many areas and is also less expensive. As configured, the ZenPad S 8.0 Z580CA has an MSRP of $299, which is $99 less than the 16GB iPad mini 3, and $199 less than 64GB model. However, it's based on a quad-core Intel Atom Z3580 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, and modern amenities like 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a USB Type-C port and a 2048X1536 IPS display. A 2GB RAM and 32GB variant can be found for $199 as well. In the benchmarks, the ZenPad S 8.0 handles pretty well, offering middle-of-the-pack performance in both standard CPU tests as well as gaming, in addition to running the latest version of Android Lollipop.
If you're doing product presentations in this venues, the least I expect is an assessment on how easily a device can be rooted. Otherwise I can go to the abundant shiny press release regurgitators out there.
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The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for it to be pitted against a slightly greater evil
"The x86 architecture is very old..."
In addition to all the stupid stuff that others have already responded to, I'll point out that ARM is also very old. It clearly upsets you that x86 competes successfully on a level playing field...but the news gets worse, your fresh architectural savior in ARM is a dinosaur as well.
It's not about age in years, it's about the amount of accumulated cruft. x86 is designed for 16-bit real mode, then leftover opcodes were taken by useless 286 protected mode, then you had 32 bit protected mode crammed in, and then an unclean move to 64 bit. ARM in comparison started with clean 32 bits, and its 64-bit variant has no opcode compatibility.
The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
So? The instruction decoder makes up such a tiny part of a modern CPU that the instruction set is largely irrelevant in terms of efficiency.
I have an ASUS Memo Pad 10 FHD, that has served me pretty well for just over a year. My one complaint is that the company stopped supporting it way too early (it's running Android 4.3), and this seems to be standard practice. My next tablet will be Nexus or Apple, simply because that should provide me with 2-3 years of OS updates. That little bonus is worth an extra $100 or so to me.