06-12-2002, 06:24 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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More on the X-Scale, and why you might not care so much
http://www.silicon.com/a53873
"Anyone hoping to buy PDAs with the new generation of Intel processors is likely to be disappointed as there's no software out there capable of using their whizzy new features." The best feature of course is the battery life. The PXA250 X-Scale running at 200MHz can consume 50% of the battery power the current StrongARM chips do, and at 400MHz, it consumes roughly the same power. But to enable these battery saving goodies, the software needs to be optimized for it. Reminds me of the MMX instruction set Intel introduced in the late 90's. Didn't mean much for about 12-18 months when software was written to support it.
"But a source at Intel suggested that the CE.net kernel, on which the next version of PocketPC will be based, wasn't optimized for Xscale either. The follow-up to CE.net, based on a kernel known only by the codename Macallan, is closer to being Xscale optimised. And even that "wasn't where we want it yet," the source said. Macallan is not due out until 2003, and a Pocket PC operating system based on Macallan, and making full use of Xscale's speed enhancements, may not be out until the year after." So, 2004 before we see a Pocket PC device capable of the advantages X-Scale offers? Ewwwww.....
It seems Intel didn't provide the X-Scale chip available soon enough for software vendors such as Microsoft to optimize for them according to the IDC analyst quoted in the article.
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06-12-2002, 06:39 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 864
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This seems to support my findings and others with the e740 thus far.I guess time will tell. I have been in contact with someone close to XScale and have been trying to get as much info as possible, I should know some more this afternoon on regards to current performance issues with the e740 and possibly more XScale devices( I say possible because I don't have any experience first hand with any other XScale devices)
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06-12-2002, 06:42 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 157
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It looks like Intel made a really huge mistake here. Hopefully one of the other ARM licensees will come out with a chip that doesn't require all of these optomizations to get some benefit. Then we can get some Pocket PCs that actually are faster.
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Charles Pickrell
Sacramento Mobiole Computing SIG
A chapter of the NorCal Mobile Computing SIG
www.mobilecomputingsig.com |
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06-12-2002, 06:59 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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2004 until we see another release of PocketPC? :?
I can't help but wonder...just how committed is Microsoft to PocketPC? They don't seem to take this platform very seriously. In fact, they seem to be shifting focus to Tablet PC and Smartphone 2002.
This doesn't exactly instill confidence in me.
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06-12-2002, 07:06 PM
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Magi
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,341
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What surpises me most in that artical is the mention of .NET not being able to fully optimize Xscale. If so it could be 2-3 years before we see any real processor, or battery performance increases...yikes!!
Is anyone else beginning to get the feeling that Xscale may hurt PPC more than it helps at this point. I know that's maybe pushing it a bit, but you must admit it is messing things up a little at this point. Putting chips out that O/Ss can't optimize, O/Ss that aren't going to be ready for a while and developers trying to make do with what there is available at the moment, I think is a recipe for disaster.
I hope they are wrong about the .Net thing.
Dave
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06-12-2002, 07:21 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Foo Fighter
2004 until we see another release of PocketPC?
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Quit reading the article wrong Foo.
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06-12-2002, 07:28 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,466
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Quit reading the article wrong Foo.
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So when are we going to see the next rev of PPC?
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06-12-2002, 07:36 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 544
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Paragon
Putting chips out that O/Ss can't optimize, O/Ss that aren't going to be ready for a while and developers tring to make do with what there is available at the moment, I think is a recipe for disaster.
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*cough* Palm OS 5 *cough*
__________________
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
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06-12-2002, 07:45 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Foo Fighter
So when are we going to see the next rev of PPC?
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I dunno. According to that article, there would be another one between now and the 2004 Macallan based release.
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06-12-2002, 08:02 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 117
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Foo Fighter
2004 until we see another release of PocketPC? :?
I can't help but wonder...just how committed is Microsoft to PocketPC? They don't seem to take this platform very seriously. In fact, they seem to be shifting focus to Tablet PC and Smartphone 2002.
This doesn't exactly instill confidence in me.
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To add another pea to the pod of "shifting focus", has anyone seen "The EightyThree" from Tiquit ( http://www.tiquit.com) shown on Pocketpcpassion? :P
It's approximately 1" longer and 0.5" wider than my iPaq (with sleeve) and just as thick. However, it's a "full blown" laptop shoehorned into the PDA formfactor. (VGA touchscreen, 300MHz Geode CPU, 256MB RAM, 10GB drive, PCMCIA slot, SD slot, thumb keyboard, thumb joystick, etc etc...). And only 19oz in weight, runs XP or Linux (should be able to dual-boot)...
I am "in the market" for a Toshiba e740, but now am not so sure...(why settle for an Xscale with a non-optimized OS when I could go whole-hog and enjoy authentic blue-screens-of-death at regular intervals??) :wink:
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