Comments on: Intel versus ARM for the mobile computer

Intel will always have AMD to worry about in the PC business. In the mobile world, however, it's shaping up a bit differently.

[chrisfrary]

This Isn't the answer

Sadly programs are bearily optimized for speed and memory on larger platforms. No one wants something made for a desktop laptop sucking up power and resources on a cell phone. Programs will still have to be rewritten then recompiled. I suppose developers that otherwise wouldn't make software for these devices would. Other than that, no.

[aka_tripleB]

Not widely know outside the industry

Well, maybe. But the Nintendo does use two in its DS system. That might help ARM get market share. People will think: "ARM does work well in my DS, so it'll be good in my MID."

[Nick Westgate]

Everyone uses ARM without realising it.

All Apple iPods use them.

In addition to the Nintendo DS mentioned in another comment, many other MP3 players, most Windows CE devices, and many cell phones use ARM too.

The list goes on: set top boxes, digital TVs, digital cameras, printers, routers, GPS receivers,
many many embedded systems (wristwatches, calculators, point of sale terminals, medical equipment etc).

Even the hard drive in your PC may contain an ARM chip (Seagate Cheetah series).

The irony is that much of this silicon is produced by ... Intel! Yes, Intel licences the ARM core too. So of course they want that slice of the pie!

Cheers,
Nick.

[b.k.m]

x86 yes, Windows no

Hitherto, the x86 architecture has been nearly synonymous with "Wintel," though it by no means has to be (OSX, Solaris, Linux etc. etc.)

The problem is that Windows on mobile internet devices has consistently flopped (CE, Pocket PCs, iPaqs, and most recently "ultra mobile PC's.") Heaven help those who bought a phone that runs Windows.

Now I am not an irrational Windows-basher. It's the best OS for PC's and most (by quantity) servers (that can tolerate monthly patching/reboots). But for mobile devices, it is not well adapted as evidenced by its market share.

So is Intel proposing a real alternative? A platform that has the compatibility of an API like that of Windows, but which isn't Windows?

[Tom Krazit]

They are putting a lot of emphasis on Linux

They are very careful to iterate their support for Microsoft, but they didn't have Mark Shuttleworth of Canonical (Ubuntu) on stage at IDF for nothing. There's still a lot of work needed, but it will be very interesting to watch how Intel and the Linux community approach mobile devices.

[lightandshadow68]

iPhone Running OS X

While binary compatibility seems to be a plus for non-portable
operating systems like Vista, Apple doesn't seem to be having
problems porting it's OS to other architectures, including ARM.

Windows Mobile doesn't run the NT kernel, but the iPhone is
running a version of OS X.

[eyemahsource]

Headphones for your eyes

Conventional thinking needs to be pushed aside. You can't
shrink your ears so we made headphones. You can't shrink your
fingers so we made data gloves. You can't shrink your eyes so
we made near-eye displays. These are wearable things,
inherently both private and portable. They are very low power.
Combine them with the equivalent to a MacBook Pro regarding
ports and leave off the screen, both drives, keyboard, speakers,
mic, camera and use a 64 Gig flash drive and hot-swapable
Lithium Titanate (explosion proof) batteries. Make it look like a
tiny MacBook Pro with ports all around. Use a butt bag, purse,
small backpack, shoulder holster. If the near eye display can
look like designer glasses and give me 1920 x 1200 resolution
then I assure you people would be trashing their desktops,
laptops, palmtops, phones, iPods for the final form factor: The
iTop. Combine it with a laser engine projector and you are
complete.