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Can someone explain the advantages of the ARM processor? I understand that this is a company that has some kind of agreement to market its' chips in Palm devices. What is the expected effect of this? More speed? Better colors? More memory? Thanks!

Registered: Dec 1999
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More speed obviously - ARM processors start at 200MHz (like the Compaq iPAQ) all the way up to a possible 800MHz (Intel's new XScale StrongARM processors) and yet consumes LESS POWER than the current Motorola DragonBall processors that the Palms/Visors now use.

With more speed you can basically do anything and everything that a PC can do - the sky's the limit.

The problem with Windows CE devices (apart from the horribly unfriendly interface) was that they were designed to be multitasking and be able to stream video etc...but they couldn't do it well because processor technology at the time hadn't caught up with the operating system.

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Tan Kit Hoong,
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To sum up the issue: Think of Palm's move to ARM as a move from DOS to Windows 2000!

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quote:

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Originally posted by foo fighter
To sum up the issue: Think of Palm's move to ARM as a move from DOS to Windows 2000!

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I couldn't have said it any better!!

Registered: Jan 2001
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Won't that require a complete rededisgn & rethink of the Pam OS, in order to make it 'do more'? The current advantage of the Palm OS is to keep it simple. I can understand how a new processor would open that up, but now we're talking about competing with WinCE. WYSISWG Formatting, Video, MP3, Vid Conferencing, etc.

Registered: Dec 1999
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True, the point is to keep it simple, but it is still possible to keep the interface easy to use yet pack in features.

The need for more power for, say wireless access, etc cannot be denied.

The PalmOS is actually a very powerful and versatile operating system, but the interface is deceptively simple. For example, the OS itself has, in my opinion, one of the most sophisticated dial-up, infrared connectivity and networking options available but you never realise it because the interface is so intuitive.

For example, think about the thought that went into such a simple act as beaming software to and from another Palm. We send stuff to our friends without a thought and yet, did you notice that PocketPC devices still can't do that?

The Visor extends this -- if we want to use a modem, all we have to do is set our Internet account and then plug in the modem and we're ready to go - no drivers and complicated modem setup required.

My point is that we could have, say videoconferencing on the Palm/Visor but it should be just tapping on someone's name and we could dial up and talk to him.

All this needs more power than the current processors give us and which the ARM processors promise.

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Tan Kit Hoong,
Star Publications (M) Ltd
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quote:

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Originally posted by Tan Kit Hoong
...We send stuff to our friends without a thought and yet, did you notice that PocketPC devices still can't do that?

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I meant beaming applications and games to one another. No Pocket PC can do that yet. Sure you can send contacts and memos with a PocketPC, but can you send apps from one PocketPC to another?

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Tan Kit Hoong,
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I see. Wasn't too sure what you meant. No, I don't believe Pocket PCs have that feature. Who would want it since most PPC apps weigh in around 500k or more. Your PPCs will be doing a mating ritual for quite some time if your beaming them AvantGO or some other hefty app.

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ARM

...the real trick will be to see if they can get a decent 68k emulation layer going...

...of course keeping the OS nice, and relatively simple at the base level while being able to provide for additional functionality as the current architecture/OS do will be another trick...

let us hope that they do not take the M$ approach and try to shoehorn a desktop into a tiny package. Let us also hope that they keep up the manufacturing standards v. the shoddy workmanship found on most wince (pun intentional) devices.


StrongARM: nice chip, relatively powerful, relatively low power, similar builtin features of the 68328 series...hopefully they'll use SA's w/the integral floating point unit, but I doubt it...probably the SA-1110, or Intel's new SA kludge with the new name...