Dell readies notebooks with two CPUs

[IlllI]

looks interesting

http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/m..._Processing_Units.html

 

[Pliablemoose]

That's a pretty good idea, wonder how it'll work.

 

[frostedflakes]

Sounds interesting, can't wait to read more about this. Will probably be an expensive option, but maybe if more manufacturers start to do this it will push prices down.

 

[TheStu]

It sounds like the ARM processor will basically turn the system into a really big PDA, which could mean that it won't be very snappy.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: TheStu
It sounds like the ARM processor will basically turn the system into a really big PDA, which could mean that it won't be very snappy.

Sounds more like when you use the instant-on function of the laptop, it'll be using the ARM processor when you need to do a quick task or something. When you want to use it like a normal computer, you boot into Windows or whatever, and it'll run as a normal laptop using the Intel CPU. Doesn't sound like a bad idea... if this was implemented on a netbook, it might work even better...

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: Aflac

Originally posted by: TheStu
It sounds like the ARM processor will basically turn the system into a really big PDA, which could mean that it won't be very snappy.

Sounds more like when you use the instant-on function of the laptop, it'll be using the ARM processor when you need to do a quick task or something. When you want to use it like a normal computer, you boot into Windows or whatever, and it'll run as a normal laptop using the Intel CPU. Doesn't sound like a bad idea... if this was implemented on a netbook, it might work even better...

So what you are saying is that "It sounds like the ARM processor will basically turn the system into a really big PDA, which could mean that it won't be very snappy."

I never said that the ARM processor was going to be used for Windows, I said that it was going to be used for PDA-esque functions, such as checking email and surfing the web, maybe playing some music. The reason I said it wouldn't be too snappy is because instead of a 3.n" 320*240 or 640*480 screen, it will instead be driving a larger screen at 1280*800 or larger. And unless they do some clever trickery, it probably will not have access to the 2GB+ RAM that the system will no doubt have. The iPod Touch for example, which uses an ARM processor, one of the newest, is a great little piece of tech that can do some incredible things with its 533 MHz processor and 133MHz FSB, but has the aforementioned small screen and I am not sure how well just the ARM processor will handle scaling up. Bear in mind that the iPhone and iPod Touch have multiple co-processors that handle things like 3D rendering, h.264 playback, audio and everything else.