Qualcomm
hopes its success and experience in the mobile phone market will translate into
worth competition for Intel's massive ultrabook push. The San Diego chip giant
is preparing a line of ARM-based processors for super-thin notebooks and/or
tablets running Windows 8.
Snapdragon
is a system-on-a-chip (SoC) design that includes a CPU, a GPU, a 2G/3G/4G modem
and a baseband processor, so everything you need to build a smartphone comes in
one processor that's just 14mm by 14mm.
There
are four lines of Snapdragon processors, the S1 through S4. The S1 is used in
lower-end smartphones while the S2 is in higher-end phones, including the
much-lauded Nokia Lumia 900. The S4 is relatively new and can be found in at
least one tablet, the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity.
Qualcomm
believes it can compete with the Intel juggernaut by offering a better mobile
experience. "The difference will come from choosing a technology that's
grown up from mobile versus one from the PC space that's trying to be mobile.
We're from a place of devices designed not to fit in a briefcase, but designed
to fit in a pocket," said Tim McDonough, vice president of marketing for
Qualcomm CDMA technologies.
"We
also come from the perspective of designing for batteries versus designing for
outlets. So we design for things that are extremely thin and are designed to
run for extremely long periods of time, won't need fans, and because we come
from a heritage of mobility a broad range of mobility options, we're also a
leader in multimode LTE," he added.
Qualcomm
has already worked with Microsoft to optimize Windows Phone on Snapdragon, as
seen in the Lumia series. Now it's working with Microsoft to make sure the
Windows 8 RT software takes full advantage of the hardware.
Qualcomm
will face a number of challenges, not the least of which is the new market of
Windows RT vs. the existing Intel software market, said Avi Greengart, research
director for consumer devices at Current Analysis.
"Intel
is claiming they can match ARM on battery life. I'm not sure I believe it but
if there isn't a dramatic difference in performance in battery life or form
factor, then I do think that consumers are likely to prioritize backwards
compatibility," he said.
A
really big open question will be how large is the ecosystem on day one when
Windows RT ships, presumably this October. "If they look at this as their
next laptop, they are likely to want the apps they are already comfortable with
and they are using," said Greengart.
McDonough
did not give any release date for Snapdragon S4-power notebooks or tablets.
Microsoft has yet to confirm the release date of Windows 8.
Credit : http://www.notebookreview.com
0 ความคิดเห็น:
Post a Comment