Tag Archives: Snapdragon
Four Chrome OS Contenders that Could Take on Apple’s iPad
Posted on 10. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 
4 Comments
The iPad is ushering in a new era of computing device: the tablet. What’s really exciting is that this has all just begun, and we should expect to see a wide array of new tablets coming to market during the rest of this year. So here are the tablets that are expected to be launched with Chrome OS (along with an app store, we hope) as either the only platform or as an option. Without further ado, some of the contenders that will take on Apple tablet-style.
Freescale
Specs: 7-inch display, 1GHz Cortex ARM processor, WiFi, Optional 3G
Freescale Semiconductor showed off a tablet running Chrome OS at CeBIT that they said would cost only $200. Although the prototype that they displayed needed a keyboard in order to provide input, they were the first to actually show off a tablet. It’s possible they could bring something like this at a very good price to market, but the concern would be that the components at that price would not be cutting edge and therefore could have problems competing in the market.
But at the same time it’s a cheap tablet, right?
Notion Ink Adam
Specs: 10.1-inch PixelQi display with multitouch, nVidia Tegra 2 graphics and dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 CPU, 16GB solid-state drive, Wi-Fi, 3G
Designed in India, the unknown Notion Ink Adam could be a hit, although many also thought that the Fusion Garage JooJoo tablet would be, so we shall see. Nevertheless, this device looks stunning, and with the innovative PixelQi display which can turn off the backlight this could be a great e-reader and web enabled device all in one. It’s expected to have options in terms of storage and connection options, so I wouldn’t be surprised if this tablet is priced close to the iPad. It also has features that Apple’s tablet doesn’t such as a 3.2 megapixel camera and an HDMI output port.
HTC
Specs: Qualcomm Snapdragon Processor, possibly dual-touchscreen?
HTC privately showed an Android tablet at CES a few months ago, and speculation is mounting that they will be working together with the folks at Mountain View to produce tablet which may or may not be branded as a Google tablet. Seeing as how Google and HTC have a cozy relationship with Android (Nexus One and G4 smartphones) the first Chrome OS tablet could very likely come from HTC.
The photo shown here is a prototype dual touchscreen concept that the folks at Phandroid have posted. We don’t have any other pictures, so this is the best one to ponder upon.
Asus
Specs: Unknown, likely similar to the Eee T91 (pictured here)
Asus is primarily a netbook manufacturer, but CEO Johnny Shih has been adamant about making a tablet. The company already has a hybrid netbook-tablet device called the Eee PC T91, which pairs a keyboard with a display that can be rotated and folded over to transform it into a slate. It has the same specs as your average netbook, running an Intel AtomZ520 with 1GB RAM standard, but interestingly packs a 32GB solid state drive which is a requirement by Google for Chrome OS devices to ensure speed and user interface quality.
The Others
I’ve left out a few manufacturers that I need to give mention. Acer has claimed that they will have the first Chrome OS netbook but that is not a tablet and there hasn’t been any good information even if they are working on one. We know that the Dell Linux team has been openly working on Chrome OS (April 7 build here), and it would fit on their Mini 5 line of tablets (also known as Streak) coming out but that is pure speculation.
If there are any manufacturers that I have forgotten, please let me know. In the end, we’ll see some more developments relatively soon. Computex is coming up which will be closing in on the third quarter, a period of time when Chrome OS devices are expected to surface.
Comparison: iPad Performance vs. Nexus One
Posted on 04. Apr, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 3 Comments
So, how fast is the iPad? According to the hardware analysis site Anandtech not as fast as might have been expected. While the iPad’s custom designed A4 processor is faster than the Nexus One’s Qualcomm Snapdragon, the results don’t put the iPad that far ahead. Both the devices were compared with the iPhone 3GS and measured by how fast that each of them were able to load certain web pages.
The reviewer, Anand Lal Shimpi, writes that the “iPad loads web pages 10% faster than the Nexus One” and that “despite the early reports of the iPad being blazingly fast, I found it just “acceptable” in my limited time with it thus far”.
In fact, it may even be possible that with those results that the A4 is really not all that unique anyways. Regardless of that, if this chip were to be put into the next generation of iPhones, the Nexus One would be beat. Since the only way to compare the device is to load web pages, I wonder if Apple’s operating system with Safari is better refined and optimized than Android 2.1 and its namesake browser that is running on Nexus One.
So there you have it. Many reviews are glowing about the iPad being an amazing device, and I don’t discount that because of how profoundly different it is. And although the iPad and the Nexus One are hard to compare since they run in different segments (phone vs. tablet) speed is still a very important metric to measure in terms of user experience.
Qualcomm Plans to Bring FLO TV to Smartbooks
Posted on 19. Feb, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
At the Mobile World Congress, which just wrapped up in Barcelona, Taiwan’s Quanta Computer showed off a smartbook running Chrome OS complete with Qualcomm’s FLO TV. So what is FLO TV? It’s digital content straight to your mobile device, whether that may be television shows or interactive magazines. Plus, by watching shows or reading articles with a digital device, you are able to have an enhanced expereince: imagine getting Twitter updates while watching a game or being able to read an interview of an entertainer that you just read a profile of. Here’s a quick overview:
That’s the basic gist of FLO TV. Because it uses analog signals that were once for over-the-air TV, you don’t need to have an internet connection, or even 3G service. It can be had for a small fee on wireless phone networks like Verizon and AT&T, or you can buy a device specifically for FLO TV. While that may be the case right now, don’t be surprised to start seeing this on smartbooks and netbooks. When Quanta first showed off this netbook product late last year, it was running Android. Now they are using a Chromium build instead. Also, should it come to any surprise that instead of using an Intel Atom, it is loaded with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor?
According to their corporate site, Quanta currently does not have its own netbook or smartbook on the market, so it is possible that they are waiting for a commerical launch of Chrome OS before they release one. Since they have used both Android and Chrome, it seems like they enjoy running operating systems that are free for this device.
Low Powered Mini ARM? It is Now Possible
Posted on 13. Feb, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 2 Comments
University of Michigan researchers have made what will be a breakthrough in processing power for mobile computing – an ARM processor that is smaller than a penny and uses a miniscule amount of power. The energy requirement for this chip right now is provided by a small solar powered unit, and eventually could be derived by other sources such as the body heat of a human. The goal of this project is to develop monitoring devices for health purposes but I can see a bigger use for something like this in the technology industry.
For those who are not aware (I’m one of those) ARM is a company based in Cambridge that has a business based on the Qualcomm model – they don’t manufacture their products, they simply research, develop and license them to others for use in electronic products. You might be surprised to know that ARM processors are already in 95% of the mobile phones that we use. In fact, the current ARM products are so successful because they work on the idea that low enegy and low heat dissipation is the reason why we enjoy phones that don’t melt in our pockets the way that laptops do when they’re sitting on our legs.
So it comes to no surprise that the next generation of laptops, netbooks and smartbooks are probably going to be based on this technology. Qualcomm has already released their processor for the mobile computing market, dubbed the Snapdragon. Expect to see products being released in 2010 with these processors, because their power and heat use are low enough to not require a fan for releasing heat from the chassis of a mobile computer.
Of course, I expect that Intel will come out with something to combat ARM processors like the Snapdragon, as the most popular netbooks right now use their Atom architecture. But for the time being, ARM is going to be the way to go when looking at computers that are light and fast – which is the model for what Google’s Chrome OS is expected to run on. Don’t be surprised if initial machines running Chrome OS that hit the market are using ARM processors.
Also, think about the applications for a processor that small. While it may be far off, think about the implications of tablets that could theoretically unfold out of your pocket and provide all of the processing power that you would need.
What kind of applications could you develop for a platform like that?
You can read more about the University of Michigan research project right here.
Video: Compaq Airlife 100 Breaks into Smartbook Territory
Posted on 12. Feb, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 0 Comments
Ever dislike sitting with your laptop until it gets uncomfortably hot to the point where you no longer can get any work done? With a new generation of computing devices called smartbooks, this problem – along with a few other hardware issues – fades away. A smartbook that has poppped up in the news today is the Compaq Airlife 100 which is an 10.1 inch Android machine that is based on a Snapdragon ARM processor. An ARM processor is the type of technology commonly found in smartphones and other highly mobile devices. Because of this, the chipset itself does not generate a lot of heat and therefore does not need a fan for cooling. Check out this video from CES:
Touchscreen, solid state hard drive and 3G? Where can I get one of these bad dogs?
So what is the difference between a smartbook and a netbook? The lines will probably blur sooner or later, but a netbook is a device that probably runs an Intel Atom chipset and runs a full function OS such as Windows. A smartbook has a hardware platform more akin to a smartphone, yet offers more functionality in terms of a larger internal storage capability, a full keyboard and a good number of inputs for versatility.
Right now most of these smartbooks are running customized Android platforms, but don’t be surprised if we start seeing some web OSs on these very soon.
Chrome OS Support from Qualcomm
Posted on 08. Jan, 2010 by Daniel Cawrey. 4 Comments
Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs announced at CES today that the company will be supporting Chrome OS as an operating system for future developmental projects. Their ARM-based chip architecture, known as Snapdragon, is focused on providing solutions for mobile devices that go beyond just the cellphone/smartphone market. Qualcomm has claimed that Snapdragon can support a device with a 12-inch screen.
The Nexus One, Google’s first Android phone product in a partnership with HTC, has a Snapdragon processor. Qualcomm showed off a Asus Eee PC with Snapdragon running Android at Computex in Taipei six months ago. The project was then put on hold, but that’s probably because Google was going to announce the release of the Chromium source code, which they did November 19. A machine like this would do better with Chrome OS than Android.
The Eee PC in the video is also fanless, as the technology does not use much power and thus doesn’t produce a whole lot of heat. That’s pretty cool:
Although the news is not surprising since it has been clear for a while now that Google intends to back devices that have ARM technology that usually is used in phones, Qualcomm supporting Chrome OS tells me that the market sees potential in using Chrome over Android for cloud applications. This further proves to me that Chrome OS is going to be loaded and sold on devices that break the mold of the traditional netbook genre – there will be devices that are smaller and offer very little other than the ability to get on the internet. And they may not support a full-on keyboard either. We shall see.
