ARM based processors coming to Linux netbooks
http://arstechnica.com/journals/linux.ars/2009/01/07/new-freescale-processors-target-linux-netbooks
Freescale's ARM based i.MX515 will have the capability to power machines with up to 8 hours of battery life, with a display as large as 8.9 inches. Sporting an ARM Cortex-A8 core, the chip performs from around 600mHz to 1 GHz.Seems like a clash between Intel and ARM is imminent.
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I thought the reason was that Windows doesn't run on ARM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Mobile
but, yeah that's not really windows for most people.
Also, even if MS ported Windows to ARM (it shouldn't be that difficult), the problem would really be the applications, which would either need emulating (on an already slowish computer) or recompiling.
...well, it does. The kernel does, and so do the desktop environments. And indeed so do most of the applications. But there is no Flash, no Skype, upgrading is a nightmare, support will probably end early and you will be very lucky if Java works well.
Every sub notebook and portable device I owned before my current (Atom based) Eee 1000 was a disaster because the system images for them were universally junk and/or crippled.
The default Linux image for the Eee is _also_ junk, but it doesn't matter because it takes five minutes to throw Ubuntu onto one. This should remain the case for at least the next two to four years as, being standard hardware, new software will keep on being made available for it.
By comparison mainstream support for running Linux on my G4 PowerBook never really began.
If you want to run Windows, then you'll want to pass on ARM netbooks.
Incidentally, the backlight on this thing is almost too powerful. I keep it on the lowest setting even on AC power because it's just that bright.
not necessarily. Remember Windows Mobile already runs on ARM so Microsoft already has plenty of experience porting to RISC machines (not to mention DEC alphas way back) I think MS could do it fairly easily if there really wanted to.
The other change to look for in the next few years is cheap OLED displays. A 1 watt CPU, bridge chip, and a fractional watt display will change the battery life equation dramatically. Current displays make all the light a display could need to all white all the time and then throw most of it away. OLED displays only make the light you need. Say hello to the '80s and green text on black to stretch your battery for coding.
Outside this place they're not going to sell many of those.