More fallout from the (potential) Dreamcast shelving - Imagination Technology is talking to ARM about getting PowerVR 2 integrated into future ARM chips.
Already working with Pace, Imagination see the future of their 3D graphics chip design in a post-Dreamcast world as being involved in set top box and mobile arenas.
More good news for future RISC OS desktop machines? As usual, it's all the the drivers...
Update: confirmation from ARM's own website, with comment from Symbian and Pace: Imagination Technologies and ARM Sign Strategic Agreement
Source: The Register
|
ARM chips to include PowerVR 2 [updated] |
|
(15:10 26/1/2001) Lee Johnston (15:22 26/1/2001) Daniel Barron (21:46 26/1/2001) Chris Williams (23:42 26/1/2001) Annraoi (14:29 27/1/2001) Gunnlaugur Jonsson (17:11 27/1/2001) mark quint (22:51 27/1/2001) Rich Mackin (02:19 28/1/2001) Lee Johnston (10:24 28/1/2001) Rob Kendrick (11:38 28/1/2001)
|
|
Richard Goodwin |
Message #88247, posted at 15:10, 26/1/2001 |
Unregistered user
|
From El Reg: "Imagination hopes this will mean its 3D graphics chip design will end up in three-quarters of the world's mobile phones and TV set-top boxes."
Does this mean that ARM chips will be in 3/4 of the world's mobile 'phones and STBs any time soon? :)
Sounds like wishful thinking to me... although I think my 'phone already has
one in. |
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Lee Johnston |
Message #88248, posted at 15:22, 26/1/2001, in reply to message #88247 |
Unregistered user
|
Apparently 85% of all mobile phones now sold use ARM processors - something to think about isn't it?
BTW I can't back that figure up, it's from a presentation given at my university.
|
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Daniel Barron |
Message #88249, posted at 21:46, 26/1/2001, in reply to message #88248 |
Unregistered user
|
You'll be in the rainy city then? |
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Chris Williams |
Message #88250, posted at 23:42, 26/1/2001, in reply to message #88249 |
Unregistered user
|
Top marks by the way for noticing that.. :)
Chris |
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Annraoi |
Message #88251, posted at 14:29, 27/1/2001, in reply to message #88250 |
Unregistered user
|
I note that the technology agreement is for ARM9 and ARM10 cores (no mention of xScale). As the ARM10 also has a very fast Vector FP unit the combination of that and hardware assisted 3D graphics renders the need for PCI based 3D cards on RISC OS a moot point. After all an on-chip video coprocessor will have a much larger bandwidth than a mere 33MHz PCI bus has to offer ---- nice one guys. |
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Gunnlaugur Jonsson |
Message #88252, posted at 17:11, 27/1/2001, in reply to message #88251 |
Unregistered user
|
I think Nokia uses ARM processors in most if not all of their mobile phones and they have a substantial world market share. Ericsson, if I remember correctly, has ARM processors in some of their later phones and they're quite big as well, although recently I've heard reports that they'll be leaving the mobile phone market.
This could add up to comewhere close to 85% market share, some others are probably using ARM processors as well.
|
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
mark quint |
Message #88253, posted at 22:51, 27/1/2001, in reply to message #88252 |
Unregistered user
|
also, you cant forget all those ARM cpu's in hand-helds now -> all Psions since the 5MX, the newer Compaq I-Paq thingys, and HP have done a sub-netbook based around a StrongARM. |
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Rich Mackin |
Message #88254, posted at 02:19, 28/1/2001, in reply to message #88253 |
Unregistered user
|
From what I recall, almost all the mobile manufacturers use ARM chips... The Sega Dreamcast has an embedded ARM7 in it's sound chip, Sky Digital STBs use ARMs (IIRC), and they're hard to avoid these days - when Palm move Palm OS to ARM, virtually every PDA sold will use one. Not bad for a company that only started in 1990 :o) |
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Lee Johnston |
Message #88255, posted at 10:24, 28/1/2001, in reply to message #88254 |
Unregistered user
|
Remember we still need devices to run RISC OS to be able to take advantage of them (or cross platform APIs).
Secondly Eriksson are not leaving the mobile market. All they've done is transfer manufacturing to a third party because it's cheaper than doing it themselves.
|
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
Rob Kendrick |
Message #88256, posted at 11:38, 28/1/2001, in reply to message #88255 |
Unregistered user
|
I think the only 'big' mobile phone manufacturer that doesn't use the ARM currently is Motorola (prefering their own Dragonball) but Dragonball's slowly changing to ARM anyway.
All Psions since the 5 (not the 5MX) have had an ARM processor.
I believe Ford and BMW use it their car computers these days, too. |
|
[ Log in to reply ] |
|
|