The big race of small computers

Once it still would have happened. "Race megahertz - a contagious thing, and, alas, inevitable. Year by year, the processors of personal computers become more powerful, forcing software manufacturers at least some use of new opportunities. Now the turn and to handheld computers, and with them also to the numerous army "of computer-related" portable devices under the vague name of "gadgets" ... The British company ARM, specializing in the design of microprocessors for portable digital devices, announced a new processor family, ARM11. The first industrial batch processor XScale, which uses architecture ARM11, will be released towards the end of the year (fourth quarter 2002) Corporation Intel, and with them are likely to appear and the first devices based on them. In the production processors will be used 0.13-micron technology, which will disperse the most successful instances of up to 750 MHz. In the foreseeable future, with the transition to 10-micron process, according to experts ARM, clock speed will be over 1 GHz. Completely unclear what to do with a similar margin performance. But it is not clear just from the height of the current level of industrial development of portable computing. Tomorrow gigahertz handheld seem commonplace, and the next day cause irritation of insufficient speed. All of these are typical signs of madness "megahertz race" ... From a user perspective rapid growth of computer performance has negative and positive sides. Everyone who owns a personal computer or use it at work for more than two years, knows how much it costs to constant updating of technology to try to keep a certain level of computing power. High-quality computer, assembled one of the reputable world producers, costs money, but depreciates so fast that after only six months, no punching in and half of its initial price. Slightly better is the case with self-collected cars, but this is not the most reasonable value for money - in terms of their savings. The positive side - thanks to fierce competition between manufacturers of components, upgrading of computers is relatively inexpensive. In practice, two years of operation, the computer in its modernization have to invest as much money as you need to buy a new car. True, these investments are stretched in time, and therefore do not become private (and corporate) user burden. You can also upgrade your computer is gradually replacing the graphics accelerator, sound system, processor or hard drive consistent financial opportunities ... What do the user handheld machine, device or "smart" phone? Portable Equipment lived much longer than the PC. Many owners of the first Palm Pilot `s and now work with their machines, without feeling a special need to replace the computer. Even in a family of Pocket PC PDAs difference between the first Palm-size and modern models are not so big to think seriously about the urgent replacement machines (any upgrade is simply not possible). What to say about simple machines Palm, whose programs undemanding to computing resources? .. Time takes its toll and we do not consider a PDA only as a dock or a PIM means quick access to the stored textual and graphical information. Today, the CCP is capable of playing digital music and video, run the game and display full-color graphics. All this represents a considerable burden on the CPU, although the applications themselves are still significantly inferior to similar programs for personal computers - primarily because of the strict hardware limitations. However, it does not lack handheld machines, as they feature. Low screen resolution (from 160x160 to 240x320 pixels - a computer with a touch input information) is due to its small size.To play a movie with a similar resolution sverhproizvoditelnogo processor is not required. Same with sound, and gaming applications. Textured games, if any, in versions for Pocket PC (such as would have appeared), large capacity requirements of the processor fails to present - even if that rendering will be done exclusively in software mode (not insert the same in the Pocket PC special graphic accelerator). But in a real operation is not so simple. Sufficiently powerful family of handheld computers Pocket PC 2002, equipped with processors with such frequency over 200 MHz, significantly retarding while rendering graphics, playing video files or running complex games. This can be blamed for the imperfection of the software, but programs for the PC, too flawed. However, we can not accept delays in their implementation and immediately think about upgrading your computer. In the case of the CCP, we have to be content with what we have. There is one circumstance that makes the manifold increase in processing power for handheld computers inevitable. The future of the CCP - integration with wireless devices. Today, every (or almost any) Pocket PC you can turn your device through plug-in GSM or cell phone with built-in modem and an infrared port. Tomorrow (or rather today) wireless module with support for GPRS protocols will become an integral part of any handheld computer. Moreover, it is inevitable and predictable process. Pocket PC and so is used for communication - as long as only a desktop computer to access the videos stored on your hard drive information. Agree that this supplement elementary function, coupled with a desktop or portable machine, mobile access to Internet resources - the dream of any user of a handheld computer. Actually, this was the basic idea designer of the first PDA - a versatile and extremely mobile tool to make your computer a truly personal and enables you to work anywhere, including on the road. Looking closely to the latest models of mobile phones, it is easy to see that they are moving closer to the handheld computers in terms of functionality, while gaining quality media - such as embedded MP3 players and color camera. Providing simultaneous (to the extent necessary, of course) of the mobile device - whether it's a smartphone, PDA or communicator - as a device for voice communication means for wireless data, color photos and, especially, video camera, voice recorder, audio player, digital VCR, game console and organizer - that's the problem for the XScale. Not for nothing that the company-developer declares support for new processors multitasking operating systems, multimedia applications, coding and decoding audio and video. With the release of ARM11 family processors booming market for mobile devices will receive an additional incentive. The same can be said about the industry of processors, because competitors would not doze off (unless, of course, Intel does not definitively establish itself as a monopolist). It seems that the stagnation that has gripped the past year or two high-tech industry, is nearing an end. Moreover, the main events will relate predominantly mobile devices. In fact, we observed a similar breakthroughs - more than doubled (from 400 megahertz processors family ARM9) increase the clock speed - a processor for personal computers? And the old CISC microprocessor architecture, which with each new implementation absorb only the elements of a more progressive (or fashionable?) Architecture RISC? Handheld computers have moved to RISC processors quietly and gradually. But moved it? Anyway - Pocket PC and communicators based on this platform. Following the ARM11 necessarily follow the next generation of processors. Their clock frequency will increase, although perhaps not so surprising pace. (And perhaps even more impressive than it is now - who knows?) By the way, the growth performance of processors for handheld still constrained and highly technological limitations. One of the main things - energy consumption, which have small computers should be minimal, and the closely related heat dissipation.True, ARM promises outstanding options for saving its processors and accordingly, no problems with heating. And what we get, the usual PDA users and potential buyers of new technology? Firstly, an additional reason to earn more, because ARM11 processor family will be produced primarily for mobile-class Hi-end. Secondly, a headache when choosing a device, because the diversity is expected unprecedented. Third, many rich portable devices with unprecedented capabilities - such as phones with built-in color camera, or handheld computers with TV tuners and video capture tools. More specifically still impossible, as it was impossible a few years ago seriously talk about a hybrid cell phone and digital camera. Well, who needs this expensive toy? Nevertheless the "toy" has appeared, had found their consumers, and even appeared in a number of commodities for which demand exceeds supply. By the way, digital photography from the introduction of mass-produced processors fundamentally different levels of productivity will benefit. In the amateur cameras of the middle class should expect to see more variety of processors, digital zoom, the new interpolation mechanisms to increase the resolution, regardless of physical ability photosensitive sensor camera. For professional equipment all of the above is unlikely to have any value, but performance processors will be useful here, since their ability to allow us to construct more sophisticated scheme of electronic image stabilization (shooting eliminate the effect of "shaking hands"), light metering and automatic exposure settings . And from an entirely unexpected one can mention the ability to input information into digital portable device (actually, not only for the PDA, but for the communicators and smart phones - anywhere you want from time to time to enter any text, such as the title tracks to iPods MP3) ... Perhaps it is due to new processors our pocket machines learn to recognize not only the individual letters (which they still do not really know how), but a cursory letter, getting used to the handwriting of the host computer and arranged under his arm, and not vice versa. And what's up with voice input, which exists only on desktop machines in the form of terrible quality trifle, but not as a tool for serious work? Imagine, you're mumbling into the microphone, and the on-screen handheld computer having a line of text ... That's where the freedom for creative people! Marina's crying and Dotsenko. So what-what, but naboltat couple of masterpieces of native literature can be in one evening. It would be a coma or, more precisely, what to write. The authors, translation: