Mobile valuables: the clamshell family. New Ryzen laptops
At a special event before CES 2018, AMD released new mobile processors and announced desktop chips with integrated graphics. And Radeon Technologies Group, a structural division of AMD, announced Vega mobile discrete graphics chips. The company also revealed plans to switch to new technical processes and promising architectures: Radeon Navi graphics and Zen+, Zen 2 and Zen 3 processors.
New processors, chipset and cooling
The first Ryzen desktops with Vega graphics
Two Ryzen desktop models with integrated Vega graphics will go on sale on February 12, 2018. The 2200G is an entry-level Ryzen 3 processor, while the 2400G is a mid-range Ryzen 5 processor. Both models dynamically boost clock speeds by 200 and 300 MHz from base frequencies of 3.5 GHz and 3.6 GHz, respectively. In fact, they replace the ultra-budget models Ryzen 3 1200 and 1400.
The 2200G has only 8 graphics units, while the 2400G has 3 more. The frequency of the 2200G graphics cores reaches 1,100 MHz, and the 2400G is 150 MHz more. Each graphics unit contains 64 shaders.
The cores of both processors have the same code name as mobile processors with integrated graphics - Raven Ridge (literally Raven Mountain, a rock formation in Colorado). But nevertheless, they are connected to the same LGA AMD AM4 socket as all other Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 processors.
Reference: Sometimes AMD calls processors with integrated graphics not CPU (Central Processing Unit, English Central processing unit), and APU (Accelerated Processor Unit, English. Accelerated processing unit, in other words, a processor with a video accelerator).
AMD desktop processors with integrated graphics are marked with a G at the end, after the first letter of the word graphics ( English graphic arts). Mobile processors from both AMD and Intel are marked with the letter U at the end, after the first letter of the words ultrathin ( English ultra-thin) or ultra-low power ( English ultra-low power consumption) respectively.
At the same time, you should not think that if the model numbers of the new Ryzen begin with the number 2, then their core architecture belongs to the second generation of the Zen microarchitecture. This is not true - these processors are still in the first generation.
| Ryzen 3 2200G | Ryzen 5 2400G | |
| Cores | 4 | |
| Streams | 4 | 8 |
| Base frequency | 3.5 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Increased frequency | 3.7 GHz | 3.9 GHz |
| Level 2 and 3 cache | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| Graphics blocks | 8 | 11 |
| Maximum graphics frequency | 1 100 MHz | 1 250 MHz |
| CPU socket | AMD AM4 (PGA) | |
| Base Heat Dissipation | 65 W | |
| Variable heat dissipation | 45-65 W | |
| Codename | Raven Ridge | |
| Recommended price* | 5,600 ₽ ($99) | 9,500 ₽ ($99) |
| release date | February 12, 2018 | |
New Ryzen mobiles with Vega graphics
Last year, AMD already brought the first mobile Ryzen to the market under the code name Raven Ridge. The entire Ryzen mobile family is designed for gaming laptops, ultrabooks and tablet-laptop hybrids. But there were only two such models, each in the middle and high-end segments: Ryzen 5 2500U and Ryzen 7 2700U. The junior segment was empty, but the company corrected this right at CES 2018 - two models were added to the mobile family: Ryzen 3 2200U and Ryzen 3 2300U.
AMD Vice President Jim Anderson demonstrates the Ryzen mobile family
The 2200U is the first dual-core Ryzen CPU, while the 2300U is quad-core as standard, but both run four threads. At the same time, the base frequency of the 2200U cores is 2.5 GHz, and the lower 2300U is 2 GHz. But with increasing loads, the frequency of both models will rise to the same level - 3.4 GHz. However, laptop manufacturers can lower the power ceiling, because they also need to calculate energy costs and think through the cooling system. There is also a difference in cache size between the chips: the 2200U has only two cores, and therefore has half the cache of levels 1 and 2.
The 2200U has only 3 graphics units, but the 2300U has twice as many, as well as processor cores. But the difference is graphic frequencies not so significant: 1,000 MHz versus 1,100 MHz.
| Ryzen 3 2200U | Ryzen 3 2300U | Ryzen 5 2500U | Ryzen 7 2700U | |
| Cores | 2 | 4 | ||
| Streams | 4 | 8 | ||
| Base frequency | 2.5 GHz | 2 GHz | 2.2 GHz | |
| Increased frequency | 3.4 GHz | 3.8 GHz | ||
| Level 1 cache | 192 KB (96 KB per core) | 384 KB (96 KB per core) | ||
| Level 2 cache | 1 MB (512 KB per core) | 2 MB (512 KB per core) | ||
| Level 3 cache | 4 MB (4 MB per complex of cores) | |||
| RAM | Dual channel DDR4-2400 | |||
| Graphics blocks | 3 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Maximum graphics frequency | 1,000 MHz | 1 100 MHz | 1 300 MHz | |
| CPU socket | AMD FP5 (BGA) | |||
| Base Heat Dissipation | 15 W | |||
| Variable heat dissipation | 12-25 W | |||
| Codename | Raven Ridge | |||
| release date | January 8, 2018 | October 26, 2018 | ||
The first mobile Ryzen PRO
For the second quarter of 2018, AMD has planned the release of mobile versions of Ryzen PRO processors corporate level. The characteristics of the mobile PROs are identical to the consumer versions, with the exception of the Ryzen 3 2200U, which did not receive a PRO implementation at all. The differences between desktop and mobile Ryzen PRO are in additional hardware technologies.
Ryzen PRO processors are complete copies of regular Ryzen, but with additional features
For example, TSME, on-the-fly hardware encryption of RAM, is used to ensure security (Intel only has software-intensive SME encryption). And for centralized management The open standard DASH (Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware, English mobile and desktop architecture for system devices) is available to the fleet of machines - support for its protocols is built into the processor.
Laptops, ultrabooks and hybrid tablet-laptops with Ryzen PRO should primarily be of interest to companies and government agencies that plan to purchase them for employees.
| Ryzen 3 PRO 2300U | Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U | Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U | |
| Cores | 4 | ||
| Streams | 4 | 8 | |
| Base frequency | 2 GHz | 2.2 GHz | |
| Increased frequency | 3.4 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.8 GHz |
| Level 1 cache | 384 KB (96 KB per core) | ||
| Level 2 cache | 2 MB (512 KB per core) | ||
| Level 3 cache | 4 MB (4 MB per complex of cores) | ||
| RAM | Dual channel DDR4-2400 | ||
| Graphics blocks | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Maximum graphics frequency | 1 100 MHz | 1 300 MHz | |
| CPU socket | AMD FP5 (BGA) | ||
| Base Heat Dissipation | 15 W | ||
| Variable heat dissipation | 12-25 W | ||
| Codename | Raven Ridge | ||
| release date | Second quarter 2018 | ||
New AMD 400 series chipsets
The second generation of Ryzen relies on the second generation of system logic: the 300th series of chipsets is replaced by the 400th. The flagship of the series, as expected, was the AMD X470, and later simpler and cheaper sets of circuits, such as the B450, would be released. New logic improved everything related to RAM: reduced access latency, raised the upper frequency limit and added headroom for overclocking. Also in the 400 series, USB bandwidth has increased and the processor's power consumption has improved, and at the same time its heat dissipation.
But the processor socket has not changed. AMD AM4 desktop socket (and its mobile non-removable AMD variant FP5) is a special advantage of the company. The second generation has the same connector as the first. It will not change in the third and fifth generations. AMD promised, in principle, not to change AM4 until 2020. And for the 300 series motherboards (X370, B350, A320, X300 and A300) to work with the new Ryzen, you just need to update the BIOS. Moreover, in addition to direct compatibility, there is also reverse compatibility: old processors will work on new boards.
At CES 2018, Gigabyte even showed a prototype of the first motherboard based on the new chipset - the X470 Aorus Gaming 7 WiFi. This and other boards based on X470 and lower chipsets will appear in April 2018, simultaneously with the second generation of Ryzen on the Zen+ architecture.
New cooling system
AMD also introduced a new AMD cooler Wraith Prism (English prism of anger). While its predecessor, the Wraith Max, was illuminated in a single color red, the Wraith Prism features motherboard-controlled RGB lighting around the perimeter of the fan. The cooler blades are made of transparent plastic and are also illuminated in millions of colors. Fans of RGB backlighting will appreciate it, and haters can simply turn it off, although in this case the point of buying this model will be negated.
Wraith Prism - a complete copy of Wraith Max, but with backlighting in millions of colors
The remaining characteristics are identical to the Wraith Max: direct contact heat pipes, programmable airflow profiles in overclocking mode and virtually silent operation at 39 dB under standard conditions.
There is no information yet on how much the Wraith Prism will cost, whether it will come bundled with processors, or when it will be available for purchase.
New Ryzen laptops
In addition to mobile processors, AMD is also promoting new laptops based on them. In 2017, the HP Envy x360, Lenovo Ideapad 720S and Acer Swift 3 models were released on mobile Ryzen. In the first quarter of 2018, the Acer Nitro 5, Dell Inspiron 5000 and HP series will be added to them. They all run on last year's mobile Ryzen 7 2700U and Ryzen 5 2500U.
The Acer Nitro family is all about gaming machines. The Nitro 5 line is equipped with 15.6-inch IPS displays with a resolution of 1920 × 1080. And some models will be equipped with a discrete Radeon RX 560 graphics chip with 16 graphics units inside.
The Dell Inspiron 5000 line of laptops offers models with display diagonals of 15.6 and 17 inches, equipped with either hard drives or solid state drives. Some models in the line will also receive discrete video card Radeon 530 with 6 graphics units. This is a rather strange configuration, because even the integrated graphics of the Ryzen 5 2500U have more graphics units - 8 pieces. But the advantage of a discrete card may be higher clock speeds and separate graphics memory chips (instead of the RAM section).
Price reduction for all Ryzen processors
| Processor (socket) | Cores/Threads | Old price* | New price* |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1950X (TR4) | 16/32 | 56,000 ₽ ($999) | - |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1920X (TR4) | 12/24 | 45,000 ₽ ($799) | - |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1900X (TR4) | 8/16 | 31,000 ₽ ($549) | 25,000 ₽ ($449) |
| Ryzen 7 1800X (AM4) | 8/16 | 28,000 ₽ ($499) | 20,000 ₽ ($349) |
| Ryzen 7 1700X (AM4) | 8/16 | 22,500 ₽ ($399) | 17,500 ₽ ($309) |
| Ryzen 7 1700 (AM4) | 8/16 | 18,500 ₽ ($329) | 17,000 ₽ ($299) |
| Ryzen 5 1600X (AM4) | 6/12 | 14,000 ₽ ($249) | 12,500 ₽ ($219) |
| Ryzen 5 1600 (AM4) | 6/12 | 12,500 ₽ ($219) | 10,500 ₽ ($189) |
| Ryzen 5 1500X (AM4) | 4/8 | 10,500 ₽ ($189) | 9,800 ₽ ($174) |
| Ryzen 5 1400 (AM4) | 4/8 | 9,500 ₽ ($169) | - |
| Ryzen 5 2400G (AM4) | 4/8 | - | 9,500 ₽ ($169) |
| Ryzen 3 2200G (AM4) | 4/4 | - | 5,600 ₽ ($99) |
| Ryzen 3 1300X (AM4) | 4/4 | 7,300 ₽ ($129) | - |
| Ryzen 3 1200 (AM4) | 4/4 | 6,100 ₽ ($109) | - |
Plans until 2020: Navi graphics, Zen 3 processors
2017 was a completely turning point for AMD. After years of troubles, AMD completed development of the Zen core microarchitecture and released the first generation of CPUs: the Ryzen, Ryzen PRO and Ryzen Threadripper family of PC processors, the Ryzen and Ryzen PRO mobile family, and the EPYC server family. In the same year, the Radeon group developed the Vega graphics architecture: Vega 64 and Vega 56 video cards were released on its basis, and by the end of the year, Vega cores were integrated into Ryzen mobile processors.
Dr. Lisa Su, CEO AMD assures that the company will release 7-nanometer processors before 2020
The new products not only attracted the interest of fans, but also captured the attention of ordinary consumers and enthusiasts. Intel and NVIDIA had to quickly counter: Intel released six-core processors Coffee Lake, the unplanned second “so” of the Skylake architecture, and NVIDIA expanded the 10th series of video cards on the Pascal architecture to 12 models.
Rumors about AMD's future plans accumulated throughout 2017. Until now, Lisa Su, AMD's CEO, has only noted that the company plans to exceed the 7-8% annual rate of productivity growth in the electronics industry. Finally, at CES 2018, the company showed a “road map” not just until the end of 2018, but right up to 2020. The basis of these plans is improving chip architectures through the miniaturization of transistors: a progressive transition from the current 14 nanometers to 12 and 7 nanometers.
12 nanometers: second generation Ryzen on Zen+
The Zen+ microarchitecture, the second generation of the Ryzen brand, is based on the 12-nanometer process technology. In fact, the new architecture is a modified Zen. The GlobalFoundries manufacturing standard is being converted from 14nm 14LPP (Low Power Plus) to 12nm 12LP (Low Power). The new 12LP process technology should provide chips with a 10% performance increase.
Reference: The GlobalFoundries network of factories are former AMD manufacturing facilities that were spun off into a separate company in 2009 and merged with other contract manufacturers. In terms of contract manufacturing market share, GlobalFoundries shares second place with UMC, significantly behind TSMC. Chip developers - AMD, Qualcomm and others - order production both from GlobalFoundries and other factories.
In addition to the new technical process, the Zen+ architecture and chips based on it will receive improved AMD Precision Boost 2 and AMD XFR 2 (Extended Frequency Range 2) technologies. In mobile Ryzen processors you can already find Precision Boost 2 and a special modification of XFR - Mobile Extended Frequency Range (mXFR).
The second generation will see the release of the Ryzen, Ryzen PRO and Ryzen Threadripper family of PC processors, but so far there is no information about updating the generations of the Ryzen and Ryzen PRO mobile family, and the server EPYC. But it is known that some models of Ryzen processors will have two modifications from the very beginning: with graphics integrated into the chip and without it. Entry- and mid-level models Ryzen 3 and Ryzen 5 will be released in both versions. And the high level Ryzen 7 will not receive any graphical modification. Most likely, the code name Pinnacle Ridge (lit. sharp mountain ridge, one of the peaks of the Wind River Range in Wyoming) is assigned to the core architecture for these particular processors.
The second generation of Ryzen 3, 5 and 7 will begin selling in April 2018 along with the 400 series chipsets. And the second generation of Ryzen PRO and Ryzen Threadripper will be late until the second half of 2018.
7 nanometers: third generation Ryzen on Zen 2, discrete Vega graphics, Navi graphics core
In 2018, the Radeon group will release Vega discrete graphics for laptops, ultrabooks and laptop tablets. AMD does not share any special details: it is known that discrete chips will work with compact multi-layer memory like HBM2 (integrated graphics use RAM). Separately, Radeon emphasizes that the height of the memory chips will be only 1.7 mm.
Radeon exec shows integrated and discrete Vega graphics
And in the same 2018, Radeon will transfer graphics chips based on Vega architecture from the 14 nm LPP process technology directly to 7 nm LP, completely jumping over 12 nm. But first, new graphics units will be supplied only for the Radeon Instinct line. This is a separate family of Radeon server chips for heterogeneous computing: machine learning and artificial intelligence - the demand for them is ensured by the development of unmanned vehicles.
And already at the end of 2018 or the beginning of 2019, ordinary consumers will wait for Radeon and AMD products on the 7-nanometer process technology: processors based on Zen 2 architecture and graphics based on Navi architecture. Moreover, the design work for Zen 2 has already been completed.
AMD partners are already getting acquainted with chips based on Zen 2, who will create them for the third generation Ryzen motherboards and other components. AMD is gaining such momentum due to the fact that the company has two teams “jumping” over each other to develop promising microarchitectures. They started with parallel work on Zen and Zen+. When Zen was completed, the first team moved to Zen 2, and when Zen+ was completed, the second team moved to Zen 3.
7 nanometers “plus”: fourth generation Ryzen on Zen 3
While one AMD department is solving the problems of mass production of Zen 2, another department is already designing Zen 3 at a technological standard designated as “7 nm+”. The company does not disclose details, but indirect data suggests that the process will be improved by complementing the current deep ultraviolet lithography (DUV, Deep Ultraviolet) with a new hard ultraviolet lithography (EUV, Extreme Ultraviolet) with a wavelength of 13.5 nm.
GlobalFoundries has already installed new equipment for the transition to 5 nm
Back in the summer of 2017, one of the GlobalFoundries factories purchased more than 10 lithographic systems from the TWINSCAN NXE series from the Netherlands ASML. With partial use of this equipment within the same 7 nm process technology, it will be possible to further reduce power consumption and increase chip performance. There are no exact metrics yet - it will take some more time to debug the new lines and bring them to acceptable capacity for mass production.
AMD expects to begin organizing sales of chips at the 7 nm+ standard from processors based on the Zen 3 microarchitecture by the end of 2020.
5 nanometers: fifth and subsequent generations of Ryzen on Zen 4?
AMD has not yet made an official announcement, but we can safely speculate that the next frontier for the company will be the 5 nm process technology. Experimental chips based on this standard have already been produced by a research alliance of IBM, Samsung and GlobalFoundries. Crystals using a 5 nm process technology will no longer require partial, but full use of hard ultraviolet lithography with an accuracy above 3 nm. This is exactly the resolution that the TWINSCAN NXE:3300B lithography system from ASML purchased by GlobalFoundries provides.
A layer one molecule thick of molybdenum disulfide (0.65 nanometers) exhibits a leakage current of only 25 femtoamps/micrometer at 0.5 volts.
But the difficulty also lies in the fact that at the 5 nm process it will probably be necessary to change the shape of the transistors. The long-proven FinFETs (fin-shaped transistors, from English fin) may give way to promising GAA FETs (shape of transistors with surrounding gates, from English gate-all-around). It will take several more years to set up and deploy mass production of such chips. The consumer electronics sector is unlikely to receive them before 2021.
Further reduction of technological standards is also possible. For example, back in 2003, Korean researchers created a 3-nanometer FinFET. In 2008, a nanometer transistor was created at the University of Manchester based on graphene (carbon nanotubes). And in 2016, Berkeley Lab research engineers conquered the sub-nanometer scale: such transistors can use both graphene and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). True, at the beginning of 2018, there had not yet been a way to produce an entire chip or substrate from new materials.
May 15 is International Day of Families. On the eve of it in Sharya, the women's council held a festive meeting for Sharya families. Each has its own story of love and harmony.
Families are different: large, creative, sporty, and today we will get acquainted with the mobile one. Elena and Dmitry Musinov, as well as their children, fourteen-year-old Roman and nine-year-old Diana, are for an active lifestyle.
Mom Elena Alexandrovna is a teacher at kindergarten No. 3, dad Dmitry Nikolaevich works in the police. Their common hobby is the home plot. They lovingly grow roses and plant flower beds, and introduce new developments in the care of shrubs. Last year, the Musinovs won a city improvement competition. Their plot was named the best homestead and was awarded a diploma certifying this. Each owner has his own twist - the Musinovs have a garden and the area around the house divided into zones, starting from the arch at the entrance and the pond on the site.
“Like Feng Shui,” says Elena with a smile. - And at the gate of our house there are several large stones - boulders. We were surprised to learn that in the east, a large stone near a house is a symbol of prosperity and prosperity. And we made a kind of flower bed out of them. I planted lettuce around it - also, it turns out, royal food in the east. Since I didn’t cut it, the salad gave arrows, and it turned out to be a beautiful composition. The Vietnamese living in Sharya fell in love with it, they take pictures with our stones with pleasure - that’s how we learned about this tradition.”
Do you raise your children the way you were raised, or do you bring in your own innovative ideas?
- I teach children to be kind, this is the most important thing, as I believe, what real friendship, hard work, and caring for loved ones are. But I don’t like baby talk. Diana is her father's daughter, and her father's example is important to Roma. The son already knows his household duties - taking out the trash, vacuuming, shoveling snow. Moreover, dad immediately started this tradition - the snowdrifts near our house, like on the parade ground in the army, as if on a ruler, even. Roma learned the art of laying the right snowdrifts from his father.
If Diana is more inclined to creativity, then Roman is interested in mechanical engineering. He loves to build, invent, and is interested in electricity. He is upset that there are no technical clubs in schools in the city.
What we have in common is that we don’t like to sit at home. In the summer we spend all our free time on the site. In winter, we make snowmen, dress them up in hats and scarves to keep them warm. Every year we come up with new topic. In the Year of Cinema we had Winnie the Pooh and everything, everything, everything. It's a pity that the weather doesn't allow us to open the season yet.
The family prefers active holidays. Their faithful friends, bicycles, can't wait for good weather. There are four of them - for dad, mom, son and daughter. By the way, the Musinovs also rode bicycles to the recent city auto festival - traffic jams were no problem for them. They also have a tradition - with family and friends to go to Somovo for a couple of days. Tents, songs around the fire - there are enough memories for a whole year.
“The children are already preparing for this trip in advance. They like to sleep in a tent. run on the sand, breathe clean air and listen to the sounds of nature. It’s beautiful, great, we look through the photos and remember every moment from the trip,” Elena mentioned the photos for a reason. This is another hobby.
The Musinov family often participates in photo competitions that take place in the city, and they also made a bright contribution to the photo competition “The Forest and I are Good Friends”, which was held by the Vetluzhsky Krai Publishing House. A camera in her hands is Elena’s usual accessory: at home, during trips to nature, at work, it accompanies her throughout her life. She photographs family, friends, nature - just beautiful views and her favorite flowers, even caterpillars and ants - she finds fascinating subjects in the world around her. The first camera was an ordinary film camera, with manual rewinding. The era of digital cameras has begun - Dmitry and Elena found a replacement for him. This “veteran” still occupies a place of honor, but it has been replaced by a phone camera. Good resolution, always at hand - an amateur photographer could not wish for a better “comrade”, and a bulky professional device is not suitable for such a mobile family as the Musinovs.
The street where this family lives is bright - even if you just look at the houses on it: pink and red, yellow and green, red and brown. The street is getting younger every year, mothers with strollers are walking, old-time neighbors have someone to share their experiences with, both life and gardening. Many houses have birdhouses hanging, so the whole street listens to birdsong - the starlings have already arrived. And above the houses under the pine trees you can hear the ringing of bells from the temple built nearby.
Since the advent of touch phones and other mobile devices, a lot has already been written both in terms of criticism (not always constructive) and in terms of all kinds of praise. I am not writing this article to point out all the capabilities of operating systems for mobile platforms (OS). Therefore, if you want details, then read Wikipedia or official forums. In this article, I set myself the goal of explaining “what-is-what” in understandable language.
Apple iOS
This is the most popular and fashionable OS. But that doesn't mean she's the best...
This OS is installed on all Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch. Most users liked this OS - it is simple, beautiful, and convenient. Steve Jobs' motto was “Simplify,” and therefore the simplicity and ergonomics of this OS are a good plus. Accordingly, the minimum of basic settings alarmed experienced users. After all, the OS is not beautiful appearance, but the functionality itself, the ability of the OS to work with the latest technologies, as well as the preservation of confidential information from intruders. More about iOS and Apple products let's talk in one of next articles, but for now let's summarize.
Pros:
- The most fashionable operating system (for some this is a minus);
- Clear and easy to use (for most users this is the main thing);
- A huge number of applications in the App Store;
- Ability to create your own applications and sell them (for developers);
Minuses:
- A minimum number of settings (which means that in order to run an unlicensed application on your device, you will have to do a lot of trickery);
- Works only on Apple devices (for some this is a plus);
Google Android
Honestly, in my opinion, this is the best OS on this moment. It, of course, has its drawbacks, but compared to other operating systems, Android surpasses them in functionality.
Let's start with the fact that Android is built on the Linux kernel. In addition, Google today offers us a large number of free functions and utilities that only Google has ( voice technologies, smart translator, maps, etc.) In addition, unlike iOS, Android can be configured very subtly and painstakingly, thereby changing your device beyond recognition. This means that every user can turn their smartphone into a powerful media station. At the same time, the abundance of settings does not complicate the use of Android. Android has its own alternative to the App Store - called Android Market. Those. you can install the same applications on your smartphone as in the App Store. After all, most application developers (especially popular ones) make their games and applications cross-platform. And some developers do this - they take and publish applications for free that you have to pay for on the App Store. For example, for your Android you can download the popular AngryBirds for free.
Pros:
- Advanced OS;
- A large number of free applications;
- The ability to create your own applications and sell them through the Android Market;
- Opportunity fine tuning;
Minuses:
- For some users, however, setting up their Android will be a problem.
WindowsPhone 7
Surprisingly, Microsoft came to its senses late in creating a mobile OS. When the touchscreen smartphone boom began in 2007, Microsoft had nothing good to offer. At that time, Microsoft only had Windows Mobile, but it was far behind its competitors. But in 2010, Microsoft released Windows Phone 7. At first, the market share was small, but Microsoft’s characteristic manner of promoting its products eventually brought Windows Phone 7 into the top three market leaders. Unlike its competitors, Microsoft designed its OS from the ground up. This OS also has its own application store - Marketplace. At first, the number of applications was modest, but now that Microsoft has agreements with Dell, HTC, LG, Samsung, etc., the number of applications has increased greatly.
But the main news became a deal between Microsoft and Nokia.
Now Nokia will install Microsoft OS on some of its smartphones and tablets. This means either that Microsoft has a lot of money, or (most likely) Nokia Corporation understands that their Symbian OS is gradually rotting.
Pros:
- User-friendly interface design;
- Simple and clear settings;
- Support for a large number of devices;
- themes for nokia - the ability to download and install any pictures and scenes on your phone as a screensaver.
Minuses:
- Not enough available applications;
- As with all Microsoft products, Windows Phone7 has its own shortcomings (actually, who doesn’t have them...).
Windows 8
But with this OS from Microsoft, which is still in beta version, there are many problems. Microsoft suddenly decided to create an OS that could work equally well on PCs and mobile devices. Those. The idea is good - one system for all devices, but so far the implementation is poor. Well, in the near future we'll see what they can do...
Symbian OS
Symbian is gradually losing its strength. At first, Symbian was among the leaders in the mobile market. But due to the incompatibility of applications between new and old versions of the OS, due to tactical errors of the Symbian Foundation, Symbian is now not listed on the mobile OS market. In a year or two Symbian will disappear altogether...
Pros:
- A large number of devices that support Symbian (however, over time, all companies except Nokia left the Symbian Foundation);
- Many additional programs;
Minuses:
- Confusing settings;
- Inconvenient touch interface;
- Lack of support;
BlackBerry
“Blackberry” is how the name of this OS is translated. A very good and high-quality OS, but popular among ordinary users did not win, since it is aimed at a specific audience - business people, solving business problems. The company RIM (Research in Motion) came up with Blackberry as convenient system for businessmen. Therefore, the main applications that can be purchased or downloaded in a special App store World, are aimed at solving business problems (exchange rates, ratings, statistics, etc.). In the USA, most corporations prefer phones with Blackberry. All BlackBerry phones have a comfortable QWERTY keyboard. In Russia, devices with BlackBerry are also sold...
Pros:
- Good tool to solve business problems;
Minuses:
- Few games and others entertainment applications(OS for serious people);
- On Russian market poorly distributed (you have to choose not from a number of models, but what is on sale);
Means "Ocean" in Korean. "Korean Ocean" was presented to the public in 2009. Bada is installed only on cheap phones and only from Samsung. At the same time, almost all Samsung smartphones and devices run Android. Why do they need a second OS?
Maybe the company needs Bada “just in case”... Or they will soon promote this OS and appear on the market new leader... In general, time will tell. And while this “embryo” is in its infancy, there is no point in talking about its pros and cons. Although Samsung already announced Bada 2.0.
And in short, then pros:
- Clear and user-friendly interface;
- Built-in application store;
Minuses:
- Few applications;
- And let’s be honest, have you at least once seen a phone with Bada OS on the shelves??? And I didn't see it either. Although I didn't really look closely...
Thank you for reading the article to the end.
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Since the advent of the very first personal computers, the competition between processor giants has experienced many aggravations. It is generally accepted that the main trendsetter in the development of personal computers was Intel with its x86 architecture, although at that time there were a lot of other solutions, many of which have survived to this day in one way or another.
Now we have a relatively stable situation: the x86 architecture rules the market for “large” computers, while mobile solutions are captured by the developments of the ARM concern. So are we in for change?
Quite possible. Technology developments and market fluctuations have led to a situation where experts are seriously discussing the possibility of intensifying competition between ARM and x86 processors.
ARM processors first appeared in 1978, when the British company Acorn Computers was created. The Acorn brand produced several extremely popular personal computer models on the local market based on eight-bit MOS Tech 6502 chips. By the way, the same CPU was found in the Apple I and II and Commodore PET.
However, with the advent of the more advanced 6510 model, which began to be installed in the Commodore 64 in 1982, the Acorn line of computers, including the popular educational BBC Micro, lost relevance. This prompted Acorn owners to create their own processor based on the 6502 architecture, which would allow them to compete on equal terms with IBM PC-class machines.
A project called Acorn RISC Machine (ARM) was created in October 1983. The development was led by Wilson and Ferber - their main goal was to achieve low interrupt latency, like the MOS Technology 6502. The memory access architecture taken from the 6502 allowed developers to achieve good performance without the use of an expensive DMA module to implement. The first processor was produced by VLSI on April 26, 1985, when it first started working and was called ARM1, and the first production processors called ARM2 became available in 1986. The ARM2 crystal consisted of 30,000 transistors, and this compact design accompanies us to this day: ARMv7 has only 5,000 more transistors.
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Unlike Intel or AMD, the corporation does not produce anything itself, preferring to sell this right to others. Among the companies holding licenses are the same Intel and AMD, as well as VIA Technologies, IBM, NVIDIA, Nintendo, Texas Instruments, Freescale, Qualcomm, Samsung and, of course, Apple.
Until recently, ARM processors were 32-bit, and only late last year the first ARMv8 processor supporting 64-bit computing was introduced. It is based on the Cortex-A57/A53 core and has the following key features: support for resequencing command execution; 44-bit virtual memory addressing; support for up to 16 TB of RAM (from LPDDR3 to DDR4); 48 KB L1 instruction cache and 32 KB L1 data cache; NEON multimedia SIMD engine; 128 KB to 2 MB L2 cache (with ECC support); 128-bit CoreLink Interconnect (CCI-400 and CCN-504).
Unlike ARM processors, based on the base RISC architectures(Reduced Instruction Set Computer), x86 CPUs use CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computing, that is full set instructions), in which each instruction can perform several low-level operations at once.
The history of the x86 family began in 1978, when the 16-bit Intel 8086 was introduced. It initially operated at a frequency of 4.77 MHz, which was later increased first to eight and then to 10 MHz. This processor was manufactured using 3-micron technology and had 29,000 transistors.
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Now, when we talk about x86 architecture, we mean Intel processors, although in those years the situation was far from so simple. The fact is that these chips became the basis of IBM PCs, built on the principle of open architecture. Accordingly, many companies wanted to produce (and sell) such computers; there were not enough processors for everyone and, naturally, specialists were immediately found who learned how to copy scarce microcircuits. This happened all over the world, not excluding the USSR - domestic engineers were able to create the KR1834VM86 chip, which was not inferior to its overseas counterpart.
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However, x86 processors became 32-bit only in 1985, when the first 80386 was introduced. In 1989, Intel released a scalar (that is, performing one operation per clock) i486 chip, which added built-in cache memory and a floating calculation unit. comma FPU. Pentium processors, introduced in 1993, became superscalar (that is, they perform several operations per clock cycle) and superpipeline (they had two pipelines).
Formally, the main difference between the ARM and x86 lines is the RISC and CISC instruction set. However, starting with the Intel 486DX modification, x86 chips, while maintaining compatibility with all previous instruction sets, demonstrate maximum performance only with limited set simple instructions, which resembles the notorious RISC instruction set. However, there are other differences - for example, now x86 are universal CPUs that have many blocks and modules designed to implement any given task, from processing text files to working with three-dimensional graphics. At the same time, ARM, aimed at use in smartphones, tablets and others portable devices have other capabilities and are focused on other goals.
Of course, if we compare the top modifications of x86 and ARM, the result will be disastrous for the latter, because the computing power of the Core i7 significantly exceeds the modest capabilities of the latest Apple A7. However, in the mobile device market the situation is far from so clear. All that Intel has to offer is the Atom processor family, while leading companies are successfully mastering the production of fairly powerful solutions based on the Cortex A-53 and A-57 core.
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Interestingly, while most Intel desktop processors use out-of-order instruction execution, Atom operates on the principle of sequential instruction execution. It is not surprising, since it is based on a modified core inherited from the first Pentiums. The chip was adapted to a new technical process, the ability to execute 64-bit code and multimedia instructions was added, as well as second-level cache memory and support for multi-threaded execution (SMT, an analogue of Hyper-threading). However, as mentioned above, in order to reduce the cost of the design, it was decided to abandon the extraordinary execution of commands, which is not in the best possible way affected the performance of this solution.
The turning point could be Intel's decision, announced executive director corporation Paul Otellini at the annual meeting with investors in Santa Clara. According to him, many industry experts are already interested in what share of the smartphone and tablet market Intel is counting on. Accordingly, now the company’s main task is to make its chips so attractive that the main market players can no longer ignore them. For example, Apple uses Intel processors only in its laptops and desktops, and uses its own ARM chips in smartphones and tablets. Intel hopes that the situation will soon change in their favor. This confidence is based on the use of advanced technologies and the company’s enormous research and production potential.
Of course, these are just words - even such a powerful corporation will be very difficult to catch up with competitors who have been successfully working in the field of mobile technologies for several decades. However, there are reasons for optimism in conquering the mobile market from Intel more than enough.
The advantage may lie in the fact that Intel's mobile solutions are based on the same architecture as desktop processors, thereby providing high performance, and the planned transition to 14nm technologies this year should once and for all solve the problem of power consumption.
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At the same time, the Taiwanese company MediaTek, known for inexpensive solutions for smartphones and tablet computers, announced this year a new platform for devices of these types - MT6595. The new chipset uses the ARM big.LITTLTE concept, which involves the use of clusters of processor cores. The MT6595 features four powerful ARM Cotrex-A17 cores as well as four cost-effective Cortex-A7 cores. Apparently, all cores can work in parallel - this is one of the most complex implementations of ARM big.LITTLTE. The PowerVR Series 6 accelerator from Imagination Technologies is responsible for graphics processing in the MT6595.
So should we expect an aggravation in the near future? competition between ARM and x86 processor families? The question is quite complicated. On the one hand, Intel, if desired, will most likely be able to modernize its Atom-based solutions, bringing them to perfection, on the other hand, it is not a fact that this will be of interest to manufacturers popular smartphones and tablets. The fact is that the company's production capacity is not unlimited, while the production of processors with ARM architecture is dispersed throughout the world. The market for mobile devices currently being produced is in the billions, so Intel, with its reluctance to license its solutions, most likely simply will not be able to provide the required number of processors - this situation already arose at the end of the last century.
We are all used to seeing Android on attractive headlines advertising posters, where a nice design and convenient functionality are demonstrated. But this was not always the case. I will say more - Android was not always designed to control the sensor. Read below to learn how the most popular operating system emerged from nowhere.
Early 2000s: the failure and development of Android
A certain Andy Rubin and his friends and acquaintances decided to create (in 2003) their own operating system, which was intended for mobile devices. But due to the fact that the development of the new OS was carried out in the strictest secrecy, the corporation had a hard time. After all, no one knew what Andy Rubin was working on.Andy Rubin
Only from infrequent interviews was it possible to understand that his team works in the field of mobile phones and GPS. This is how the corporation quickly ran out of money (in 2005). But a miracle happened - Android, which no one needed, was bought by the huge Internet company Google. Since then, the rate of new beta releases has accelerated, with Google funding Android projects. By the way, do you know what the first version of Android was, which the end user could only use on emulators; devices with this OS were not sold. No, you don't know? Then I present it to you, read below!
The very first version of Android. Touch screens have nothing to do with it
As you already understood from the title, the first test versions of the Android OS were designed for keyboard control. From this we can conclude that Android was initially planned as a worthy competitor to BlackBerry smartphones. But developing an OS from scratch is not an easy task. The creators had to come up with design, ease of control, functionality, etc. But all developments were hidden from the eyes of the press. Only the trial between Android and Oracle (known to us by its Java product) opened our eyes to look at the new OS for mobile devices.The Android presentation, which took place on July 26, 2005, talked about open source code platform and about integration into it Google services.
It is noteworthy that until the very last moment Google (and earlier Android Inc) did not have a prototype device on which it would be installed newest platform. And the list of technical characteristics necessary for Android to work was compiled only in 2006. Here's what it looked like at that time: an ARMv9 processor with a frequency of at least 200 MHz, GSM support (3G is not required, but desirable), a minimum amount of RAM of 64 MB, flash memory of 64 MB, a slot for miniSD memory cards. For the camera there had to be separate key, plus its resolution is at least 2 megapixels. Screen resolution of at least 240x320 pixels (QVGA), displaying 262,000 colors and higher. Wireless data transfer standards – Bluetooth 1.2, Wi-Fi, GPS (the last two are optional, as is Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR). A QWERTY keyboard is desirable. As you can see, there is no talk about touch screens at all, but at that time Apple has already was preparing the first iPhone, which will be shown to the whole world in January 2007. And by 2006, touchscreen phones appeared from famous mobile phone manufacturers. Samsung equipment and Nokia. Why this sequence of events? The fact is that the engineers who developed Android OS did not think about the hardware of the devices, they simply did not know how to correctly create a prototype and did not understand the device market. Here are some prototypes that Android engineers proposed:
Google is looking for a smartphone manufacturer for its OS
Only towards the end of 2006 did Google begin to look for a partner capable of producing smartphones running Android OS. Since Google is just entering the mobile technology market, the search for a worthy candidate is not just a casual outing, it’s much more serious. It is important here that the interests of the device manufacturer and Google itself are similar, so that there are no disagreements. Google's first consideration is Motorola. As many remember, it was at that time that the creator of the first mobile phone successfully sold its RAZR, which is why Motorola did not fit the parameters of an “obedient Google Phone manufacturer.”
Motorola RAZR v3
It’s not even worth talking about Nokia; at that time it was a huge company that would definitely not agree to produce smartphones for “another guy.”
The search stopped at LG and HTC. Many believed that LG was the same company that could kill two birds with one stone (by producing Android smartphones): LG would enter the US market, which is important for it, and Google would finally promote its OS for mobile devices. Despite the fact that LG likes to experiment, it doesn’t want to “play toys” with the little-known Android represented by Google, the chance of failure is too great. And LG is betting on the Windows Mobile system, believing in the success of this system. In mid-January 2007, Google realized that it was useless to consider LG as a partner.
Steve Jobs unveils the first iPhone
So January 2007 came, which decided the fate of Android. The first iPhone appeared in the world, and many people liked it because it had touch screen. From this it is clear that in the US market BlackBerry-like smartphones will no longer be in the same demand and Google will have to change the minimum technical specifications for its OS, now a touch screen is included in their list. But Google still hasn't found a partner capable of producing phones. This is the company's second crisis (after the success of Apple).
That leaves HTC, if it does not agree to release smartphones for the Android OS then... This did not happen, HTC is ready to experiment with a new OS. In January, development of a device to work with Google's Android OS began.
Android development in 2007
April 2007 pleased us with the release of the first device - Google Sooner. It was almost exactly the same as the first specifications announced by Google, but lacked a touch screen. But the functionality and design of the model was interesting (but not convenient).And only by August 2008, Google created version Android 0.9, then to present Android 1.0 to the whole world. September 22, 2008 operator T-Mobile begins sales of the well-known smartphone on Android OS from HTC - Dream (which translated into Russian means “dream”, “dream”).
HTC Dream - the first touch Android device
Despite the fact that success Apple iPhone was huge, by April 23, 2009, it was possible to sell 1 million of the first publicly available Android device, and this is very important for further developments. It's interesting to imagine what it would be like if there was a way out first iPhone did not take place in 2007. Then, for sure, Android would not have moved and there would not be any Android OS to which we are accustomed. There would have been ordinary push-button telephones in Java, and the Android project would have been frozen due to failure. It’s still good that there are people working in Android who were ready to iPhone release start developing the system again, but already optimized for touch screens. But let's not go into the wilds, let me tell you about Google project Sooner.
Google Sooner is the first push-button Android device. A look at early Android OS
As you read above, HTC agreed to release smartphones on Google's OS. Their first project was the push-button smartphone HTC EXCA 300, also known as Google Sooner (Sooner - “sooner”, “before”). The absence of a touch screen is immediately noticeable, since the model is created according to the specifications of 2006, but with some differences. The platform on which the TI OMAP 850 device runs, 64 MB of RAM, a screen with a resolution of 240x320 pixels, a 1.3 megapixel camera (please note, not 2 megapixels, as in the documentation stated by Google). Among the missing features, I would like to note Wi-Fi, 3G, and a slot for miniSD memory cards. MiniUSB is used as an interface connector.
Now let's talk more about the platform itself.
The basis of the new system for those times was Google Search, which controlled all actions and launched instantly. Status line in the first samples, the Android OS was not the same as it is now. Instead of notifications, you can see a list of applications installed on the device. I won’t talk about other applications, just look at the screenshots and you’ll understand everything yourself.
I will also say that this device was used as a test device to check the operation of many applications and the OS as a whole.
Conclusion
This article only talks about the secret history of Android, which many people did not know about. I note that all these attempts at hard work bore fruit, but did not bring great success. The real rise of Android began only with the release of version 1.6, which was released on September 19, 2009.Thank you everyone for reading my article, please point out errors and shortcomings. Good luck!
