3 ms·

As I commented elsewhere, we can, see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12037410 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12037410

quotemstr 10y ago
That's good to hear. Thanks!
- yuhong 10y ago
  Note that I mentioned how it does not do any microcode updates though. I blogged http://yuhongbao.blogspot.ca/2015/06/why-your-core-2-processor-appear-to-not.html http://yuhongbao.blogspot.ca/2015/06/why-your-core-2-process... about a problem that can prevent 64-bit Win8.1 from installing. I think you were there back then too, right?
  - voltagex_ 10y ago
    Hah. Thought this sounded vaguely familiar. Turns out VirtualBox had an issue with the "new" instructions needed for Windows 8.1, too. https://blogs.oracle.com/fatbloke/entry/using_virtualbox_to_test_drive https://blogs.oracle.com/fatbloke/entry/using_virtualbox_to_...
    - yuhong 10y ago
      Yes. I wish that VirtualBox would enable CMPXCHG16B unconditionally.
driverdan 10y ago
Old, outdated, expensive hardware with low specs? Nope. I have a lot of respect for what they do but it's not the solution we need.
- comex 10y ago
  An alternative is to use ARM-based devices: they typically lack microcode updates, and while TrustZone hypervisors are often present and the situation varies by device, at least some devices should allow the user to gain full control of the CPU without having to exploit anything. (I don't know how common that is, because every device manufacturer has their own boot process, and from some quick Google searching it seems like most of the time nobody bothers to figure out how the TrustZone stuff or the boot chain works, being satisfied with custom Android images...) ARM Chromebooks in particular I think are theoretically supposed to have fully open source firmware, though the documentation is a little sparse... probably mostly for the same reason, lack of interest.
  - makomk 10y ago
    As far as I know anything Allwinner-based lets you run whatever you like with full control of the CPU, probably the same with other Chinese ARM SoCs but there seems to be more of an open source community around Allwinner for some reason. (The other main alternative is Rockchip.)
- dandelion_lover 10y ago
  Old, outadated, with low specs only for those who need high performance. For 90% everyday tasks these laptops are more than enough. For me specifically and for many of my friends, they are 100% enough.

quotemstr 10y ago

That's good to hear. Thanks!

yuhong 10y ago
Note that I mentioned how it does not do any microcode updates though. I blogged http://yuhongbao.blogspot.ca/2015/06/why-your-core-2-processor-appear-to-not.html http://yuhongbao.blogspot.ca/2015/06/why-your-core-2-process... about a problem that can prevent 64-bit Win8.1 from installing. I think you were there back then too, right?
- voltagex_ 10y ago
  Hah. Thought this sounded vaguely familiar. Turns out VirtualBox had an issue with the "new" instructions needed for Windows 8.1, too. https://blogs.oracle.com/fatbloke/entry/using_virtualbox_to_test_drive https://blogs.oracle.com/fatbloke/entry/using_virtualbox_to_...
  - yuhong 10y ago
    Yes. I wish that VirtualBox would enable CMPXCHG16B unconditionally.

driverdan 10y ago

Old, outdated, expensive hardware with low specs? Nope. I have a lot of respect for what they do but it's not the solution we need.

comex 10y ago
An alternative is to use ARM-based devices: they typically lack microcode updates, and while TrustZone hypervisors are often present and the situation varies by device, at least some devices should allow the user to gain full control of the CPU without having to exploit anything. (I don't know how common that is, because every device manufacturer has their own boot process, and from some quick Google searching it seems like most of the time nobody bothers to figure out how the TrustZone stuff or the boot chain works, being satisfied with custom Android images...) ARM Chromebooks in particular I think are theoretically supposed to have fully open source firmware, though the documentation is a little sparse... probably mostly for the same reason, lack of interest.
- makomk 10y ago
  As far as I know anything Allwinner-based lets you run whatever you like with full control of the CPU, probably the same with other Chinese ARM SoCs but there seems to be more of an open source community around Allwinner for some reason. (The other main alternative is Rockchip.)
dandelion_lover 10y ago
Old, outadated, with low specs only for those who need high performance. For 90% everyday tasks these laptops are more than enough. For me specifically and for many of my friends, they are 100% enough.