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Ask HN: Is it possible to have x86 communicator/smartphone device?

1 points by eimrine 3y ago

I hate an idea of device-dependent Internets which are ios/android apps.

theGeatZhopa 3y ago
Ok.. notice taken. Just think about your question with the following in mind - x86 instruction set - size and power consumption And then type your question exactly the same into Google's search. Have a read. Come back here again and we talk about the internets
- eimrine 3y ago
  Why Intel can not make lowball cores like i486 but on modern 1-digit number of nm? Which usage might mean that most mm2 of CPU and most of RAM on device is sleeping/hibernated but the device is still able to receive SMS from modem and to beep gently.
  - theGeatZhopa 3y ago
    Because they don't make it and see no possibility to win the battle too, otherwise they would already have make it. It's a big Market. So the question should not be why no low-ball cores or how much area, but rather why they no do. One of the reasons could be that x86 instruction set is to big compared to the arm instruction set and one do not need such big instruction set in mobile devices anyway. Another would be that a big instruction set needs more real estate on silicon just for the logic. But why even invest in that? Smaller instruction set but more parallel calculations is even faster for the target group. So...
    - eimrine 3y ago
      What is the least energy-hungry x86-compatible chip of all times?
      - theGeatZhopa 3y ago
        Why don't you try to understand what an instruction set means? "Why does x86 consume more power than ARM? X86 processors use more registers and place a greater emphasis on performance and high throughputs. As a result, there is some excess heat production and electricity consumption. ARM devices are substantially more energy-efficient by design." x86 is a CISC, ARM is a RISC. So, what is the least energy hungry x86 compatible chip of all times?
WantonQuantum 3y ago
You might be interested in the Librem phone: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/ https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/ It's not x86 but it is fully open source and completely open, which sounds like your goal.
- eimrine 3y ago
  One Android device per one app with VPN requirement and cutting off all unnecessary sensors physically seems like a decent use of typical (not liberated) device. I don't think Librem (or other liberated device) does a lot of changes here. X86 still has more software and a communicator device ought to be supposed to sleep most of time (opinion).
johndoe0815 3y ago
More successful example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_9000_Communicator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_9000_Communicator Failure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_RAZR_i https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_RAZR_i

1 points by eimrine 3y ago

I hate an idea of device-dependent Internets which are ios/android apps.

Ok.. notice taken. Just think about your question with the following in mind - x86 instruction set - size and power consumption And then type your question exactly the same into Google's search. Have a read. Come back here again and we talk about the internets

eimrine 3y ago
Why Intel can not make lowball cores like i486 but on modern 1-digit number of nm? Which usage might mean that most mm2 of CPU and most of RAM on device is sleeping/hibernated but the device is still able to receive SMS from modem and to beep gently.
- theGeatZhopa 3y ago
  Because they don't make it and see no possibility to win the battle too, otherwise they would already have make it. It's a big Market. So the question should not be why no low-ball cores or how much area, but rather why they no do. One of the reasons could be that x86 instruction set is to big compared to the arm instruction set and one do not need such big instruction set in mobile devices anyway. Another would be that a big instruction set needs more real estate on silicon just for the logic. But why even invest in that? Smaller instruction set but more parallel calculations is even faster for the target group. So...
  - eimrine 3y ago
    What is the least energy-hungry x86-compatible chip of all times?
    - theGeatZhopa 3y ago
      Why don't you try to understand what an instruction set means? "Why does x86 consume more power than ARM? X86 processors use more registers and place a greater emphasis on performance and high throughputs. As a result, there is some excess heat production and electricity consumption. ARM devices are substantially more energy-efficient by design." x86 is a CISC, ARM is a RISC. So, what is the least energy hungry x86 compatible chip of all times?

WantonQuantum 3y ago

You might be interested in the Librem phone: https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/ https://puri.sm/products/librem-5/ It's not x86 but it is fully open source and completely open, which sounds like your goal.

eimrine 3y ago
One Android device per one app with VPN requirement and cutting off all unnecessary sensors physically seems like a decent use of typical (not liberated) device. I don't think Librem (or other liberated device) does a lot of changes here. X86 still has more software and a communicator device ought to be supposed to sleep most of time (opinion).

johndoe0815 3y ago

More successful example: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_9000_Communicator https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_9000_Communicator Failure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_RAZR_i https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorola_RAZR_i