gigaom.com — The first dual-core Android tablets only arrived in February, but Nvidia is already showing off an improved quad-core chip it expects in tablets by August. A video demo of the chip, codenamed "Kal-El," shows impressive performance: enough that some consumers may wait to buy a tablet.
May 30, 2011 View in Crawl 4
ramblingsoulMay 31, 2011
Really impressive.
macparrotMay 31, 2011
And makers will make the same mistake they always have. Thinking that better or faster hardware or a plethora of ports that Apple doesn't use will bury the iWhatever. They tried it against the iPad...it failed. They against it with the iPhone...it failed. Both devices still around and still with the majority market-share (no single phone outsells the iPhone).
So now here we are with the iPad. What's been the big push for it over iOS? We got FLASH! Flash...the same technology that a few years ago everyone was bragging they never saw on their browser because they had a blocker for it. But since Apple doesn't allow it on their mobile platform it's the best thing ever. Then it was USB or other ports. All those ports and no easy way to use them unless you're in one place and not moving around AND have power available for all these other devices you hook up. Which kinda defeats the idea of having a mobile device in the first place.
Now we have dual and quad-core chips. The potential for greatness is there absolutely no doubt. But is there software to take advantage of it? No. Will you still get 7 to 10 hours of battery life from a device? No. Will the apps that work for one device work for another? Maybe, won't know until they come out. The splintering on Android continues and thank God Google is finally seeing it and taking steps to stop it from continuing. Microsoft followed many of the same steps that Apple did to prevent it too. That's why ALL Windows Phone 7 devices must be pre-approved by Microsoft first.
Android has such potential and all it needs is one firm guiding hand.
patrickbrownMay 31, 2011
I think google enabled android to overtake apple's ios in marketshare through its openness on design. Of course, this will always result in a product that only has a few accessories but the trade-off is more device availability, lower cost, and competition at the consumer level (Apple can only compete in lower cost through selling old devices, has poor availability, and every place that you can buy an iphone device has it for sale for the same price).
Google is attempting to stop the splintering of the android software, but the platform itself including the various devices that you complain about will continue as that is actually a strong point against the one-choice apple brand for reasons stated above.
macparrotMay 31, 2011
Google enabled Android to make money on Ads. That's what they do. The openess of design was to get as many hardware makers on board knowing that a lot of what they put out would be garbage that no one wanted, but that has backfired through the splintering that resulted. Google gave the device makers and service providers the power to change Android as they saw fit, killing the one really great thing Apple managed to do with iOS (taking back the power from the service providers). The iPhone itself is no big deal (and neither really are most Android phones).
However Google miscalculated the market. That very openess brought many poor designs, malware and other security issues, and the already mentioned in many places inability for many to upgrade their phones to a newer version of Android if the service providers don't allow it.
Microsoft is following a different path than either Apple or Google. Theyare allowing for multiple devices (like Google and unlike Apple), but they have final approval over what will be sold. Google meanwhile is trying like crazy to reel back the market for Android because the experience for many is leaving a poor taste in their mouths. Not because Android as an OS isn't good, but because of the reasons mentioned above.
TheBoxKickerMay 31, 2011
No matter how long you wait, the core race is on and a few months later your x-core chip will have been surpassed by a (x + y)-core chip!
I've already read the quad core rumors quite some time ago. Apparently, tablets are getting them before smartphones.
What's even more impressive than quad core chips in mobile devices, is the fact that these chips also have integrated GPUs with *even more cores*!
Source: http://yourmobilesite.net/will-we-see-quadcore-tablets-in-2011/
tursiopsMay 31, 2011
Looks awesome!
lopatamdMay 31, 2011
thats more powerful than my damn laptop
aserer511May 31, 2011
Does anyone really need desktop gaming on the go? Mobile gaming is supposed to be a distraction of sorts, not something you'd sit down and engage in for hours.
fhm316May 31, 2011
Thats Awesome! Love it
gaialiveMay 31, 2011
roll on the portable modular systems - modular screen, modular processor, modular gpu, modular comms, modular cam, etc etc you name it, it will be modular - we'll look back on these all-in-one systems and laugh in years to come..
angelmusikalMay 31, 2011
Someone tell me the main reason(s) for which they use their tablet.
smpaisnutrientsMay 31, 2011
same s**t they use their smart phones for (minus calls.)
jasonv1May 31, 2011
this is why i havnt gotten a tablet yet. i heard last year about the quad core coming later in 2011. i am happy to wait for those and purchase one. i know there will prolly be something around the corner but i would think this would be high end or standard for a long time. plus it will already be better then the ipad3 :-P most likely.
pika2000May 31, 2011
Looks great, if game devs are taking advantage of it. Problem is, devs will most likely develop for the lowest common denominator. All I want is full hardware acceleration on the Android OS UI itself. I'm tired of laggy screen wipes, laggy pinching and zooming, etc.
avleMay 31, 2011
Stupid. People are asked to wait for hardware that may come, and software? There will always be fast hardware around the corner, but in the end it's useless without software. As of today there is only one platform with a good choice in games for pads and nvidia is not delivering anything there.
psypher1May 31, 2011
And THIS is why I've been such an Nvidia fan since 1999. Game on Nvidia!
Closed AccountMay 31, 2011
Absolute garbage. Android sucks for computing.. it's a phone OS for god sakes. Instead of wasting time trying to copy iPads.. how about giving us decent Tablet PCs that actually have GPUs instead of that Intel GMA s**t.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.