Intel, MIPS scramble to support Android 4.0 on tablets - ComputerWorld

[Olivon]

But Intel and MIPS, which compete with ARM but have virtually no market presence, are scrambling to get their processors ready to work with Android 4.0.

The OS is ready to work with tablets and smartphones based on Intel's x86 mobile processors for tablets and smartphones, Intel said this week. The first smartphone based on an Intel chip will reach the market in the first half of next year, Intel has said.

"Ice Cream Sandwich includes OS optimization for x86, so Intel architecture-based devices can support it," said Suzy Greenberg, an Intel spokeswoman.

"Android 4.0 for MIPS will be available shortly," said Jen Bernier-Santarini, an MIPS spokeswoman, in an email.

ComputerWorld

Seen first on TechReport

[Tao~]

LOL @ MIPS . Good to know they're alive.

[spicypixel]

Just need hitachi to bring back a mobile SH4 inspired chip and we're back to the good old pocket pc days.

[rozzyroz]

would this new version of android be able to run on pc's then?.. i mean providing driver support.

[Particle]

I love the MIPS instruction set. While I know few people work with assembly, MIPS instructions just sort of make sense. It feels good. That being said, what I don't want to see is a splintering of instruction sets if Android binaries aren't going to be agnostic or multiplexed (as some Apple applications are).

[st0ned]

I love the MIPS instruction set. While I know few people work with assembly, MIPS instructions just sort of make sense. It feels good. That being said, what I don't want to see is a splintering of instruction sets if Android binaries aren't going to be agnostic or multiplexed (as some Apple applications are).

Agreed ! Gotta love MIPS

And MIPS aint death, they are well alive

[spicypixel]

Shouldnt be too much of a problem due to dalvik. Well assuming you ignore the NDK... But to be fair due to that we already have arm6/arm7/arm7+neon binaries being made. Whats a few more to the party?

[Particle]

I didn't know about Dalvik. It provides an agnostic environment like I'd mentioned, so everything should be golden!

[e[N]eq]

The biggest problem isn't the normal small Java apps, the biggest concern is the gaming space.

Quite a lot of the most popular games are written with NDK dependencies and this wont change in the future (its a lot easier to port existing C/C++ game engines to NDK than creating new versions written in non optimal Java).

Google tried to remedy this performance need using the RenderScript approach (LLVM compiled native code) but its not quite there yet and it doesn't solve the issue with porting of pre existing software.

I wouldn't be surprised if we would see some kind of package manager solution coming into play where we get recompilation of NDK source code on the backend for all targets, best way to solve the IP exposure issue would be to provide support for LLVM compiled NDK this way Google could do final stage compilation to supported targets themselves.

/Q

[savantu]

LOL @ MIPS . Good to know they're alive.

They will be after x86 is long gone. :P

I believe dozens of millions if not hundreds of millions of MIPS controllers are found in all kinds of systems, from ovens to refrigerators to infotainment systems to satellites etc.

[PatRaceTin]

android has a future no reason to deny

[Tao~]

They will be after x86 is long gone. :P

I believe dozens of millions if not hundreds of millions of MIPS controllers are found in all kinds of systems, from ovens to refrigerators to infotainment systems to satellites etc.

Yes, and in undergraduate electronics textbooks and workbenches. I remember MIPS assembly was one of the most enjoyable things I was taught in the UG program. But I didnt know they also 'lived' in the Android/Mobile Computing segment. After I came across ARM , I often wondered why MIPS was needed at all. In my opinion MIPS is just a toned down ARM. And so its usage is devices that dont benefit from the extensions to the ARM uarch; simpler,low cost,application-specific circuitry. Feel free to point out if I got it wrong

[mursaat]

It's great to see Android in more and more platforms, but I'm concerned about even more fragmentation.

If at least what Google said in the last IO were true. I don't exactly remember and I can't find it, but I remember something like Google telling the manufacturers (and operators) to release the AOSP in less than 2 months, then take as long as they like to release their "personalization".