Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

techradar.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 76 posts

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#31

Post by brainless »

It would be fantastic to have a well performing laptop with Linux that lasts a full day of work and then some. My recent laptops have had so much battery degradation in just a year. I hope the battery management is fantastic. 1.4 Kgs is pretty good weight. It can be higher for a larger screen.

On the other hand, I really want to see cheap laptops that can be useful for small businesses. Linux powered POS and other business segments for mom and pop shops would be amazing. Most work is web based anyway, and Linux update cycles are so smooth that I recommend it to even mainstream users.

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#32

Post by user_7832 »

hi-v-rocknroll wrote: post #29
alberth wrote: post #19

The ex-Apple team who started Nuvia (which was acquired by Qualcomm and maker of this chip), is really giving Apple a run for their money - especially given that these chips are fab’ed on 2 gen order nodes than what Apple gets from TSMC.

If there were an almost FOSS personal electronics company that made quality, durable, and repairable devices with clean UX, usability, and long term OS-app compatibility, these would have a wider audience than simply infinitely-upgradeable laptops or laptops that are designed to be vintaged every 7 years. Call me a socialist, but designed to break just after the warranty and planned obsolescence are scourges resultin…

Right now Framework (and System76 if I got the name right) are the best options available.

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#33

Post by wtallis »

alberth wrote: post #18
bobmcnamara wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite, Oryon is a custom design implementing AArch64 Instruction Set Architecture by Nuvia, a Qualcomm acquisition.

Are these the chips n Microsoft recent Surface arm launch? EDIT: to answer my own question, yes - it appears so. https://www.theverge.com/2024/5/20/24160498/microsoft-arm-su...

It's not so much a recent launch as an ongoing launch, that has had a remarkably drawn-out timeline: Qualcomm announced the specs of the top-tier processors in October, then announced the lower-tier processors in April, then OEMs announced systems in May, but retail availability and delivery of pre-orders are still a week away (and presumably the embargo on the real product reviews expires sometime between now and the 18th).

Qualcomm has clearly put careful planning into maximizing the publicity opportunities they can get out of a single product generation, and with an impressive degree of cooperation from OEMs, but it's really starting to look absurd considering that Apple has launched (announced and shipped) two processor generations in the same time frame (albeit the M4 is only in an iPad so far).

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#34

Post by ashirviskas »

brainless wrote: post #30
daft_pink wrote: post #15

What about arch? I use arch, btw. I just want everyone to know that.

Lol is this a trend or meme now? I am seeing similar comments pop up. I do not think settled-in users of Arch post these anywhere but maybe I am wrong.

It's been a meme for a few years already: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/btw-i-use-arch

And obviously, I use arch btw.

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#35

Post by hi-v-rocknroll »

user_7832 wrote: post #32
hi-v-rocknroll wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If there were an almost FOSS personal electronics company that made quality, durable, and repairable devices with clean UX, usability, and long term OS-app compatibility, these would have a wider audience than simply infinitely-upgradeable laptops or laptops that are designed to be vintaged every 7 years. Call me a socialist, but designed to break just after the warranty and planned obsolescence are scourges resultin…

Right now Framework (and System76 if I got the name right) are the best options available.

Absolutely no argument for people who can/will tinker and want a more extreme approximation of a beige box DIY PC in a laptop form-factor. I'm saying for the wider non-tinker market there's an opportunity for a better way for people who want what sort-of what Apple was under SJ but more like old-school Japanese products that are absolutely better without optimizing for money extraction and are instead optimizing for better products without compromise. I can't even get Apple TV 4K to work as an external display half the time and most of their apps are barely functional, and Apple keeps churning framework APIs over and over again like their product managers all came from US defense contractors.

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#36

Post by cjk2 »

alberth wrote: post #19

The ex-Apple team who started Nuvia (which was acquired by Qualcomm and maker of this chip), is really giving Apple a run for their money - especially given that these chips are fab’ed on 2 gen order nodes than what Apple gets from TSMC.

Well I'm not sure they are giving Apple a run for their money. They haven't delivered anything in quantity yet, the benchmarks and reliability are unknown and the big problem as always is software and they're in bed with Microsoft who are running a shit show on windows 11.

I'd like this to work out. Objectively I'd prefer to use Windows than MacOS (there I said it!) but the hassle is not worth it any more to take on the software.

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#37

Post by Maakuth »

In Windows RT (Win8 for Arm) times, the "Designed for Windows" label specification had a requirement for locked down UEFI firmware, that only booted Microsoft signed kernels. That made Surface RTs Windows-only. I wonder if this is still required, or can you boot Linux on these machines. I'm sure there's a hardware exploit possibility to make this a reality, but it's not going to be a mainstream thing to do.

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#39

Post by my123 »

Maakuth wrote: post #37

In Windows RT (Win8 for Arm) times, the "Designed for Windows" label specification had a requirement for locked down UEFI firmware, that only booted Microsoft signed kernels. That made Surface RTs Windows-only. I wonder if this is still required, or can you boot Linux on these machines. I'm sure there's a hardware exploit possibility to make this a reality, but it's not going to be a mainstream thing to do.

This has nothing to do with Windows RT. Every Windows on ARM64 desktop/laptop device has an unlockable bootloader.

Re: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite prototype that runs Linux emerges

#40

Post by 3abiton »

cjk2 wrote: post #36
alberth wrote: post #19

The ex-Apple team who started Nuvia (which was acquired by Qualcomm and maker of this chip), is really giving Apple a run for their money - especially given that these chips are fab’ed on 2 gen order nodes than what Apple gets from TSMC.

Well I'm not sure they are giving Apple a run for their money. They haven't delivered anything in quantity yet, the benchmarks and reliability are unknown and the big problem as always is software and they're in bed with Microsoft who are running a shit show on windows 11. I'd like this to work out. Objectively I'd prefer to use Windows than MacOS (there I said it!) but the hassle is not worth it any more to take on…

I am curious why you prefer Windows over MacOS? The only reason I see is Gaming, but thanks to Proton, now gaming is even better on Linux than windows.
Post reply on HN