PB to have a TI OMAP 4440 processor?

[grahamf]

So looking for info I found this article that says this as the reason for the delay of the PB to after the holidays:

The note, reported on Barron’s Tech Trader Daily blog, suggests that the QNX Neutrino software platform that will power the Playbook “was not ready for prime time” and that the Marvell Armada 610 app processor that the company had planned to use was “bug ridden.” Instead, the company will be using a processor from Texas Instruments.

The only TI processor that is a dual-core 1GHz with Cortex A9 is the OMAP 4440.

Specs from Wikipedia: 1+ GHz dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore + PowerVR SGX540 GPU + C64x+ DSP + ISP (Image Signal Processor)

thoughts?

[WillieLee]

The only "delay" involved was the source(Ashok Kumar) stating that it would launch in November. Now this is his story as to why he was wrong.

[grahamf]

probably, but the OMAP 4440 fits the bill pretty well, and I'm still searching for other manufacturer's chips that have exactly the same specs as RIM stated.

[lnichols]

A lot of manufacturers are coming out with Multi core Cortex processor, and they all seem to be hitting mass production in "early 2011". Samsung has one that will surely make it into phones and tablets called Orion. Rumor mill has next iPad to get one. I think by the time the playbook is released, there will be other tablets coming out with same specs, so the software and user experience will have to be the differentiator.

[gregerator]

I think Apple has known that for years/decades. It's why Windows even exists... MS had to catch up to Apple's OS when it came to PCs. The BB OS worked while there wasn't a revolution, but when iPhone hit... RIM was in the same place that MS had been: A qucikly outdated OS. QNX will be their Windows; let's just hope it proves worthwhile.

Also, Apple is a computer becoming a phone while RIM is a messenger device becoming a computer... Different points of view.

[taylortbb]

Originally Posted by grahamf

probably, but the OMAP 4440 fits the bill pretty well, and I'm still searching for other manufacturer's chips that have exactly the same specs as RIM stated.

The nVidia Tegra 250 meets the specs, and is the name I've heard in a couple places (don't have links, sorry, was over a week ago). But like the TI OMAP that was just speculation.

I think the Tegra 250 is more likely as it's already in production. I suspect that the level of hardware detail we got means that RIM has the hardware pretty much locked down. The units were encased in plexiglass because the OS isn't ready. It's much harder to develop a new OS than it is to put together off the shelf hardware. Additionally, I can't find a reference to the TI OMAP 4 being capable of encoding two 1080p streams simultaneously, and it was mentioned that operating both cameras simultaneously is possible.

Originally Posted by dave1812

did RIM assign you this task? does the job pay well?

Why so negative? Knowing the hardware inside is the only way we can learn more about this thing without RIM telling us.

[dkingsf]

Originally Posted by taylortbb

The nVidia Tegra 250 meets the specs, and is the name I've heard in a couple places (don't have links, sorry, was over a week ago). But like the TI OMAP that was just speculation.

I think the Tegra 250 is more likely as it's already in production. I suspect that the level of hardware detail we got means that RIM has the hardware pretty much locked down. The units were encased in plexiglass because the OS isn't ready. It's much harder to develop a new OS than it is to put together off the shelf hardware. Additionally, I can't find a reference to the TI OMAP 4 being capable of encoding two 1080p streams simultaneously, and it was mentioned that operating both cameras simultaneously is possible.



Why so negative? Knowing the hardware inside is the only way we can learn more about this thing without RIM telling us.

It's my understanding that the OS (QnX) IS quite ready. It has been in use for several years in various real time environments like the nuclear industry and military. I believe the delay is working out some of the UI and application issues and also making final determinations of hardware. I'm pretty sure they have already made the choice for the CPU in order to have the OS compiled for that architecture at least. Well, one would hope by now anyway.........

[grahamf]

Originally Posted by dkingsf

It's my understanding that the OS (QnX) IS quite ready. It has been in use for several years in various real time environments like the nuclear industry and military. I believe the delay is working out some of the UI and application issues and also making final determinations of hardware. I'm pretty sure they have already made the choice for the CPU in order to have the OS compiled for that architecture at least. Well, one would hope by now anyway.........

the OS is ready, but the INTERFACE may not be (application, options windows, notifications)


And yeah, I just quickly checked Wikipedia after reading the article and the other options seemed a little less likely.

[WillieLee]

Originally Posted by grahamf

probably, but the OMAP 4440 fits the bill pretty well, and I'm still searching for other manufacturer's chips that have exactly the same specs as RIM stated.

An analyst from UBS said in a note that Texas Instruments and Freescale's Power processors were the two candidates from the start and they believe it will be the TI chip. Marvell wasn't included because of they lacked the time to port over to the Armada chip.

I was only reacting to Ashok Kumar, who always makes statements that end up being wrong and then changes his story to justify his wrong call. I had meant to return to add something constructive but forgot!

We will just have to wait and see what is inside but it does seem like the TI is the safe bet.

[taylortbb]

Originally Posted by dkingsf

It's my understanding that the OS (QnX) IS quite ready. It has been in use for several years in various real time environments like the nuclear industry and military. I believe the delay is working out some of the UI and application issues and also making final determinations of hardware. I'm pretty sure they have already made the choice for the CPU in order to have the OS compiled for that architecture at least. Well, one would hope by now anyway.........

I know all about QNX Neutrino and it's history. The statement referred to the complete OS package. It depends on what you consider an OS. Some take it to a very "literal" level and say it's just the kernel, in that case QNX exists and is proven. If however you take a broader view including basic system components (the graphical server, basic drivers, base utilities and libraries, etc) then the OS isn't ready yet. It is difficult to define what exactly constitutes an OS in the desktop space, but for mobile applications where it's all loaded as an inseparable package I take a more inclusive view.

Even if the kernel was ready, if the GUI was still a few buttons with no real complete design yet RIM wouldn't want to show it off.

Today I got some info from someone who recently worked for RIM (being in Waterloo has its advantages). Apparently the PlayBook existed in pretty much final hardware form 2-3+ months ago. He wasn't on the PlayBook team but did get to see them and knew people that were, specifically those doing diagnostics on the wireless radios (likely driver/radio stack development). No details about the device we don't already know, at that point it was really early in development. But it seems unlikely it's based on the TI OMAP 4 due to the timing. They had more than is likely for something still only available in sample quantities.

[taylortbb]

Looks like my earlier speculation of a Tegra 250 hasn't panned out. The presenter at Rogers TabLife showed the system info screen for just a second, but it was enough to see OMAP 4.



It's captured from YouTube - BlackBerry PlayBook Sneak Peak at the Rogers TabLife.ca Event .

You can learn more about OMAP 4 from TI's Site . One of the more interesting things from TI is the block diagram. It's important to keep in mind though, just because the chipset has a feature doesn't mean the device will use it.



OMAP4 looks like a great platform. The only thing I'm somewhat disappointed about is the GPU. The PowerVR SGX540 is a pretty high end GPU, but unlike the rest of the hardware it's something already out there and in wide use, including in the Captivate (though with a far weaker CPU). There's a good benchmark at MobileTechWorld .

[deRusett]

Looking at that ChipSet, I am starting to come over to the OTG side thinking the Playbook will in fact have OTG.

as for the GPU, I don't recall ever seeing it as the bottle neck in any other system, could quite possibly be that it is still an "over powered" gpu for the actual work expected of the device, so why go bigger?

[wayoung]

Holy crap, I don't know anything about hardware but I think that's the best actual hands on video of the playbook I've yet to see. A portion of it was posted in another thread, but much blurrier and further away.

[taylortbb]

Originally Posted by deRusett

Looking at that ChipSet, I am starting to come over to the OTG side thinking the Playbook will in fact have OTG.

OTG could be implemented with a standard USB A socket and a USB B socket on the same device wired together inside. It wouldn't be possible to use them at the same time, but I don't see any reason why a device with an OTG chipset would also have to use the OTG plug. A plug is just some wires, the actual electrical interface is compatible between OTG plugs and standard plugs.

[deRusett]

Originally Posted by taylortbb

OTG could be implemented with a standard USB A socket and a USB B socket on the same device wired together inside. It wouldn't be possible to use them at the same time, but I don't see any reason why a device with an OTG chipset would also have to use the OTG plug. A plug is just some wires, the actual electrical interface is compatible between OTG plugs and standard plugs.

That's why I'm only Starting to come over to the OTG side because they could do 2 slots a full A slot and a MicroUSB slot, A for master, Micro for Slaving.