Die Shrunk Omap3: Lower Power, Higher Speeds, Better Graphics

[Svartalf]

The point is that use of this new set of OMAP3 chips is unlikely to require a redesign of the Pandora PCB. If the OpenPandora team can offer improved battery life on later versions without increasing the consumer purchasing price why shouldn't they go for it?

BGA pinout is not assured to be identical from the one subset of the series to the next. This isn't the same thing as a PC where you can glibly change out CPUs.

- Future proof?
How long is TI going to support the 35xx serie? Lets be honest, the 65nm version is going to cost them a lot more money to manufacture. Anybody who has been in the PC business knows that any CPU manufacture will gladly drop the older manufacture process as soon as possible.

If Nokia uses it, they'll be providing it for a while yet to come. This stuff DOESN'T work out the same way you'd think. And this isn't a CPU, it's a System on a Chip. It doesn't go the same ways that any of you seem to be used to. Seriously. It MIGHT have the same pinout, and it might not.

 

[hch]

i think this whole discussion is more or less mute. at some point in the future, ti will no more produce 65nm chips i guess since they are plain more expensive. so then everyone will e forced to migrate. which i guess implies that migration is meant to be simple.

and with all due respect, i really don't see any good argument against

 

[MiniSinisterMinister]

Well, apart from the technical aspects. If the Pandora changed often (e.g. every year or even with every batch) wouldn't that invite a lot speculation on the side of the consumer? This could hurt sales especially in the first and second year because many potential customers may be waiting for a later version or for prices of used 1st generation Pandoras to fall to bargain levels. Accumulating a sufficiently large userbasis will be easier without this "speculation element". After two or three years, they could design a new version that is better in many ways and backward compatible.

 

[Mithrildor]

I think you should treat the Pandora like a PC. Upgrades happen. In the end its going to be like a computer. Well at least I don't want to treat the Pandora like a console. I want to treat it like a handheld PC.

But the Mhz of a PC doesnt upgrade.. You can still play games like crysis with an old pentium 4. It's the graphics card that matters the most. If you buy the best videocard there is no upgrade required the next 5 years. And the Pandora is using the almost best avaible hardware atm. So if the OP team releases an v1.5 version than they should do that after 5 years. And if they release it after 7 years it is totally acceptable thats the time I buy a new console/handheld anyway.

So there is a difference about when a v1.5 is released. It's unfair to release one in the 3rd/4th/5th batch , but as I already told it's fair after 7 years. Thats the same with the 'big' consoles and handhelds they get replacements and then the people can choose if they will still play the existing games that they never played yet on that console or if they upgrade to the next generation.

 

[sindbad]

I think you`re all worrying too much. If a developer cares about their software running slightly faster on the slightly slower hardware, they will make sure it does.

Trying to force developers (or people in general for that matter) will not make them care more about something.

 

[Chip]

The answer was "No" two pages ago and it is still "No" now. The 3530s are already bought and paid for and the "upgraded" version won't be available for quite a while. There are no plans to upgrade to a different SoC any time soon.