Reminds me of Cell-Phone-Jutsu:I balked at the Nvidia Shield because it was too bulky...just look at that Smach Z brick...yow. On the upside, it can probably double as a martial arts weapon.
"Smach Z is Back!" ...?
- Thread starter kev_os
- Start date
They still haven't mentioned it I don't think but one of SmZ's newsletters had a Q&A where they talked about the changes and said everything else not mentioned was the same as the original campaign and in the escapist interview back in Dec ImasD's CEO did say it was fully modular and the first of its kind.Welcome MJPIA, I remember you from the PGS thread on NeoGAF
For some reason I (poorly) assumed the ClickARM design was shuttered because Smach Z hasn't been mentioning it. I had no idea there were talks of being bought out by ImasD..
Maybe the GamesCom prototype was using actual custom ClickARM boards. At least it's feasible they could be using an Atom (or some other Intel x86) module as a placeholder because they already did it for other devices, and that they'll be replacing it with an AMD "Falcon" module. They said at one point that it'd be using Prairie Falcon and Merlin Falcon, so their intention could be to make two different CPU modules for different product tiers.
I've had some skepticism that the highly modular approach could work well for a small handheld gaming system and that could possibly be a factor in why their prototype is so huge. Pyra does use a daughter board design to good effect, but ClickARM takes the idea a lot further with modularizing other parts, and it appears to be less of a single purpose, small form factor design.
Do you know if ImasD has ever shown pictures of actual PCBs themselves? All I can find on their web site is crude 3D models.
I think at one point the creator on the kickstarter page said they haven't really talked about it because its not something the average person cares about and any technical stuff like that would cause their eyes to glaze over and all the details would fly right over their head.
Or maybe their legal team is still having a pissing match with ARM's over the name and they can't talk about it while the legal stuff is going on.
I was wondering if the prototype is using the Clickarm modular system although I don't think anyone really knows at this point, only actual images of any Clickarm stuff I'm aware of is back when they first announced it back in 2015 and was showing off their modular tablet and I have no idea what has happened to that tablet.
Iffy on their modular system the way they're doing it in a device like this as well although I guess we gotta wait and see to see how well it works and what it looks like, if it is modular I guess that would make it easier to make a prototype with a completely different cpu in it since a modular cpu board means you don't have to redo the entire PCB for the completely different cpu albeit I don't know anything about how easy it is to get cpu's from completely different families and architecture running on the same motherboard.
Curious how they are gonna deal with cooling, GPD has demonstrated just how much a difference in performance there is with a well designed cooling system a couple days ago and keeping an AMD APU cool in such a compact device will be interesting.
I've already asked them most these questions so I'll see if I can get anything out of them.
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
Huh? Why would ARM have a problem with the name? I got why Valve had issue with it being called the Steamboy, but 'Smach Z' doesn't remind me of anything else, and no ARM technologies that I'm aware of specifically.
Not Smach Z's name, ImasD's name for their modular system that SmZ is supposedly using is ClickARM or Click(able?) Advance Removable Technology.
ARM holdings, the company that makes CPU's took offence to that name and while I could be wrong AFAIK that legal squabble is still ongoing.
So if ImasD did buy Smach Z that might be why there has been no mention of the modular system ever since the first kickstarter.
Sorry I am prone to wording things poorly so I probably should have made that a bit clearer in what I was referring to.
levi
Still fresh, damnit!
Wouldn't Clickable Advance Removable Technology be 'ClickART'? But I have vague recollections of ARM in the early days using ART at a marketing acronym so that might be no better anyway
Exophase
Nothing good will ever come of Exophase.
"ClickARM" was one of those fantastically poorly thought out naming ideas.. even if they didn't have to worry about ARM defending their trademark they still have to explain to everyone that no, their technology is not specifically about using ARM SoCs.
ible
professional vim user
yeah i've been a bit confused the past few pages...
Christoph.Krn
Advanced Member
Eh, I've had similar things happen about things that I've said, but such is the Internet.
Exophase
Nothing good will ever come of Exophase.
If you don't occasionally wish you could take back something you said online you're probably not active enough
TheOldOne
Fallen Paladin
*deleted by TheOldOne*If you don't occasionally wish you could take back something you said online you're probably not active enough
rygD
Nihilistic Mystic
Nah, everyone on the internet that disagrees with me, or misunderstood what I meant, is an idiot.If you don't occasionally wish you could take back something you said online you're probably not active enough
Caine
Hardcore Member
Everyone on the internet is an idiot.Nah, everyone on the internet that disagrees with me, or misunderstood what I meant, is an idiot.
There, I fixed it for you. It may have some false positives, but if I were to say "nobody on the internet is an idiot" then the false negatives would sky-rocket.
rygD
Nihilistic Mystic
Wrong. Read what you quoted by me for reference.
Caine
Hardcore Member
I see no contradiction between what I quoted and my replyWrong. Read what you quoted by me for reference.
FlapJack
Very Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2016
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- 53
I hope that you two aren't fighting over me. I'm not THAT adorable.
No, but seriously, this is ridiculous. You two need to read each other's replies until you hate each other. Then slug it out. Then you'll realize that reading isn't the answer to your problems....no wait. That wasn't the message. Stay in School! Unless you've already graduated, then don't hang out there anymore. People look at you like you're a creepy old man. What?
No, but seriously, this is ridiculous. You two need to read each other's replies until you hate each other. Then slug it out. Then you'll realize that reading isn't the answer to your problems....no wait. That wasn't the message. Stay in School! Unless you've already graduated, then don't hang out there anymore. People look at you like you're a creepy old man. What?
rygD
Nihilistic Mystic
Exactly. See what I mean about you and others that don't agree with me.I see no contradiction between what I quoted and my reply
I think FlapJack misunderstood me. I wonder how many more I can catch.
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