

Orion will power smartphones and tablets in the first half of 2011








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Getting carried away here?
By EricMartello on 9/8/2010 4:26:26 AM , Rating: 1
It just seems like modern gadgets are obsessed with consolidation at a cost of mediocrity. Think about it for a moment...this is a PHONE. It's a communication tool, it's not an entertainment center, it's not a gaming has a specific purpose. I'm all for enhancing the capabilities of the phone but it's like they're just shoving buzz words out there that mislead people into believing the phone is not just a phone anymore.

What do I mean? OK, we start with a phone but now...'s a digital camera, but the pictures it takes pale in comparison to a real digital camera.'s a video recorder, but the video it shoots does not stand up to a real camcorder.'s a "mini computer" but a laptop or desktop are still far better for the task.'s a portable game system but not better than a real portable game system like PSP or DS.

Yes, it can do all of the above but it does them poorly...and it seems people are adjusting to this new level of substandard quality simply out of convenience? Or perhaps they lack standards themselves (the latter is more likely the case).

1080P video...hah...who needs 1080P on a phone? Really? Most phone screens aren't even able to display 480P and with screen sizes that small, there is little need for 1080P. You may say "oh, but you can connect it to your TV and watch a movie" and to that I'd reply, I have a better way of watching movies on my TV.

As for games...sure, it's nice to have games on the phone but has anyone taken notice that none of the video game companies have released any portable gaming units in the recent years? The Nintendo DSi and new PSP are just rehashed versions of the older units, not entirely new...but I can tell you that portable gaming on either a PSP or DS is far better than on a phone.

The point I'm making here is that people are getting carried away with stuff that really doesn't matter. I'd much rather have the right tool for the job, then a single tool for every job. It's not just phones that are being turned into "omnidevices"...TVs, game consoles, cars and even refrigerators have fallen victim to this misguided "vision of the future".

RE: Getting carried away here?
By danobrega on 9/8/2010 6:47:55 AM , Rating: 2
Well, it is not a phone, it is a chip.

Still, so what? I long for the day where my phone it will actually be my computer. I'll carry it with me, with my applications, with my documents. When I get home it will connect to my monitor or even my TV via WHDI. Sounds cool.

By EricMartello on 9/8/2010 4:21:08 PM , Rating: 1
Yeah, this article is about a chip that is used in Phones...and my rant was about devices that used to do one thing very well now doing a lot of things poorly.

What would I rather see?

How about ad-hoc networking with phones so we can eliminate the need for a central carrier. Imagine having the full functionality of a cell without having to pay out of the ass for it each month.

How about improved transmission protocols that allow for lower latency and improved data rates?

Just saying, either of those would be far better for a cellphone than a new touchscreen or 1080P support.

