Qualcomm Wants to Build an M1-Like Processor for PCs

[R-T-B]

Why? You don't think Linux, ChromeOS or Android would be supported?

I'd hope so, but qualcomm platforms are often closed-up in terms of bootloaders. I hope that wouldn't be the case in PC sphere.

If you look closely under the chip it says Intel Inside.

But this isn't CSI. I can't look closely on a bad JPEG, there is no "enhance" friend... lol.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

But this isn't CSI. I can't look closely on a bad JPEG, there is no "enhance" friend... lol.

I can loan you my sooper sekrit see-all glasses, but you'd prolly keep them, so NO.

QC would have to open up (bootloaders) otherwise there will very little to work with in a Qc PC, like targeted demographic advertising for males age 20-25, up all night sleep all day, lives in grandmas basement, you get the point.

 

[R-T-B]

QC would have to open up (bootloaders) otherwise there will very little to work with in a Qc PC

They ARE open. It's qualcomms habit of signing boot images and bootloaders that breaks the OSS world.

 

[dicobalt]

Believe it when I see it.

 

[lexluthermiester]

They ARE open. It's qualcomms habit of signing boot images and bootloaders that breaks the OSS world.

It's not Qualcomm doing that. It's up to the device vendor to lock the bootloader or not.

 

[jaggerwild]

Didn't Qualcom get caught doing bad stuff in the 1990S? They had to pay back millions......

 

[Aquinus]

I welcome this. This should help drive adoption for ARM v8 builds for software, either for OS X, Linux, or Windows. It's nice to see this kind of shift. I almost want to get an M1 mac so I can see how a native JVM build for M1 performs compared to my current machine.

Didn't Qualcom get caught doing bad stuff in the 1990S? They had to pay back millions......

Queue the list of large companies doing shady things.

 

[r9]

I was very skeptical about the M1 chip but from I've seen so far it's a solid product with a lot of potential.
But it's not only about the silicon need to have the right software support Apple did incredible job with Rosetta which is light years ahead of the Microsoft crap support for ARM where you can even properly run a browser let alone any other more demanding software.
I've seen that M1 running Witcher x86 emulated 30FPS which is amazing considering is not a gaming chip plus all the emulation overhead that need to happen for it to run.
M1x should have double the CPU muscle and M1 already destroys both Intel and AMD on the arm optimized software and close on almost everything else.
Also no performance loss when only on battery and exponentially better battery life.

 

[R-T-B]

It's not Qualcomm doing that. It's up to the device vendor to lock the bootloader or not.

They provide the tools to enable it, but yeah.

 

[jared889]

This statement makes me question whether Qualcomm understands its competitive situation. Even if Qualcomm’s chip does exceed M1’s performance per watt, the chip still will be tied to windows and there are many consumers who don’t want to use windows with its print nightmare security issues. As such, they’d never purchase a laptop with a Qualcomm chip inside.

People that want a Mac know why they want a Mac, it’s more than just M1, it’s also the macOS experience and the Apple ecosystem like iMessages, Final Cut, Airplay and so on. Qualcomm’s chips, no matter how powerful they become, will not enable these users to use macOS.

Qualcomm will be relegated to running windows, and such, its more direct competition will be AMD and Intel x86. And those two companies will be firing on all cylinders. Especially now that we know that Intel and also AMD will be pursuing hybrid architectures. Seems like Qualcomm’s focus should be on supercharged X86, not M1. And as we know, the snapdragon experience on windows currently sucks.

and people who re hungry know why they re hungry..many people buy apple because its trendy and cool.

 

[watzupken]

Having a good SOC is just part of the winning formula in my opinion. I don't doubt Qualcomm will be able to release an SOC faster than the M1 if they put in the effort since they now have the expertise in the organization. Even if it misses the mark, whether against M1, M1X or M2, it doesn't matter. They will improve and catch up at some point. The elephant in the room here will be Windows OS which is very x86 centric. Heck even MS have given up working on a lighter version that works for ARM SOCs a few times. So I am not expecting this to change even by 2022.

 

[crimsontape]

I had a thought - it's almost a conspiracy... I'm a little woozy from my 2nd vaccine. Bear with me.

So, I don't think Windows is really the OS we'll be seeing on this M1-like CPU. Someone mentioned ChomeOS and Android - I think this is more so the case.

My gut says there's a link between Web 2.0, advertisement-focused mobile browsing experience that was pushed since the first smartphones, and this response from Qualcomm. It would be in "competition with Apple" but still absolutely complimentary in so far as the web-based services and information collection practices. The best practical example I can think of is watching Youtube on a phone versus a PC

I have a feeling that Intel's x86-based hybrid solution wouldn't be complimentary. Performance aside, it's still x86, and there's a confused incentive to make Windows more like a mobile product, with mobile-oriented advertisement protocols. It's arguably easier (and more profitable to the likes of Google) to just develop an Android OS for an M1 like product with an enhanced application set to compete with MS productivity, and a UX (hardware and software) to match.

 

[Harakhti]

The elephant in the room here will be Windows OS which is very x86 centric. Heck even MS have given up working on a lighter version that works for ARM SOCs a few times. So I am not expecting this to change even by 2022.

On that note, the native arm64 build of Windows 11 on a Snapdragon 845 phone or the Pi 4 seem to be doing a-OK, and considering how one's not exactly new and the other is the clinical definition of slow, I'm kinda interested in seeing more of these projects with better hardware. And definitely not a fan of the MSRP of the 8cx Gen2 laptops...