Thanks to Måns for contributing FATE build/test results for the MIPS64 architecture, courtesy of his Gdium. This is in addition to his existing contributions for ARM, Alpha, and AVR32 architectures.
Tag Archives: gdium
Måns Got A Gdium
I lost the thread on those pre-release Gdium netbooks sometime ago. After being accepted into the One Laptop Per Hacker program, I responded affirmatively but never heard anything else. So how did Måns Rullgård manage to get ahold of one?
It’s all good. Check out the link to his blog for all the surface details of the OS and default software. The important thing is that we have a computer with a MIPS 64-bit CPU in the FFmpeg developer community. It should only be a matter of time before the unit starts serving FATE duty alongside the Alpha in Måns’ flat.
More Non-x86 Subnotebook News
Maybe it’s almost time for cheap, non-x86, subnotebooks to hit the mainstream. I just read about the ARM-based Pegatron at Endgadget. I wager this won’t be as difficult to compile software for as the MIPS subnotebook is turning out to be.
Meanwhile, those Gdium people recently announced a program that they affectionately refer to as One Laptop Per Hacker (OLPH). The idea is to allow interested hackers to obtain pre-release access to Gdium units. I signed up for the program but never bothered to announce it here; hey, anything to reduce potential competition.
Anyway, I got an email tonight notifying me that I am accepted into the program. I’m getting cold feet, though, especially over the legal agreement I am expected to sign in order to procure the pre-release unit. If I wasn’t already in possession of my other MIPS subnotebook, I would jump right on top of this.
OTOH, this unit will undoubtedly be easier to develop for, since it’s partially designed for that purpose. Plus, it’s 64-bit (though I don’t know if that really means anything in the grand scheme of MIPS chips).
What do you think? Should I go for it, for the sake of FATE and the greater FFmpeg project?
Got A Cheap MIPS Subnotebook
I bit the proverbial bullet and ordered that cheap MIPS-based subnotebook from Geeks.com. Ordering was a comedy of errors as something went wrong with the order while I was away on vacation and was cancelled upon my return, which is when I noticed that the subnotebook had decreased in price by another $20, a discount that has since ended. But the Alpha-400 arrived today, almost at the same time that I read the Engadget headline EMTEC’s sub-$400 10-inch Gdium netbook gets specced. The Gdium, you might recall, is another, slightly more capable, MIPS-based laptop slated for general availability somewhere between now and the end of time. The headline made me think that the laptop’s release is eminent. But a deeper investigation reveals no firm or even loose commitment regarding shipment.
But I have the cheaper MIPS-based laptop in my hands, one that goes by many names. In this region, it is called the Belco Alpha-400. Let’s see what it can do. Continue reading