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strausd

macrumors 68030
Jul 11, 2008
2,998
1
Texas
Personally I think time could be better spent making good software. At this point, hardware isn't lagging behind, it's the software. Most apps can't utilize multiple cores, so when spend time putting them in when they won't be used? Come on, companies need to start using their time and money a little more wisely.
 

matttye

macrumors 601
Mar 25, 2009
4,957
32
Lincoln, England
I never understood why anybody needed Tapatalk. Maybe you can explain to me what it does so well that im not aware of because when i get a reply to a thread i subscribe in without Tataptalk i get an email to the response and if i want to respond or read more posts, i just click the link.

It has been a while since ive used it so maybe it is better but i wasnt real impressed with it.

As for an 8 core chip. Eh....lets see the advantage of that before i care.

Keeps all of your forums saved and logged in, and it's less fiddly than using the web browser.
 

daveathall

macrumors 68020
Aug 6, 2010
2,379
1,410
North Yorkshire
I never understood why anybody needed Tapatalk. Maybe you can explain to me what it does so well that im not aware of because when i get a reply to a thread i subscribe in without Tataptalk i get an email to the response and if i want to respond or read more posts, i just click the link.

It has been a while since ive used it so maybe it is better but i wasnt real impressed with it.

As for an 8 core chip. Eh....lets see the advantage of that before i care.

I dont think it could be described as better, certainly, in MacRumors the board is set up so that one could browse the forum using a browser with a good experience, there are other forums that I frequent that don't have this facility though. Like anything, it's just down to preference, thats all I suppose.
 

Jibbajabba

macrumors 65816
Aug 13, 2011
1,024
5
I think even PC systems aren't any quicker than 5 years ago. You increase the CPU / RAM count in a PC and all it happens is the software manufacturer blowing up their software ... More hardware = bloaty software.

Upgrading the hardware is fine - but since every developer wants to make use of it, you likely to stay put where you are anyway ..
 

irnchriz

macrumors 65816
May 2, 2005
1,034
2
Scotland
That's like saying Apple doesn't design and make iphones, ipods, and Macs because it uses RAM, hard drives, and LCDs made by other companies.

Apple does design and make their own chips based on the ARM architecture.

Google on the other hand doesn't make or design any of the Android phones. They just have other companies make it for them.

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No. ARM doesn't make their chips.

ARM designs their chips and other companies like Apple license their design to make their own ARM based chips.

Apple also have a license to customise the arm architecture and not stick to reference designs. Not many companies are licensed to do this.
 

strausd

macrumors 68030
Jul 11, 2008
2,998
1
Texas
Not sure if serious.

Running an app on a phone with this new CPU and a Galaxy Note 2 will probably show no difference. That is how it really isn't much of an advancement.

From an objective standpoint, ya, it is a slight advancement. More cores, ok cool. But what is the point when all the developers are slacking and don't take advantage of the hardware available? Or what about the fact that most apps we use on a daily basis really have no use for 8 cores?

It isn't an advancement to the average consumer until there is a noticeable speed difference. And that won't happen by just adding more cores. The software is just as important if not more so IMO.

I think even PC systems aren't any quicker than 5 years ago. You increase the CPU / RAM count in a PC and all it happens is the software manufacturer blowing up their software ... More hardware = bloaty software.

Upgrading the hardware is fine - but since every developer wants to make use of it, you likely to stay put where you are anyway ..

I agree. Companies really need to spend more time making better software to better utilize the hardware already available.

"Oh a new CPU just came out? I should get it to make my computer so much faster. Oh wait, none of my main applications use more than 1 core..."
 

ReanimationN

macrumors 6502a
Sep 7, 2011
724
0
Australia
This is cool and all, but barely any developers will take advantage of it for quite a while. There's only a handful of true 8-core mainstream chips for desktops!

Most apps will continue to be optimised for dual-core chips and a selection for quad-core chips too.
 

kylera

macrumors 65816
Dec 5, 2010
1,195
27
Seoul
This is cool and all, but barely any developers will take advantage of it for quite a while. There's only a handful of true 8-core mainstream chips for desktops!

Most apps will continue to be optimised for dual-core chips and a selection for quad-core chips too.

And that is why I got an iPhone 4S instead of a 5, or the latest Android powerhouse.
 

SlCKB0Y

macrumors 68040
Feb 25, 2012
3,431
557
Sydney, Australia
That's like saying Apple doesn't design and make iphones, ipods, and Macs because it uses RAM, hard drives, and LCDs made by other companies.

No, it's not at all like saying that. Take the iPhone for example - a massive part of what that is is software, Apple 100% produce that. They are also completely responsible for the industrial design, the design of the logic board, the antenna design and dock/interface and the integration of all the components.

The SoC is basically 2 major components integrated by circuitry. Neither of which is primarily designed by Apple and neither of which are manufactured by Apple.

Google on the other hand doesn't make or design any of the Android phones. They just have other companies make it for them.


I don't think I, nor anyone else in this thread claimed that google did, did we?

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Or what about the fact that most apps we use on a daily basis really have no use for 8 cores?

Are people really still not understanding how this CPU works?

Based on the information available there will be at most 4 cores operational at any given time. Besides this, Android has decent multitasking and if ONE particular application can only use 2 cores this is irrelevant.

In that event there are still 2 cores for the kernel to assign OS processes of the processes of other apps.

If you could only have one running process at a time and that process could only make use of 2 out of 4 cores, then that would be a waste, but that just isn't the case in a multitasking environment.
 

hyteckit

Guest
Jul 29, 2007
889
1
No, it's not at all like saying that. Take the iPhone for example - a massive part of what that is is software, Apple 100% produce that. They are also completely responsible for the industrial design, the design of the logic board, the antenna design and dock/interface and the integration of all the components.

The SoC is basically 2 major components integrated by circuitry. Neither of which is primarily designed by Apple and neither of which are manufactured by Apple.
I don't think I, nor anyone else in this thread claimed that google did, did we?

That's like saying motherboard designers don't design and make motherboards because they use intel CPU and Nvidia video chipset.

Apple makes the AX.
Qualcomm makes the snapdragon.
Samsung makes the Exynos

Apple does design and make their on ARM based chips. It is then outsourced to Semiconductor fabrication plant to have it fabricated.


Apple doesn't manufactured the iPhone, iPad, iPods, and Macs either. They are outsourced to manufactures like Foxconn.

That doesn't mean Apple doesn't design and make iPhones and iPads.


I don't think I, nor anyone else in this thread claimed that google did, did we?I don't think I, nor anyone else in this thread claimed that google did, did we?


Stop being so defensive. It was provided as an example between a company that does design and make their on AMD based chips like Apple and a company that doesn't do any of it like Google.

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Are people really still not understanding how this CPU works?

Based on the information available there will be at most 4 cores operational at any given time. Besides this, Android has decent multitasking and if ONE particular application can only use 2 cores this is irrelevant.

In that event there are still 2 cores for the kernel to assign OS processes of the processes of other apps.

If you could only have one running process at a time and that process could only make use of 2 out of 4 cores, then that would be a waste, but that just isn't the case in a multitasking environment.

No buddy. You don't seem to know how multithreading works.

The OS and software has to take advantage of the multi-core CPU.

Just because it's a multi-tasking environment doesn't mean it automatically takes advantage of the multiple CPU cores.

Multitasking isn't the same as multithreading. ;)

Both the OS and application has to be programmed to take advantage of the multiple cores using multithreading techniques.
 

Sincci

macrumors 6502
Aug 17, 2011
285
65
Finland
Imo people are giving way too much credit to Apple for their Ax SoC's when most of that raw power doesn't even come from their own designs but from Imagination Technologies PowerVR gpu's (which are not designed by Apple).
 

SlCKB0Y

macrumors 68040
Feb 25, 2012
3,431
557
Sydney, Australia
Multitasking isn't the same as multithreading. ;)

:eek: Oh man, don't I look like an arse.

I do actually know the difference my brain just wasn't working after a long day at work... as a Linux sysadmin. :D

My point was that because Android supports all 4 cores, it can still make full use of CPU resources even in the hypothetical situation of every app only supporting 2 threads.

Eg. Android could assign 2 threads from application A to cores 0 and 1, and 2 threads from application B to cores 2 and 3.
 

Cod3rror

macrumors 68000
Apr 18, 2010
1,809
151
That's awesome if true! Push the limits Samsung.

You know what I want? I want Google to work on the software and make Android more optimized and faster. So while hardware is getting more powerful, the software is getting lighter, more functional and more optimized, requiring less resources... Double Impact!

Google should also seriously consider adding a desktop mode in Android. Like this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIXE9LCNhcA

With all that power, a phone could really replace a computer for an average consumer. And it would also light some serious fire under Microsoft and even Apple.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,156
I never understood why anybody needed Tapatalk. Maybe you can explain to me what it does so well that im not aware of because when i get a reply to a thread i subscribe in without Tataptalk i get an email to the response and if i want to respond or read more posts, i just click the link.

It has been a while since ive used it so maybe it is better but i wasnt real impressed with it.

As for an 8 core chip. Eh....lets see the advantage of that before i care.

Tapatalk organizes threads and is simple to use. Photos can be uploaded and hosted on tapatalk servers in seconds from the phone, which you have a resolution option of small, medium, high. There are no ads either. It's also extremely fast. Plus when you open the app (assuming its not running in the taskbar) you get a list of all the forums you are a member to, so no bookmarks or entering web pages etc). It's also lighter on your data plan since you don't have ads and uploaded pics are low data thumbnails until you click on them which are still compressed from the original.

Macrumors is designed for a phone pretty much but a lot of forums look terrible and require a lot of zooming in and scrolling side to side. Plus some are really slow and full of ads.

There was just an update yesterday where *I think* the app notifies you of subscribed threads. Instead of it cluttering up your email (I always have email alerts turned off).

On a tablet I just use the forum from my browser where I have a good size screen. From my iPhone (right now) I always use tapatalk.

Plus you always have the option of opening the thread in the browser of Apples choice.

y2uhanu2.jpg

Hosted by tapatalk.
 
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NT1440

macrumors Pentium
May 18, 2008
15,093
22,159
Imo people are giving way too much credit to Apple for their Ax SoC's when most of that raw power doesn't even come from their own designs but from Imagination Technologies PowerVR gpu's (which are not designed by Apple).

Thats true for the previous generations. But the A6 is laid out by hand, and does have that gpu, but again all the work of laying out the chip was designed in house to take full advantage of the horsepower available.
 

Technarchy

macrumors 604
May 21, 2012
6,753
4,927
Imo people are giving way too much credit to Apple for their Ax SoC's when most of that raw power doesn't even come from their own designs but from Imagination Technologies PowerVR gpu's (which are not designed by Apple).

Apple owns 10% of Imagination Technologies and the two work very closely to ensure the best performance in the most efficient package.
 

geek36

macrumors member
Oct 15, 2012
91
24
software optimizations should be important than having many cores. i think quad cores haven't that much utilized fully by software then. that's why the more cores they build, the bigger the phone size will be because of it will need more power to run.
 

Zwhaler

macrumors 604
Jun 10, 2006
7,267
1,965
Running an app on a phone with this new CPU and a Galaxy Note 2 will probably show no difference. That is how it really isn't much of an advancement.

From an objective standpoint, ya, it is a slight advancement. More cores, ok cool. But what is the point when all the developers are slacking and don't take advantage of the hardware available? Or what about the fact that most apps we use on a daily basis really have no use for 8 cores?

It isn't an advancement to the average consumer until there is a noticeable speed difference. And that won't happen by just adding more cores. The software is just as important if not more so IMO.

Lol good comment but if you take another look you'll see I wasn't actually commenting on that. But I agree with what you said. :D

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Image
Hosted by tapatalk.

Wow, that's what it looks like on iOS? I feel really spoiled using the Android version.
 

Dr McKay

macrumors 68040
Aug 11, 2010
3,530
258
Kirkland

I've always preferred the full site for everything. I feel mobile sites are a step backwards, we get access to full browsers on our phone so we can access the full web, and sites respond by crafting gimped mobile versions.
 

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onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
I've always preferred the full site for everything. I feel mobile sites are a step backwards, we get access to full browsers on our phone so we can access the full web, and sites respond by crafting gimped mobile versions.

100% agree.
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,156
Lol good comment but if you take another look you'll see I wasn't actually commenting on that. But I agree with what you said. :D

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Wow, that's what it looks like on iOS? I feel really spoiled using the Android version.

Yeah it's bad in comparison but I still prefer it over using a browser on my 3.5" screen 4S.

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I've always preferred the full site for everything. I feel mobile sites are a step backwards, we get access to full browsers on our phone so we can access the full web, and sites respond by crafting gimped mobile versions.

I'm 100% with you. But like in my previous post I prefer it on a 3.5" screen. On my tablet its a different story.
 
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