How Lenovo invented the ARM laptop, and why did it change its mind?
A couple of years ago, there were rumors that Apple was about to transfer the MacBook Air line to ARM architecture processors. As we know, this did not happen for a number of reasons. First, Intel has mastered the 22-nanometer process technology (and now 14-nanometer), significantly reducing the power consumption of processors simultaneously with the growth of their performance. Secondly, the ARM architecture, which perfectly displays itself on mobile platforms, turned out to be not very productive for the tasks set for personal computers. More precisely, an increase in the number of cores and an increase in frequency could provide the necessary increase in productivity (causing a headache for many thousands of programmers), but the heat generation increased to a level requiring active cooling.
I will not lie, I did not hold in my hands the prototypes of the MacBook Air with ARM architecture. But, by coincidence, a few years ago I got a prototype of a Lenovo laptop, showing how seriously the company studied the idea of ​​migration from x86. For some time it was simply impossible to talk about him in public, and then somehow, by the way, I did not have to. And now I decided to remove the laptop from the cache, check the work, disassemble and compare the design with the latest generation of ultrabook Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.
')
The name of the prototype is not. The Skylight text on the keyboard sends us to the Lenovo Skylight smartbook shown at CES-2010, however, despite the noticeable hardware similarity, there are quite a few differences between him and my copy. The device shown in Vegas was a rather peculiar hybrid of a laptop and a phone, and worked on a special Linux distribution written by Lenovo itself. It was planned to sell it for $ 500, which, against the background of netbooks with Windows, was rather bold. Not surprisingly, sales were pretty sluggish, and as early as May 2010, five months after the announcement, Lenovo Skylight was discontinued.
However, the experiments continued. My prototype with the working title Angel is hardware similar to its predecessor - a Qualcomm Snapdragon giga-core single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 10-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. But outwardly, Angel is generally indistinguishable from a regular netbook. I once took him to a meeting with schoolchildren, let him in rows, and all the same - none of the inquisitive children found anything unusual in him. It doesn’t give hints or turn on the screen, because everything works on Ubuntu 9.04 with GNOME 2.26.1 interface.
When I was given this sample (with an urgent request to tell nothing about it to anyone), Ubuntu was still updated and got updates for the installed applications. Now the Synaptic package manager cannot reach the repositories, as well as Ubuntu itself.
But everything that was established 4 years ago, works well. Internet browsers (Chromium and Firefox), OpenOffice 3.0, Evolution email client, even a decent set of office toys.
There are no problems with Internet connection: if you want - via Wi-Fi, if you want via 3G. The battery capacity is typical for netbooks of that time, but even now the device works about 6 hours from it, and at the beginning everything worked 10. In general, everything is fine, except for one thing - performance.
Applications can open for 10-20 seconds, and web surfing, taking into account the complexity of the engines of modern sites, turns into a race riding an old turtle. However, in 2010, the GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon lost to Intel Atom, which operates at a frequency of up to 1.6 GHz and supports Hyper-Threading.
According to tradition, I could not resist looking inside the device under study. Master Levchenko, by the way, was also unable to distinguish the “Angel” from the usual netbook. And even after clarifying that the differences are of a radical nature, he noted only the absence of ventilation holes. Yes, and Ubuntu did not surprise him: on a netbook, this OS was very common. Sam, I remember, demolished XP Home and put it.
MicroSD slots in laptops I have never seen before
The outside of the device is plastic, but inside - a solid metal
The internal structure also turned out to be quite typical for netbooks. Under the keyboard there was an inscription that the model is called Kunlun-US (Kunlun is one of the largest mountain systems in Asia, stretching from the Pamirs in the west to the Sino-Tibetan mountains in the east, bordering Tibet from the north). But I, perhaps, will continue to call the device "Angel".
The layout of the motherboard also differs little from analogs on processors with x86 architecture. In fact, if the processor was hidden by the radiator, at first glance, and not understand that the Intel Atom is not even smell here. But the radiator is not needed: it is successfully replaced by a small metal plate with a thermal pad.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the 3G and Wi-Fi modules are not soldered to the motherboard. They are exactly the same as used in laptops of the time. So, Lenovo clearly sought to maximize the unification of components, which is useful both for cheaper production and for possible repairs.
Given the cost of components, "Angel" (aka Kunlun) could easily sell for $ 200. But - did not happen. Lenovo made several attempts to participate in tenders for educational institutions, but it seems not very successful. Therefore, at the end of 2010 the project was finally closed. X86 architecture won.
Motherboard, rear view
Please note: the Chinese company tested in practice the idea of ​​moving to ARM before Microsoft and other giants, and rejected it even before the first Microsoft Surface appeared on Windows RT. True, there was then another Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 on the Nvidia Tegra 3, however, this model did not last long on the shelves. There is an opinion that she was made out of courtesy. Laptops on ARM - they are like fake Christmas tree toys. They look like real ones, they work on batteries for a long time, but ... they are not encouraging.
By the way, you can appreciate - what a serious way the x86 notebooks have passed since 2010. I was just at the hands of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, where we study Windows 10 Technical Preview. As a small offtopic, I note that this time Microsoft was pretty surprised, after not installing a driver leap over Windows 8.1 after installing over Windows 8.1. Despite the fact that Windows 10 does not take all the drivers from the G8, after installing on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch in the Device Manager there was not a single item with a question mark. Only the Adaptive Keyboard panel, which replaces the F1-F12 series, sometimes behaves mysteriously, refusing to display additional icons, but otherwise the system works just flawless. In January, a new generation of ThinkPad X1 Carbon will be released - as usual, improved and enhanced - and in conjunction with the “ten” it will be a very elegant and practical product at the same time.
In the meantime - climbed into the newest at the moment X1 Carbon. As it should be in the ThinkPad line, the ultrabook is easily disassembled, without tricks and a special set of tools. The only obstacle is the very tight screws, but, on the other hand, the bottom cover is magnesium, why not tighten it.
The battery, carrying up to 45 Wh, provides the configuration with an Intel Core i5-4200U, 8 GB of RAM and, importantly, a 14-inch screen with a resolution of 2560x1440, for four and a half hours. This is a bit compared to even a slightly “dried out” battery from the prototype on the ARM architecture, but partially offset by the ability to restore the charge from zero to 80% in just an hour.
3G and Wi-Fi modules in X1 Carbon are very similar to those from Angel, only the interface has changed slightly in four years
Now look at the motherboard. It is wide with three and a half USB connectors. The length, of course, more serious - as much as 25 centimeters. But it’s still 2 centimeters shorter than the prototype of the ARM laptop. With, let's say, incomparably greater complexity of design and throughput of various interfaces.
Of course, the 4th generation Intel Core processor used in the ultrabook still needs active cooling, but one virtually silent impeller can handle it. When ultra-cores massively penetrate the new Core M with a TDP of just 4.5 W, the need for it will disappear.
Actually, this is the reason why the rumors about abandoning x86 in laptops have ceased. In the ruthless world, the purer always wins the best. Well, if there is the possibility of this best scare a little, forcing to provide services better and cheaper, it is generally wonderful.
Funny, but true: a powerful ultrabook with active cooling is thinner than its ARM counterpart
By the way, when opening top smartphones on powerful multi-core SoC, copper heat pipes are already encountered. It would not have come down to the cute little propellers.
The author thanks Alexander Levchenko ( www.tech-town.ru ) for his help in preparing this material.
I will not lie, I did not hold in my hands the prototypes of the MacBook Air with ARM architecture. But, by coincidence, a few years ago I got a prototype of a Lenovo laptop, showing how seriously the company studied the idea of ​​migration from x86. For some time it was simply impossible to talk about him in public, and then somehow, by the way, I did not have to. And now I decided to remove the laptop from the cache, check the work, disassemble and compare the design with the latest generation of ultrabook Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon.
')
The name of the prototype is not. The Skylight text on the keyboard sends us to the Lenovo Skylight smartbook shown at CES-2010, however, despite the noticeable hardware similarity, there are quite a few differences between him and my copy. The device shown in Vegas was a rather peculiar hybrid of a laptop and a phone, and worked on a special Linux distribution written by Lenovo itself. It was planned to sell it for $ 500, which, against the background of netbooks with Windows, was rather bold. Not surprisingly, sales were pretty sluggish, and as early as May 2010, five months after the announcement, Lenovo Skylight was discontinued.
However, the experiments continued. My prototype with the working title Angel is hardware similar to its predecessor - a Qualcomm Snapdragon giga-core single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, a 10-inch screen with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. But outwardly, Angel is generally indistinguishable from a regular netbook. I once took him to a meeting with schoolchildren, let him in rows, and all the same - none of the inquisitive children found anything unusual in him. It doesn’t give hints or turn on the screen, because everything works on Ubuntu 9.04 with GNOME 2.26.1 interface.
When I was given this sample (with an urgent request to tell nothing about it to anyone), Ubuntu was still updated and got updates for the installed applications. Now the Synaptic package manager cannot reach the repositories, as well as Ubuntu itself.
But everything that was established 4 years ago, works well. Internet browsers (Chromium and Firefox), OpenOffice 3.0, Evolution email client, even a decent set of office toys.
There are no problems with Internet connection: if you want - via Wi-Fi, if you want via 3G. The battery capacity is typical for netbooks of that time, but even now the device works about 6 hours from it, and at the beginning everything worked 10. In general, everything is fine, except for one thing - performance.
Applications can open for 10-20 seconds, and web surfing, taking into account the complexity of the engines of modern sites, turns into a race riding an old turtle. However, in 2010, the GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon lost to Intel Atom, which operates at a frequency of up to 1.6 GHz and supports Hyper-Threading.
According to tradition, I could not resist looking inside the device under study. Master Levchenko, by the way, was also unable to distinguish the “Angel” from the usual netbook. And even after clarifying that the differences are of a radical nature, he noted only the absence of ventilation holes. Yes, and Ubuntu did not surprise him: on a netbook, this OS was very common. Sam, I remember, demolished XP Home and put it.
MicroSD slots in laptops I have never seen before
The outside of the device is plastic, but inside - a solid metal
The internal structure also turned out to be quite typical for netbooks. Under the keyboard there was an inscription that the model is called Kunlun-US (Kunlun is one of the largest mountain systems in Asia, stretching from the Pamirs in the west to the Sino-Tibetan mountains in the east, bordering Tibet from the north). But I, perhaps, will continue to call the device "Angel".
The layout of the motherboard also differs little from analogs on processors with x86 architecture. In fact, if the processor was hidden by the radiator, at first glance, and not understand that the Intel Atom is not even smell here. But the radiator is not needed: it is successfully replaced by a small metal plate with a thermal pad.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that the 3G and Wi-Fi modules are not soldered to the motherboard. They are exactly the same as used in laptops of the time. So, Lenovo clearly sought to maximize the unification of components, which is useful both for cheaper production and for possible repairs.
Given the cost of components, "Angel" (aka Kunlun) could easily sell for $ 200. But - did not happen. Lenovo made several attempts to participate in tenders for educational institutions, but it seems not very successful. Therefore, at the end of 2010 the project was finally closed. X86 architecture won.
Motherboard, rear view
Please note: the Chinese company tested in practice the idea of ​​moving to ARM before Microsoft and other giants, and rejected it even before the first Microsoft Surface appeared on Windows RT. True, there was then another Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 on the Nvidia Tegra 3, however, this model did not last long on the shelves. There is an opinion that she was made out of courtesy. Laptops on ARM - they are like fake Christmas tree toys. They look like real ones, they work on batteries for a long time, but ... they are not encouraging.
By the way, you can appreciate - what a serious way the x86 notebooks have passed since 2010. I was just at the hands of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, where we study Windows 10 Technical Preview. As a small offtopic, I note that this time Microsoft was pretty surprised, after not installing a driver leap over Windows 8.1 after installing over Windows 8.1. Despite the fact that Windows 10 does not take all the drivers from the G8, after installing on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch in the Device Manager there was not a single item with a question mark. Only the Adaptive Keyboard panel, which replaces the F1-F12 series, sometimes behaves mysteriously, refusing to display additional icons, but otherwise the system works just flawless. In January, a new generation of ThinkPad X1 Carbon will be released - as usual, improved and enhanced - and in conjunction with the “ten” it will be a very elegant and practical product at the same time.
In the meantime - climbed into the newest at the moment X1 Carbon. As it should be in the ThinkPad line, the ultrabook is easily disassembled, without tricks and a special set of tools. The only obstacle is the very tight screws, but, on the other hand, the bottom cover is magnesium, why not tighten it.
The battery, carrying up to 45 Wh, provides the configuration with an Intel Core i5-4200U, 8 GB of RAM and, importantly, a 14-inch screen with a resolution of 2560x1440, for four and a half hours. This is a bit compared to even a slightly “dried out” battery from the prototype on the ARM architecture, but partially offset by the ability to restore the charge from zero to 80% in just an hour.
3G and Wi-Fi modules in X1 Carbon are very similar to those from Angel, only the interface has changed slightly in four years
Now look at the motherboard. It is wide with three and a half USB connectors. The length, of course, more serious - as much as 25 centimeters. But it’s still 2 centimeters shorter than the prototype of the ARM laptop. With, let's say, incomparably greater complexity of design and throughput of various interfaces.
Of course, the 4th generation Intel Core processor used in the ultrabook still needs active cooling, but one virtually silent impeller can handle it. When ultra-cores massively penetrate the new Core M with a TDP of just 4.5 W, the need for it will disappear.
Actually, this is the reason why the rumors about abandoning x86 in laptops have ceased. In the ruthless world, the purer always wins the best. Well, if there is the possibility of this best scare a little, forcing to provide services better and cheaper, it is generally wonderful.
Funny, but true: a powerful ultrabook with active cooling is thinner than its ARM counterpart
By the way, when opening top smartphones on powerful multi-core SoC, copper heat pipes are already encountered. It would not have come down to the cute little propellers.
The author thanks Alexander Levchenko ( www.tech-town.ru ) for his help in preparing this material.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/362099/
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