←back to thread

The world could run on older hardware if software optimization was a priority

(twitter.com)
837 points turrini | 3 comments | 13 May 25 10:31 UTC | HN request time: 0.685s | source
Show context
freddie_mercury ◴[13 May 25 12:01 UTC] No.43971929[source]▶
The world DOES run on older hardware.

How new do you think the CPU in your bank ATM or car's ECU is?

replies(7): >>43971970 #>>43971971 #>>43971986 #>>43971989 #>>43972058 #>>43972160 #>>43975120 #
ngangaga ◴[13 May 25 12:08 UTC] No.43971989[source]▶
Sure, if you think the world consists of cash transactions and whatever a car needs to think about.
replies(1): >>43972059 #
1. leonheld ◴[13 May 25 12:16 UTC] No.43972059[source]▶
If we're talking numbers, there are many, many more embedded systems than general purpose computers. And these are mostly built on ancient process nodes compared to the cutting edge we have today; the shiny octa-cores on our phones are supported by a myriad of ancilliary chips that are definitely not cutting edge.
replies(1): >>43972092 #
2. ngangaga ◴[13 May 25 12:20 UTC] No.43972092[source]▶
We aren't talking numbers, though. Who cares about embedded? I mean that literally. This is computation invisible by design. If that were sufficient we wouldn't have smartphones.
replies(1): >>43974353 #
3. rescbr ◴[13 May 25 15:58 UTC] No.43974353[source]▶
In a way, and for a long time, smartphones were/are defined as embedded devices.

I still don't see how one can classify a smartphone as a general-purpose computing device, even though they have enough computing power as a laptop.