The processor duel is just silly …

Just a quick comment here on something that has become apparent in multiple conversations lately.

When Lenovo announced the X60 Tablet PC with a Core Duo ULV processor, they got slammed for not doing Core 2 Duo.  Now Toshiba has Introduced a COre Duo machine in the new R400 line, once again with a Core Duo, and not the Core 2 Duo, and is already getting booed by some.  We learned from TabletKiosk that the new slate Tablet PC they are introducing will also release with a Core Duo inside, in spite of the fact that early info looked like it may be otherwise.

So why all the Core Duo, and not Core 2 Duo?  I asked each and every one of the vendors that question very directly, and it always came back to the same answer – Power Consumption and Heat.

I have been around this Tablet space now for years, pretty much since the beginning of the form factor.  Complaints about battery life have been rampant.  People want, more, and more, and more battery life.  I have also heard a myriad of complaints about the amount of heat a machine produces, not to mention the fan noise that is a result of that heat.  So now I am asking the question, which one do you really want?  The OEM’s are after very good battery life, minimal heat, and having to sacrifice on the processor as a result, simply because the technology is not there to produce the desired result at a price the market can afford..  Does this make sense?  Absolutely.  I agree with them 100%.  Our day to day and moment to moment experience is much more affected by battery life and heat issues (which obviously can cause issues as it “cooks” components) than it is by the gaps in processor performance.  As I use any computer, I am amazed at the time it sits idle, waiting on ME, not the other way around.  Another factor is the amount of memory.  I get frustrated by users who refuse to put that gig of RAM in a machine for what is a minimal investment compared to the time it saves.  Adding RAM is one of the cheapest things you can do for performance. 

Hard drives are another issue, with a similiar problem.  Faster hard drives consume more power, and generally produce more heat.  That is getting better, but is still an issue.

Do not get me wrong here.  I do realize that processor is an issue we all want improved every day.  My point here is just that it is not worth arguing over right now until other influential technologies improve as well.

Until battery technology improves, we will have to live with some of this, but I am really tired of hearing the processor complaints.  It just makes no sense in context of today’s technology. Just wanted to say this and get it off my chest.  Let’s back off of the processor complaints, and ask for faster less power hungry hard drives and better batteries from those who can make it happen.

My 2 cents.