Sub-$100 Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet Debuts in China

[Nomenclature]

The first tablet running Google's Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich mobile operating system was made available this week—and it's selling for less $100. What the joint effort by MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor doesn't have is a name.

The 7-inch tablet is currently available in China and online through Ainol Electronics, but the two companies said Monday that it will be released in the U.S. and elsewhere "within the next several months." When it does hit other geographies, MIPS Technologies and Ingenic said Leader International and OMG Electronics would be among the partners bringing the ultra-cheap tablet to market.

The unnamed Android tablet features a MIPS-based XBurst CPU that clocks at 1GHz as part of the Ingenic JZ4770 mobile applications processor that powers the device. Most consumer tablets currently on the market use ARM-based CPUs like the Apple iPad 2's A5 chip, with a few built around the x86 architecture more commonly found in PCs.

"We are pleased to join with MIPS to announce these breakthrough high-performance, low-power, low-cost Android 4.0 tablets," said Ingenic chairman and CEO Qiang Liu, in a statement. "Combining the elegance of the MIPS architecture and Ingenic's innovation in processor design, we are bringing a new level of processor technology to mobile devices.

"As we continue to collaborate with MIPS to broaden the mobile ecosystem around the legendary MIPS architecture, we anticipate even broader proliferation of our devices worldwide. We believe the mobile world will be more versatile and colorful with another processor joining in,"

The new tablet has a capacitive multi-touch screen, front and rear cameras, Wi-Fi, and support for USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3. The companies didn't specify the amount of disk space in the device, but a microSD slot is included to add extra storage. Ingenic's JZ4770 chip uses a Vivante GC860 GPU, which can handle 1080p video decoding and 3D graphics.

MIPS Technologies and Ingenic said 8-inch and 9-inch versions of the tablet are being planned.

"The openness of Android is enabling a new level of connectedness and interaction between devices and between people across the globe," MIPS Technologies president and CEO Sandeep Vij said. "We are excited to be a part of the Android ecosystem delivering on that vision. We applaud Ingenic's accomplishment in developing this new high-performance, feature-rich Android 4.0 tablet, and offering it at a price point that makes it widely accessible."

Sub-$100 Ice Cream Sandwich Tablet Debuts in China | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

I've always liked Ingenic more than other Chinese processors companies, as they're a private player who produces stuff that are commercially viable rather than surviving on government contracts. Before this they mostly produced processors for netbooks, PMPs and e-book readers, etc. I hope Ingenic can do well in their new endeavor. China has too many companies whose business model is to hype up their half-baked products in order to get government handouts.

 

[ao333]

I've always liked Ingenic more than other Chinese processors companies, as they're a private player who produces stuff that are commercially viable rather than surviving on government contracts. Before this they mostly produced processors for netbooks, PMPs and e-book readers, etc. I hope Ingenic can do well in their new endeavor. China has too many companies whose business model is to hype up their half-baked products in order to get government handouts.

Are you serious? This is a processor that's made in the US and runs on an American instruction set.

MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor Announce Availability of World's First Android(TM) 'Ice Cream Sandwich' Tablet - MarketWatch

Even Indians can design state-of-the-art processors. Is that something to be proud of?

The only reason this deal can go through is because no technology is transferred to China from the US, as all the manufacturing is done in the US. The US government can cripple the entire Chinese semiconductor industry in an instant if it wished to do so.

65 nm pretty much tells you how many circuits run through the processor. A 400mhz 45nm is probably faster than this Igenic stuff.

 

[Nomenclature]

Are you serious? This is a processor that's made in the US and runs on an American instruction set.

MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor Announce Availability of World's First Android(TM) 'Ice Cream Sandwich' Tablet - MarketWatch

Even Indians can design state-of-the-art processors. Is that something to be proud of?

The only reason this deal can go through is because no technology is transferred to China from the US, as all the manufacturing is done in the US. The US government can cripple the entire Chinese semiconductor industry in an instant if it wished to do so.

65 nm pretty much tells you how many circuits run through the processor. A 400mhz 45nm is probably faster than this Igenic stuff.

You manage to completely miss the point. Reread the article you quoted, the point of this processor is not it's fast (it plainly isn't) or it uses the MIPS instruction set, rather it's the low power consumption level (0.09w@1GHz with 65nm process) of Ingenic's XBurst core.

Oh, also, TSMC is making this chip and last time I checked TSMC is not an American company.

 

[beijing consensus]

Are you serious? This is a processor that's made in the US and runs on an American instruction set.

MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor Announce Availability of World's First Android(TM) 'Ice Cream Sandwich' Tablet - MarketWatch

Even Indians can design state-of-the-art processors. Is that something to be proud of?

The only reason this deal can go through is because no technology is transferred to China from the US, as all the manufacturing is done in the US. The US government can cripple the entire Chinese semiconductor industry in an instant if it wished to do so.

65 nm pretty much tells you how many circuits run through the processor. A 400mhz 45nm is probably faster than this Igenic stuff.

US government can cripple the chinese semiconductor industry?
nice joke white boy.

chinese government can cripple the entire american empire in an instant if we wanted to.
the fate of the american empire is in the hands of president hu jinato.

china can produce 40nm with SMIC.

 

[R0H1T]

Good news now you can sell this state sponsored/subsidized crud tablet ala Aakash all over the world

 

[Zabaniyah]

I actually really thought they were $100 ice-cream sandwiches

But you know, there are $100 ice-creams

 

[peaceful]

Are you serious? This is a processor that's made in the US and runs on an American instruction set.

MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor Announce Availability of World's First Android(TM) 'Ice Cream Sandwich' Tablet - MarketWatch

Even Indians can design state-of-the-art processors. Is that something to be proud of?

The only reason this deal can go through is because no technology is transferred to China from the US, as all the manufacturing is done in the US. The US government can cripple the entire Chinese semiconductor industry in an instant if it wished to do so.

65 nm pretty much tells you how many circuits run through the processor. A 400mhz 45nm is probably faster than this Igenic stuff.

BS. show me your fancy indian designed general purpose processor core.

 

[Aramsogo]

Good news now you can sell this state sponsored/subsidized crud tablet ala Aakash all over the world

Aakash "runs" Android 2.2 with a picture frame CPU. If you can call that running. Not even close.

 

[Aramsogo]

It is obvious you don't even know the basics of semiconductor design. More circuits equals more power consumption. This is the opposite of what you want in mobile computing. In the 1ghz speed, there's no performance difference between 65nm and 45nm process, only how many chips you can stuff on a wafer and 45nm can run with lower voltages.

Are you serious? This is a processor that's made in the US and runs on an American instruction set.

MIPS Technologies and Ingenic Semiconductor Announce Availability of World's First Android(TM) 'Ice Cream Sandwich' Tablet - MarketWatch

Even Indians can design state-of-the-art processors. Is that something to be proud of?

The only reason this deal can go through is because no technology is transferred to China from the US, as all the manufacturing is done in the US. The US government can cripple the entire Chinese semiconductor industry in an instant if it wished to do so.

65 nm pretty much tells you how many circuits run through the processor. A 400mhz 45nm is probably faster than this Igenic stuff.

 

[ao333]

Holy f... Are you guys wronged in the head? Both the chipset and graphics chip are made in California. TSMC doesn't do sh** in this deal. Regardless, the Taiwanese company imports its itchers and wafer manufacturers from the United States. In 2006, Taiwan wanted to open a 35nm wafer plant in China, and the US threatened it with 28nm sanctions if it actually did.

Taiwan is just another manufacturer base for the world, a more advanced one than China at that. In any case, Taiwanese achievment isn't Chinese; it's ignorant and disregarding of the opinions of Taiwanese to imply so.

Thicker conduits are always more power saving due to less resistance. Indians can design a 128nm chip for you with the same peformance as a 32nm one. The result is that the Indian chip will be larger and more powersaving. But do you seriously think a 128nm chip can fit in a smartphone?

The entire purpose of minimizing conduits is so that they can make devices smaller or pack more performance into a set size of devices. I can carry a "smartphone" that's as big as a LAPTOP and say that it saves power BUT ONLY HAS THE PERFORMANCE OF A SMARTPHONE. You kids get the point?

 

[HongWu]

Taiwan is just another manufacturer base for the world, a more advanced one than China at that. In any case, Taiwanese achievment isn't Chinese; it's ignorant and disregarding of the opinions of Taiwanese to imply so.

Way to reveal your ignorance! Taiwan is officially the Republic of China. Taiwan's achievements are indeed undeniably Chinese until the day they declare independence and become the Republic of Taiwan.

 

[W.11]

today names of electronic stuff give watwers to my mouth, black berries, applies, orange, icecream sandwich :S:S:S

 

[beijing consensus]

Holy f... Are you guys wronged in the head? Both the chipset and graphics chip are made in California. TSMC doesn't do sh** in this deal. Regardless, the Taiwanese company imports its itchers and wafer manufacturers from the United States. In 2006, Taiwan wanted to open a 35nm wafer plant in China, and the US threatened it with 28nm sanctions if it actually did.

Taiwan is just another manufacturer base for the world, a more advanced one than China at that. In any case, Taiwanese achievment isn't Chinese; it's ignorant and disregarding of the opinions of Taiwanese to imply so.

Thicker conduits are always more power saving due to less resistance. Indians can design a 128nm chip for you with the same peformance as a 32nm one. The result is that the Indian chip will be larger and more powersaving. But do you seriously think a 128nm chip can fit in a smartphone?

The entire purpose of minimizing conduits is so that they can make devices smaller or pack more performance into a set size of devices. I can carry a "smartphone" that's as big as a LAPTOP and say that it saves power BUT ONLY HAS THE PERFORMANCE OF A SMARTPHONE. You kids get the point?

u significantly overestimate the power of the US.

the entire US empire is being propped up by china.
the US economy is a house of cards, it could collapse any moment.
without the chinese buying up those debt, US wont be runnig deficits, without deficits, the entire US industrial and technolgy lead is finished.
its a very fragile country that depends on debt and the dollar being the reserve currency.

countries like canada and australia are one trick ponies that exports resources. they have nothing else. when the demand for these commodities go down, these resource economies crumble.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

u significantly overestimate the power of the US.

the entire US empire is being propped up by china.
the US economy is a house of cards, it could collapse any moment.
without the chinese buying up those debt, US wont be runnig deficits, without deficits, the entire US industrial and technolgy lead is finished.
its a very fragile country that depends on debt and the dollar being the reserve currency.

countries like canada and australia are one trick ponies that exports resources. they have nothing else. when the demand for these commodities go down, these resource economies crumble.

if we start shorting commodities, we might take a huge loss at the beginning, but if we can collapse the economies of resource exporters with a giant commodities short, we can just swoop in and pick their corpse clean later.

 

[beijing consensus]

if we start shorting commodities, we might take a huge loss at the beginning, but if we can collapse the economies of resource exporters with a giant commodities short, we can just swoop in and pick their corpse clean later.

exactly.

china is the main driver of global commodities.