[Arm-netbook] ARM netbook

[Gordan Bobic]

On 07/05/2012 12:29 PM, Alexey Eromenko wrote:
>>
>> There is information out there for getting $YourFavouriteDistro
>> installed onto practically any ARM dev board out there.
>>
>
> ...but there is no information on how-to force Full HD video run on it...

For that you're out of luck on just about everything. As has already 
been discussed, most boards come with highly proprietary codec libraries 
and GPU drivers. I've heard that even the Pi has issues with 1080p and 
that's one of the least unsupported boards out there.

Bottom line - with anything that requires more than basic frame buffer 
support, you are pretty much screwed when it comes to ARM. On x86 the 
situation is only slightly better because we have OSS Nvidia and ATI 
drivers, but you need to remember there are a LOT more GPUs out there 
(Intel's GMA which is actually PowerVR based is an obvious example, and 
there are more PowerVR GPUs out than all the others combined).

This is why closed hardware specifications are _EEEEEEEEEEEEVIL_.

With a bit of luck when reverse engineered MALI drivers are fully ready, 
I'm hoping the support for ARM SoCs will polarize between MALI and 
"other", and everyone under "other" that hasn't released their GPU 
drivers under GPL pretty sharpish will quietly go out of business.

Gordan