Possible future risc-v laptop
Anyone heard of this?
https://github.com/balthazar-space/balhazar
or this?
https://balthazar.space/wiki/Balthazar
I think we may have some possibility for a risc-v laptop. I think they are trustworthy, but my big question is, when will such a laptop be ready, to which the answer probably is 3+ years.
:P
That being said, I wondered what everyone thinks about this. :)
I like that they want to be ready for GNUNet. GNUNet looks like a very interesting project. And it's got some funding, so it's not going to just vanish into thin air.
https://trisquel.info/en/forum/riscv-free-software-graphics-card
https://www.crowdsupply.com/libre-risc-v/m-class
I think I misread the description of the chip. It rather
is a soc cpu, a gpu included.
They believe they can make it. Maybe they can if they
get the money. It has also been said, that India's
government wants to pay for making a riscv chip.
But is double or triple work going on?
https://www.sifive.com/boards/hifive-unleashed has
made a mainboard. And got millions funding
https://www.sifive.com/press/sifive-secures-65.4-million-in-series-d-funding2
If they cannot make a notebook riscv cpu at this point,
can balthazar then?
https://www.lowrisc.org/# apparently wants to
put a mainboard on sale.
https://www.lowrisc.org/our-work/
I would want to know how coordinated these efforts
are?
There is also the https://www.powerpc-notebook.org/en/
I do not know if they can make a powerpc notebook,
but it appears they do not have money.
I have entertained the idea, if it would be possible
to manufacture a scaled down cpu version of
one of the open source software ibm powerpc cpus,
such that it could become workable in
a notebook?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_POWER_microprocessors
You can inform universities about
riscv in order to get them to research and teach about
riscv.
Openpower is not of interest to me unless, they plan to make an ultra low voltage version. meaning it would be as lightweight as RISC-V. This seems unlikely to my knowledge at the moment though, but with that and Risc-V and all of what I say below, take with a grain of salt:
But that being said, Balthazar or eoma68's creator for that matter probably won't have developed one for a while...
As a guess, I don't know for sure, but it seems very likely. Maybe there will be some developed before that by other organizations to be used in eoma68 or balthazar laptop... but yeah, they won't have developed their own by that point, unless they have a lot of money. ;)
Or have immense intelligence/time on their hands and a decent amount of money.
These are my thoughts more than actual knowing, but some say that it will be even longer like 10+ years before a Risc-V processor that comes out for laptop use. Even if it isn't libre. ;)
I disagree, but I do think it will take a miracle for a libre one to come out before that time. At least in general.
Although, I would have gratitude even if it wasn't libre but the networked backdoors were removed/you could use most of the processor for your various purposes within a laptop.
By most I mean like 95%
Aka, you could only break in, if you had physical access to it for a prelonged period of time.
Another words, like libreboot style security and compatibility with free software.
I would prefer better, but meh, it would be a start right?
Besides, I like the idea of having an ultra high battery life. :)