My Perfect Computer

February 23rd, 2007 Jason Posted in Computing |

Believe it or not, it’s not OSx. With all of my previous talk about virtualization and my most recent about encrypting your life I figured I should round this out and describe what would be my ultimate system.

Architecture

With the thousands of chips that have been created over the years three chips stand out and make me scream “I want this…” for various reasons. These chips are: P.A. Semi (PowerPC), Cell Microprocessor (Power970 and the like), and the soon to be newest from the Intel line Penryn. Now although the Penryn processor (with it’s shinny new SSE4 instructions) is going to be amazing, I have no room for it in my ultimate system. Although I will significantly miss the ability to do some hardcore virtualization.

Like it or not my ultimate system is a laptop. Any fool can customize a desktop. A little standards compliance here, a little power supply there and you have a working desktop. But a desktop replacement laptop, that’s a work of art. Although both processors are new and haven’t even gotten a chance to show their true colors, I’m going to have to drop the Cell. If it is based of the Power970 it is going to be a leg warmer. Now if this was a desktop system It would be a harder decision. But with my recent push to become more green I think the P.A. Semi chip would still win out. Seriously, 25 W max (5-17 W typical) with a dual-core, 2 GHz, 2 MB of L2 Cache, 64-bit… oh hell let me just quote the article.

The P.A. Semi PA6T-1682M, developed in 65-nanometer process technology, is a 64-bit dual-core microprocessor, designed from the ground up, based on the company’s Power Architecture license from IBM. The 1682M integrates what is typically a three- to five-chip-set platform into a single chip, called a “platform processor.” Total device power dissipation is 5-13W (typical), and worst-case power is 25W, with both CPUs running at 2 GHz and all peripherals active. This is three times to four times lower power than other processor solutions implemented in 65-nanometer process technology with equivalent peripherals support.

The 1682M features two 2-GHz processors (each with its own dual-integer, floating-point, and VMX vector-processing units), 2 MB of level two cache, two DDR-2 memory controllers and hardware assist engines for TCP/IP acceleration, security, CRC checksum and XOR computation. The device also integrates a flexible I/O subsystem that supports eight PCI Express controllers, two 10-Gigabit Ethernet controllers and four Gigabit Ethernet controllers that share 24 configurable SERDES lanes.

For comparison the Intel Dual-Core Duo at about 2.13 GHz runs at 31 Watts. So, your looking at a few more hours of battery life. With no real cost to hard-core number crunching, only a good RiSC gain. But I think with newer and newer x86 architectures, this gap is closing.

The final two reasons for PowerPC chip. Dual boot OSx (highest version they support on PPC) and of course Viruses/maleware. Enjoy them suckers.

Common System Peripherals

Let me summarize the rest of the common hardware which should not need any real explication.

  • 1 GB of DDR2 SDRAM per CPU (2 GB total)
  • NVIDIA Quadro FX 3500M 512MB
    • DVI Output
  • Two SATA drives with RAID 1 support
  • Typical DVD-DL,+/-R,RW drive.
  • High end sound card
    • Analog / Digital IN/OUT
  • 1 serial port (small form factor with dongle to bring to regular form , 4x USB, 2x Firewire 400, 1x Firewire 800

So that sums up the system. Now onto the second most important part.

I scream for nice screen

If your going to stare at a screen for 8+ hour a day, it better be nice. The PowerBook (and now MacBook) Pros screens are nice. The autodimming, the bright contrast the widescreen form factor. But what really hurts is the resolution: 1400×900. Not bad, but it could be so much better. I had a laptop with UXGA once (1400×1050) and that was great, but it was also 2001. Why does it seem that laptop manufactures have taken a step back in display technology? At work I currently have WQXGA (2500×1600) and it is nice. Amazing perhaps. On a 30″ screen I typically lose my mouse 5-10 times a day. For a laptop, that is too much. I think I could settle with the WUXGA (1920×1200).

You may be thinking: “But isn’t that what the 17″ MacBook Pro has?”. Your probably correct. But did you ever see that thing? You close it and it is a small table. No thanks! I want 1920×1200 on a 15″ Wide Screen. Anything bigger you might as well buy the 30″.

What the hell are you going to do with that?!?

Well here is where the wishful thinking comes in. OS: Ubuntu on this, hell if we are wishing let’s make it OpenBSD! I need a few programs to make this thing “My Perfect Computer”:

  • AutoDesk Inventor 10 - a must have for any engineer
  • Ansoft HFSS and Maxwell 3D - a must have my my line of work
  • Spore - god do I want that!
  • Drivers for the MoTu Traveller - the #1 reason I bought a Mac
  • Drivers Drivers Drivers… I want everything supported
  • And anything you can compile yourself

That’s not so bad of a list. Only a few proprietary things. Very… proprietary…

Wrap-up

Well now that I have a big puddle of drool on my desk at work I should probably wrap this up. This system clearly won’t be out anytime soon. With P.A. Semi still in the testing stages of their chips and the development boards costing around $8,500 this system has a long way to go before it makes it into my home.

Next time I am going to walk you through the configuration of my perfect desktop using my favorite window manager FVWM. Why FVWM? Find out next time!

ugh… I’m a terrible blogger ;)


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