Google will start manufacturing its own processors

[Irwin]

Google announced Monday it will build its own smartphone processor, called Google Tensor, that will power its new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro phones this fall.​

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/02/pixel-6-will-have-processor-designed-by-google.html​

On one hand, its good that there's more competition in the chip and phone industry. Competition tends to bring prices down, unless the manufacturers collude with each others to keep prices artificially high, which they may do since smartphones are no longer a luxury item for many people and many people are willing to pay upwards of $1,000 for a smart phone. On the other hand, Google software tends to be buggy as hell, and they're really bad about fixing bugs. They might be a bit more diligent about quality control with these chips.

 

[MarkinPhx]

I have always bought the Nexus/Pixel line of phones ever since the Nexus 1 so I do hope this works out well. Currently using a Nexus 4 and was looking forward to the Pixel 6 but now thinking of holding out for the Pixel 7 just in case.

 

[Nathan]

Google software tends to be buggy as hell, and they're really bad about fixing bugs. They might be a bit more diligent about quality control with these chips.​

You're referring to Google's Android operating system? Just curious, what bugs in the Android system have you encountered? I know that a lot of apps are, what I would regard as subpar, but they are from 3rd party developers.

 

[Irwin]

You're referring to Google's Android operating system? Just curious, what bugs in the Android system have you encountered? I know that a lot of apps are, what I would regard as subpar, but they are from 3rd party developers.

I had problems with my old phone where I couldn't install any apps due to "not enough storage space," even though there was plenty. That issue was easily fixed by adding a memory card. There was another bug where sometimes I couldn't access the Internet over the wireless signal. Granted, my new phone works fine.

The Android OS was a version of Linux, from what I remember, that they modified, so they had a good base to work off to develop Android. But some of their websites had bugs for many months before they finally fixed them, like their Google Drive software where you couldn't empty the trash, but you'd keep getting notifications that you were out of space. There were some others, but my dog is bugging me for a walk.

 

[Nathan]

I'm a long time Linux user and fan, and regard Linux to be hands-down a better choice than Windows. But yeah, Linux certainly can be buggy at times.
I remember a remark that was made on the Debian Forums about running a 'mixed' system(Stable+Testing): "If you break your system you get to keep the pieces".

 

[Irwin]

I'm a long time Linux user and fan, and regard Linux to be hands-down a better choice than Windows. But yeah, Linux certainly can be buggy at times.
I remember a remark that was made on the Debian Forums about running a 'mixed' system(Stable+Testing): "If you break your system you get to keep the pieces".

The Linux kernel is extremely stable. Linus Torvalds controlled kernel development for a long time. I don't know if he still does.

 

[Nathan]

Linus stepped down because of a meltdown that he had, but now is back as kernel maintainer.

 

[Irwin]

I started running Linux way back in the mid-'90s and played around with Andrew Tanenbaum's Minix even before that. There's been so much innovation over the years. I got into game programming a bit on XT computers using graphics Mode-X, which made pixels square instead of the default rectangular shape. And CGI web programming. It was all kind of fun back then because it was all new and at the forefront of modern computer technology.

It's been years now since I've done any programming. I dinked around with server-side Javascript using Node.js a few years ago, but decided there were other ways I'd rather spend my time.

I run Windows because the software I use for recording music doesn't have a stable release for Linux. If I ever have to pay one penny for Windows, I'll switch to Linux, but that hasn't happened yet. I got a free upgrade to Windows 10, which is available to anyone who knows where to look on the Windows website.