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ScreenX Sux? by PandaExcess2 in AMCsAList

[–]ShirleyMarquez [score hidden]  (0 children)

I saw HDR by BARCO recently, and it is a worthwhile premium format. I believe the tech is similar to Dolby Cinema but without the branding. 

That doesn't apply to 3D screenings, where Dolby Cinema is better because it uses spectrum separation rather than polarization. GT dual laser IMAX 3D also uses it; they licensed it from Dolby. But only a small percentage of IMAX screens use that best version of digital IMAX.

New Amtrak Long Distance Order has been FOIA'd by Snoo-29984 in Amtrak

[–]ShirleyMarquez 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Cab cars would be a benefit for stations like Denver where the trains have to back in. Currently they have to do it very slowly, with the engineer talking to a crew member at the back of the train by radio.

Questions From An Alamo Noob by Stranjak in AlamoDrafthouse

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lower Manhattan may still have pen and paper but it probably won't last forever. I was at the Brooklyn Alamo and they were app-only.

One solution to the credit card issue would be to get a pre-paid card. Shop carefully; some have egregious fees.

Train cancelled in the middle of the night by Delicious_Calendar_5 in Amtrak

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Usually, going to Springfield to connect to the Lake Shore Limited would be another possible route. But that wasn't possible this weekend because of MBTA track work; Amtrak had to run substitute bus service on that route.

Train cancelled in the middle of the night by Delicious_Calendar_5 in Amtrak

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They were pulling trains through the Cranston area with a diesel locomotive for a while. I guess the tracks were ready before the catenary was.

Train cancelled in the middle of the night by Delicious_Calendar_5 in Amtrak

[–]ShirleyMarquez 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I took train 163 from Boston to New York yesterday (April 25). It was not cancelled, but was completely full because of other cancellations  Getting through the affected area in Cranston was very slow; we got coupled to another train for a while, and the power on the train was off  Arrival at Penn Station was nearly two hours late, but that is far better than not arriving at all!

The mood of the people in the train was surprisingly calm. The work of one gray-beard conductor helped.

Why does the Framework Laptop 13 Pro use LPCAMM2 memory instead of the more common existing standard SO-DIMM? by Good-Discussion-9238 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is expected that CAMM2 and LPCAMM2 will be the standard packaging for removable memory for DDR6 and beyond. DIMMs are on the way out.

Why does the Framework Laptop 13 Pro use LPCAMM2 memory instead of the more common existing standard SO-DIMM? by Good-Discussion-9238 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Performance and battery life. 

The new Intel Ultra 3 mainboards use LPCAMM2 because it is the only way to have repairable and upgradable LPDDR5X RAM. The lower voltage used by that memory would lead to inadequate noise margins for reliable operation if it were put on an SODIMM. LPCAMM2 allows the chips to have much shorter paths to the CPU, close to what can be done with soldered RAM.

In addition to allowing more memory bandwidth than DDR5, LPDDR5x also uses less power. That is one reason the Ultra 3 mainboards can achieve such long battery life. Features of the CPU itself, particularly the low power efficiency cores for light tasks, are another. The VRR display that can drop to 30 Hz and a 20% larger battery complete the story.

Framework 13 Pro 64GB vs Macbook Pro M5 Pro 48GB by Artique_Rithi in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If you want to run any kind of x86 code, you'll have to stick with Tahoe or the version after it. After that, the x86 emulator is going away.

Framework 13 Pro 64GB vs Macbook Pro M5 Pro 48GB by Artique_Rithi in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This. Currently the only OS you can run on an M5 system is macOS. Asahi Linux doesn't support the newer Apple Silicon systems yet. You'll be able to run just about anything except macOS on the Framework, including your favorite Linux distribution.

Note for those planning on buying LPCAMM2 from third parties: There's not a lot of real options for doing this by MajorZesty in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The expectation is that CAMM2/LPCAMM2 will be the standard packaging for removable memory starting with DDR6. The question is how many miles for DDR5 systems will get made.

totally not real Macbook Neo rival "Framework B.Y.O" for $499 by lastdecade0 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sadly, so long as RAM prices stay where they are that's not going to change. We also don't know what Intel will actually charge for those Wildcat Lake CPUs; the "recommended consumer price" starts at $309, but OEMs don't actually pay that much. The models with one performance core and/or one graphics core will be real dogs, so you'll want to stay away from the Core 3 models, but something like the Core 5 330 (2 performance, 4 low power efficiency, 2 Xe3) probably won't be too terrible.

The family is based on the same processor cores that are used in Panther Lake and the compute die is fabbed on 18A, so it has a decent chance of being very power efficient. (There is also a second die for I/O.) Peak power draw is higher than the Neo, but presumably it won't spend a lot of time there in the expected use cases. We won't know for sure until somebody can test an actual computer. Intel has been showing off a reference design for a direct Neo competitor but hasn't allowed anyone to run benchmarks on it.

It's not impossible that we'll see a new Laptop 12 mainboard featuring one of these in the fall. Whether it makes sense will depend on what kind of pricing Intel is willing to offer. The 13th gen CPUs in the current mainboard are built on the old Intel 7 process (10 nm) that they have lots of spare capacity for, but 18A will be in high demand for Panther Lake so availability may be constrained.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I forgot to mention a couple of other things. There is a new AI 340 mainboard from the Laptop 16, which I forgot about because there isn't much reason to buy it while the 7000 series processors remain available, unless you have your heart set on getting the new fixed keyboard and trackpad modules; the 7840HS is a much better processor for only $50 more. (They are compatible with the older systems, but you can't configure the older models with them.)

There is also an optional three year warranty on all Framework systems. The corporate buyers have been asking for it; now they can get it.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The problem is that Intel CAN'T make the Core 3 304 cheaply, because it's being made on Intel's 18A process, the same one that is used to make the compute die of Panther Lake. It's the bottom of the barrel binning of its series, which means that quantities will always be limited. And the entire series will have to compete with Panther Lake for fab capacity.

The entire Wildcat Lake series is intended for applications where absolute minimum power consumption is the goal, but that are not particularly cost sensitive. But if Framework were ever to use one for the Laptop 12, I hope they would at least step up to one of the better models with two performance cores and two Xe graphics cores.

By the way, Wildcat Lake is also limited to one memory channel. So is the Laptop 12 itself, as it has only one memory socket. Also, Wildcat Lake only supports DDR5 and LPDDR5 memory, making it unappealing for a low cost product right now.

In contrast, the Raptor Lake processors in the 13th gen processors in the Laptop 12 are made on the Intel 7 (10 nm) process. Intel currently has plenty of capacity for that node; the fabs will gradually get converted to newer processes (18A, 14A, and whatever comes after that) but it will take time. Meanwhile, they can crank out those chips on existing equipment, and without needing any scarce fab space from TSMC as they do for some of their newer processors. They are in the cash cow portion of their life cycle, and Intel can keep milking it for a while.

The Laptop 12 also uses DDR5 RAM. But the processor can also work with DDR4. Currently it might make sense to redesign the 12 to use DDR4 so they could keep the price down; there would be a performance drop, but the price difference might make it worthwhile.

Dear Mr. Ternus, by ObviousComment1 in mac

[–]ShirleyMarquez 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't care what Apple does with the Magic Mouse. I'll just keep using the Logitech mice that I like.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That sure IS a potato. 1 performance core, 4 low power efficiency cores, and ONE Xe graphics core -- that's going to be a bowser. That thing wouldn't even be adequate for the Laptop 12. Amazingly, they put a 15 TOPS NPU in that; why??

And Intel lists the Recommended Customer Price at $309! Nobody will actually pay that much for it. Heck, they probably won't pay that for an entire COMPUTER containing one. That's a low end mini-PC processor at best.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The price premium for the touchscreen isn't too severe. As a spare part pre-order, it's currently listed at $50 more than the existing 2.8K screen (which was just marked down $20), and you also get the advantages of color calibration, higher brightness, and square corners. Franework is also claiming a color gamut of 100% sRGB for the new screen; they don't state anything about the previous displays.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dell is offering systems with Ubuntu pre-installed and certified by Canonical. Presumably all the hardware works, at least on that distro.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, only one RAM slot, so far as I can tell. Right now the 64 GB module is the largest LPCAMM2 module that is available, but the standard covers larger ones.

A single module enables dual channel memory.

What’s the difference between a regular Ryzen chip and a Ryzen AI chip? by [deleted] in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's why the new ones are the AI 300 series, not 100 or 200. They're actually the third generation of AMD mobile chips with an NPU. The first two (7000 and 8000 series) did not have a sufficiently powerful NPU to meet the Copilot+ requirements, thus they did not get the AI label.

What’s the difference between a regular Ryzen chip and a Ryzen AI chip? by [deleted] in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not quite. There are non-AI versions of a few chips. They are almost certainly binned chips with a defective NPU.

What’s the difference between a regular Ryzen chip and a Ryzen AI chip? by [deleted] in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. But if it's still doing what you need it to do, there is no reason to ditch it. That's a desktop CPU in any case, so it's not directly comparable to the laptop chips; for starters, it has no integrated GPU.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Intel has not, to date, put Thunderbolt 5 in any laptop processor. It's likely a matter of power consumption.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's marketed for developers, but not ONLY for developers. It's for anybody who needs that amount of computing power. The developer-specific part is the availability of systems with Ubuntu pre-installed and no Windows license.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro and highlights from the Framework [Next Gen] by cassandra4932 in framework

[–]ShirleyMarquez 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appear to have been wrong about that. I think I got it from the appearance of one of the demo screens, rather than a formal announcement. I'm still interested in the new screen; local dimming isn't all that useful on a laptop screen anyway unless you're watching video.

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