What happens when software undermines hardware's potential?

摘要

In a recent article, I mentioned the RIM (Research in Motion) PlayBook (see "ARM versus Intel: a successful stratagem for RISC or grist for CISC's tricks?" EDN, April 7,2011, pg 24, http://bit.ly/hQwGEu). I showcased it as one of the first announced design wins for Texas Instruments' OMAP (Open Multimedia Applications Platform) 4 SOC (system on chip). I also am well-acquainted with Motorola's Xoom tablet, which the company based on Nvidia's Tegra 2 dual-core SOC. Both the PlayBook and the Xoom have impressive hardware potential, but the currently available operating systems and application suites for both platforms sabotage that potential.