ROMA laptop is based on RISC-V architecture
RISC-V organization is sharing the news of the arrival of the world’s first laptop based on this architecture.
The ROMA laptop was developed by DeepComputing and Xcalibyte and has just gone for preorder. This system is based on an unannounced quad-core RISC-V processor. If it wasn’t for RISC-V International sharing the news on this laptop, it probably wouldn’t have been taken very seriously. For starters, the announcement lacks details on the hardware, but focuses on non-important stuff like NFTs.
This laptop is developed by DeepComputing who are doing the engineering work, while Xcalibyte is tuning the software. Design-wise, this laptop looks exactly like any low-power laptop, but it seems to be just a render with no operating system shown.
But ROMA laptop is not meant to look great, it’s just the first step or ‘a major milestone’ as CTO of RISC-V International has said. It will allow developers to test software running on this architecture before deploying it to embedded systems.
The press release confirms the following specs. It features quad-core RISC-V CPU with free SoC and SOM upgrades. It has security enclave processor and has GPU and NPU acceleration for video and AI workloads. This development laptop has 16GB of LPDDR4X memory and 256GB of storage. It reportedly runs fine on most Linux operating systems.
It is definitely good to see a new architecture finally reaching a consumer form factor such as a portable laptop, but at the same time it is hard to recommend preordering a system with lacking hardware details, not to mention NFT infested press release.
« press release »
ROMA development platform features forthcoming quad-core RISC-V processor for fastest, seamless RISC-V software development experience.
DeepComputing and Xcalibyte today opened pre-orders for the industry’s first native RISC-V development laptop. The hotly anticipated ROMA development platform features an unannounced quad-core RISC-V processor with a companion NPU/GPU for the fastest, seamless RISC-V native software development available.
“Native RISC-V compile is a major milestone,” said Mark Himelstein, Chief Technology Officer for RISC-V International. “The ROMA platform will benefit developers who want to test their software running natively on RISC-V. And it should be easy to transfer code developed on this platform to embedded systems.”
The ROMA platform features:
- A quad-core RISC-V CPU with free SoC and SOM upgrades
- Security enclave processor
- A GPU/NPU feature accelerator for video and AI
- Up to 16G LPDDR4/LPDDR4X RAM
- Up to 256G storage
- Supports most Linux variant operating systems
- Early access to next-generation laptop and accessory upgrades at generous discounts or for free
A Web3-friendly platform with NFT creation and publication plus integrated MetaMask-style wallet, ROMA will create an even more integrated experience with future AR glasses and AI speakers operating entirely on RISC-V software and powered by RISC-V hardware.
“The ROMA native RISC-V development platform laptop demonstrates the power of collaborative culture and the potential of the RISC-V ecosystem,” said Calista Redmond, CEO of RISC-V International. “This design is a crucial bridge between development boards and RISC-V based business laptops that will be used for day-to-day work. We applaud the contributions of the entire development team that collaborated to achieve this important moment.”
Companies contributing to ROMA’s development include DeepComputing (engineering), PW (assembly), Xcalibyte (system tuning), ECP (security), XC (crypto), Rexeen (voice), LatticeX Foundation (PoS blockchain, NFT).
“With built-in PoS, NFT, and MetaMask-style wallet, ROMA is born for the Metaverse,” said Yuning Liang, Founder and CEO of Xcalibyte and DeepComputing. “This is the laptop of the future. We will spare no effort to provide the best RISC-V native development experience for developers.”
The first 100 customers to pre-order ROMA will receive a unique NFT to mark the birth of the world’s first native RISC-V development platform laptop. And you can have your ROMA personally engraved with your name or company name. Quantities are limited.
« end of the press release »
Source: RISC-V International via Phoronix
