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points by russli1993 2 days ago | 0 comments
no, they just use ARM instructions set, the core design such as CPU, GPU, NPU, etc is all their own, like Apple. OS is not fork of Android, there is no Android code in HarmonyOS. HarmonyOS uses Linux kernel but has its own user space systems.
[–] MiroslavPokorny 1 day ago
The instruction set is the value.

Writing a new ISA with a completely different instruction set is a far larger task than designing the silicon. This is also why the horrible ISA that is x86 is still alive and running today.

[–] russli1993 1 day ago
is it? Creating an ISA is not hard right? Trade off and design choices on multiple simple or complex instructions, or what types of instructions to have, and special instructions for vectors, encryption, virtualization, etc. Still relatively simple if you are just talking about the ISA itself. The hard part is ecosystem adoption, drivers, compilers, existing low-level code written for the ISA. And the hard part is the high-performance CPU core. I have no doubt Huawei can create a different ISA if they want to. They use ARM ISA now because HarmonyOS can still run Android Apps if there is an android app the user uses but has no native HarmonyOS version, and Android apps with NDK are compiled to ARM
[–] MiroslavPokorny 1 day ago
> is it? Creating an ISA is not hard right?

Its hard, but the value of the software is a massive effort, that cannot be translated or reproduced under a new ISA.

I think we both agree that in x86 should have been retired a long time ago, but its only alive because of the legacy that accompanies it.

> The hard part is ecosystem adoption, drivers, compilers, existing low-level code written for the ISA.

Exactly. There are so many parts and probably many more. The volume of effort to complete that for a new platform will probably not be done. Apple is a different case because they control the MAC platform in full.

> I have no doubt Huawei can create a different ISA if they want to.

Ive also played tennis with people who said they can win Wimbledon, and until THEY win, i dont believe them.

The only way to know for sure is to have a new ISA, but H have yet to try.