There is something about the Framework laptop logo

There is something about the framework laptop logo…. i just can’t place it … :-)

https://frame.work/au/en/products/laptop-diy-13-gen-amd?q=processor

With current talk regarding a Qemu port- this would be a nice platform to base it on, using preferred OS (eg Linux or BSD etc).

If a Qemu based RISC OS liberated it from the 32bit ARMs which now appear to be starting to come to an end and gave significant performance improvements then this may well be the future for RISC OS. Yes I know there is a large element of nostalgia to run the original ARM OS on ARM hardware, but RISC V is growing and other platforms are also readily available. If the ‘cheap’ RPi 32bit hardware is now coming to an end (and the associated golden opportunity of attracting new users) then maybe we need to think if RISC OS has any future beyond the diminishing ‘grey beard’ user base (yes although only at half a century or so, my facial growth has a reasonable grey component to it if allowed to proliferate and I still have a couple of Beebs , RPCs and RPis around).
So whilst a much improved performance for RISC OS will be most welcomed, what are we going to do with it, or more pointedly what are any newer users going to do with it….
RISC OS needs some application software to keep it relevant (or at least updates to remaining worthwhile packages)… otherwise it is going to disappear when we all do.
Whilst IRIS no doubt pales against other browsers on other platforms if not only due to size of the development pool, it does have a killer feature with regards to printing/pdf output in that it renders the screen display. I prefer to use firefox than others but it is not good when it comes to generating decent printed output (hardcopy or PDF for example). So my RPi4 is going to run RO5 with IRIS in the workshop when i get a chance to set it up (being able to print out what is on screen for equipment manuals, etc is super useful).

What do you all think ?

Mmm… it’s pretty late downunder (been working late) maybe I should retire for the evening.

Well, that’s hilariously expensive compared to what I bought a couple of months back. :-)

But beyond our lovely Pi 4 or RK3399 systems, it’s going to be emulation, and at that point, who cares about the underlying architecture?