Smartphones and D

[Denis Koroskin]

On Sun, 30 Jan 2011 15:29:54 +0300, Michel Fortin  
<michel.fortin at michelf.com> wrote:

> On 2011-01-30 03:05:59 -0500, Gary Whatmore <no at spam.sp> said:
>
>> D's main focus currently is 32-bit x86 servers and desktop  
>> applications. This is where the big market has traditionally been. Not  
>> everyone has 64-bit hardware and I have my doubts about the size of the  
>> smartphone markets.
>
> I think the important point here is ARM, not smartphones.
>
> ARM processors will soon start to enter other markets, mainly the server  
> and laptop markets, both very sensitive to power consumption issues.  
> Dual-core ARM processors aren't targeted at smartphones, and many  
> servers aren't that much concerned with binary compatibility with older  
> software so it's easy to switch them.
>
> Without an ARM backend, we'll be left in the cold eventually. The only  
> question in my mind is when.
>
>

I can't help myself but mention Tablet PCs that are gaining momentum. Many  
of the newest tablets are going to use dual core ARMs (as announced in a  
recent Consumer Electronic Show 2011).
Also Sony Computer Entertainment just announced their next handheld  
console (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable_successor).  
It's based on quad core ARM Cortex-A9.

That said I really hope D gets an ARM backend. While it isn't likely for a  
DMD to happen, it could for LDC.