Ask HN: If I could add a 100MHz CPU external to a phone, what use would it have?

1 pointsalins11y ago4 comments

Suppose I could interface a 100 or 200 MHz processor + RAM + storage externally to a high-end smartphone (say via micro USB), and all in a tiny form factor, almost un-noticeable. What useful applications could I run with this weak co-processor? What continuous or periodic tasks can be offloaded to it?

4 comments

informatimago11y ago

Phone processors are at least one order of magnitude more powerful than (usual) 100 MHz CPU, therefore it would be of no use.

Anything you would want to do with that external processor would be slower and more inconvenient than doing it on the phone processor itself.

alinsOP11y ago

Of course I know that. The question is whether there are applications for which an external, physically separated processor, even if weak, would be useful.

andrewstuart11y ago

What are you talking about?

alinsOP11y ago

Talking about a possible product idea I have in mind.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

Ask HN: If I could add a 100MHz CPU external to a phone, what use would it have?

1 pointsalins11y ago4 comments

4 comments

informatimago11y ago

Phone processors are at least one order of magnitude more powerful than (usual) 100 MHz CPU, therefore it would be of no use.

Anything you would want to do with that external processor would be slower and more inconvenient than doing it on the phone processor itself.

alinsOP11y ago

Of course I know that. The question is whether there are applications for which an external, physically separated processor, even if weak, would be useful.

andrewstuart11y ago

What are you talking about?

alinsOP11y ago

Talking about a possible product idea I have in mind.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse