say.

(Click here for a larger view of Opera Mobile 9.5)

Nvidia's Tegra APX2500 (Click image for further information)

Nvidia, best known for its graphics processors and x86 chipsets, announced its foray into ARM-based mobile applications processors in February, with the launch of the 600MHz Tegra APX2500. In June, the company added to the Tegra line with the 700MHz Tegra 600 and 800MHz Tegra 650, the latter touted as supporting display resolutions up to 1680 x 1050.

The Tegra processors run Windows CE and Windows Mobile natively on their ARM11 cores (above). They also include Nvidia's ultra-low power GeForce GPU (graphics processing unit), with the following touted features and benefits:

• OpenGL for Embedded Systems (OpenGL ES) 2.0 compatibility
  
• Direct 3D Mobile
  
• Programmable pixel shader
  
• Programmable vertex and lighting
  
• Coverage Sampled Anti-aliasing (CSAA) support
  
• Advanced 2D graphics

A block diagram of Nvidia's Tegra

As well as delivering a "desktop-class user experience," the Tegra processors are up to 10 times more power-efficient than x86-compatible CPUs, claims Nvidia. Now, adoption of a customized web browser will increase performance and lower power consumption still further, the company adds.


Opera Mobile 9.5 opens pages in full-screen mode, with available context-sensitive menus
(Click either to enlarge)
Opera Mobile 9.5 first shipped in February with HTC's Touch Diamond phone, and was offered in a downloadable public beta in July. Featuring a proprietary core rendering engine called Presto 2.1, the browser lets users pan and zoom around the screen with their fingers or with a stylus, and open context-sensitive menus (above right) by tapping and holding on the screen.

According to Nvidia and Opera Software, a customized version of Opera Mobile 9.5 will be included in a "suite of pre-integrated, in-house, and third-party software," offered to manufacturers creating Tegra-based devices. The browser will tap into the Tegras' GPU's OpenGL ES 2.0 capabilities, delivering smooth performance and "significantly reduced battery consumption," the companies claim.

Neil Trevett, vice president of mobile content at Nvidia, said, "Seamless, effortless Internet access is critical to any state-of-the-art connected mobile device. Opera and Nvidia are cooperating to create a powerful browsing experience that will truly make the Internet an integral part of the advanced Tegra mobile visual computing experience."

Further information

Devices running Opera Software's Opera Mobile 9.5 on Nvidia's Tegra SoCs will be available next year, according to the companies. Meanwhile, products featuring the Tegra APX2500 will begin shipping by the end of 2008, Nvidia says.

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