News Loongson ships 10,000 CPUs in pilot test with 50 schools in China

[Admin]

China's schools adopt Loongson processors as the country transits away from foreign CPUs.

Loongson ships 10,000 CPUs in pilot test with 50 schools in China : Read more

 

[ThomasKinsley]

With performance of the Loongson processor approximating the first gen Ryzen, I'm not sure how popular this program will be. These are essentially functioning as Chromebooks while not participating in the cloud computing paradigm. I suppose it all depends on how light Unity Operating System is.

 

[diminishedfifth]

Can we really call it gaining traction though? It's China. The government does as it pleases. I really doubt the companies changing to the Chinese processor, are doing so willingly.
Since they are forced to switch, yeah it looks like "traction" but remove the whole "China is forcing them to switch" can it really be called traction? Besides the CPU being benched by various Western channels, have those CPUs shipped anywhere in a decent quantity?

 

[Unolocogringo]

Wow a whole 10,000. (SARACSM)
Lets see. China is about 1.5 billion and say 20% are school age.
So 300 million students -10,000 computers = a whole lot of people still on western hardware or doing without.

 

[Co BIY]

It's 100% conceivable to me that preventing early access to computers may increase a student's lifelong progress.

So ...

Also the computational power of a computer should have very little effect on the large majority of educational applications. The quality of the curriculum and it's implementation into software would be key.

 

[das_stig]

Doesn't matter about performance, if it works and nobody complains, what people should be looking at is the potential number of processors they could sell. According to Google, 2021 - China had 529,300 educational institutions of all kinds, 291 million students enrolled, full-time teaching staff was 18,443,700 and 294,800 kindergartens across the country, thats a lot of cpu's western companies not going to get cash from.

Now lets expand that, NK and the likes decides to buy Chinese as cheaper, India develops their own, western manufacturers should be taking a very good look and be worried.

This isn't even including server and military sales, this is just the start of Asian fighting back!

 

[Notton]

Wow a whole 10,000. (SARACSM)
Lets see. China is about 1.5 billion and say 20% are school age.
So 300 million students -10,000 computers = a whole lot of people still on western hardware or doing without.

This is such a weird comment to make.
Did you read the article?
It's a pilot project for 50 schools, so probably 200 PCs per school.

Even at a professional workplace, you don't suddenly replace 100% of your equipment at once. People need some time to get used to the new equipment, and there could be some unforeseen bugs that need to be worked out.
You do understand that, right?

 

[PEnns]

The laws of unintended consequences:

China will switch to local soft and hardware. Many Asian and African countries will switch to the Chinese versions because they cost a fraction of the western counterparts, thus expanding Chinese influence.

Western companies are worried but their crowds are cheering the amazing sanctions against China.

 

[gg83]

Yeah, these are probably the rebranded Intel chips.
And what????? " Loongson helped to adjust learning experiences and eventually could ship considerably more CPUs for China's educational sector. "

 

[ivan_vy]

The laws of unintended consequences:

China will switch to local soft and hardware. Many Asian and African countries will switch to the Chinese versions because they cost a fraction of the western counterparts, thus expanding Chinese influence.

Western companies are worried but their crowds are cheering the amazing sanctions against China.

Microsoft giving almost free (and free upgrades) software was to keep them in the chinese market.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/s/microsoft-tackles-china-piracy-free-023452318.html
Hardware manufacturers are the real losers with the dumb sanctions.
https://www.news18.com/tech/hp-moving-its-pc-production-out-of-china-report-8376961.html
Do USA lawmakers really thought they could stop China?
-you can't have any of my toys. -fine, I'll make mine. -*surprised Pikachu face
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" -Mario Puzzo

 

[pug_s]

This is such a weird comment to make.
Did you read the article?
It's a pilot project for 50 schools, so probably 200 PCs per school.

Even at a professional workplace, you don't suddenly replace 100% of your equipment at once. People need some time to get used to the new equipment, and there could be some unforeseen bugs that need to be worked out.
You do understand that, right?

Agreed. This is only the beginning. In US' schools, it took a few years when cheap chromebooks replaced macs. I'm pretty sure that China is doing the same thing using their loongson's chips.

 

[southernshark]

With performance of the Loongson processor approximating the first gen Ryzen, I'm not sure how popular this program will be. These are essentially functioning as Chromebooks while not participating in the cloud computing paradigm. I suppose it all depends on how light Unity Operating System is.

Realistically school kids just need to type, surf the web and watch videos. School computers don't need to be very good.

 

[artk2219]

Realistically school kids just need to type, surf the web and watch videos. School computers don't need to be very good.

Especially because the kids are going to abuse them heavily, so cheap, somewhat durable, and powerful enough to do the basics.

 

[Unolocogringo]

This is such a weird comment to make.
Did you read the article?
It's a pilot project for 50 schools, so probably 200 PCs per school.

Even at a professional workplace, you don't suddenly replace 100% of your equipment at once. People need some time to get used to the new equipment, and there could be some unforeseen bugs that need to be worked out.
You do understand that, right?

I understand exactly what the article meant and stated.
Yes sanctions have many and variable unseen consequences.
Their original goal was 25% domestic product use by all government agencies by 2025.

Did the sanctions delay their product or its design ?
I know they later stated that their goal would be achieved at a later date..

I'm sorry if my sarcasm against propaganda offends you.
But I do carry my sign in the forums at all times.
Over there on the left.
Have a nice day

 

[parkerthon]

Agreed. This is only the beginning. In US' schools, it took a few years when cheap chromebooks replaced macs. I'm pretty sure that China is doing the same thing using their loongson's chips.

I agree that one way or another, China will build and push adoption of its own national cpu. With an infinitely controlling authoritarian government and a massive state consumer, it would be a huge L if they didn’t. The question is whether they will catch up with modern chip makers ever. It’s ridiculous to assume China, simply because of its central government’s overt power and large population, will achieve this. We have seen many centrally planned economies collapse after a brief period of success. But maybe with an axis of friendly collaborative countries like BRICS supporting it, it could. Right now things are just starting to develop.

 

[pug_s]

I agree that one way or another, China will build and push adoption of its own national cpu. With an infinitely controlling authoritarian government and a massive state consumer, it would be a huge L if they didn’t. The question is whether they will catch up with modern chip makers ever. It’s ridiculous to assume China, simply because of its central government’s overt power and large population, will achieve this. We have seen many centrally planned economies collapse after a brief period of success. But maybe with an axis of friendly collaborative countries like BRICS supporting it, it could. Right now things are just starting to develop.

Just have to go back to the Chromebooks example. Most of the Chromebooks are low powered low specs's pc's so even loongson's CPU's should'nt be an issue. and most apps are run in the cloud China just have to develop an ecosystem to run the software on the backend.

 

[gg83]

I agree that one way or another, China will build and push adoption of its own national cpu. With an infinitely controlling authoritarian government and a massive state consumer, it would be a huge L if they didn’t. The question is whether they will catch up with modern chip makers ever. It’s ridiculous to assume China, simply because of its central government’s overt power and large population, will achieve this. We have seen many centrally planned economies collapse after a brief period of success. But maybe with an axis of friendly collaborative countries like BRICS supporting it, it could. Right now things are just starting to develop.

China still uses soviet Era designs for it military. So, I'm sure the current cpu tech will be used 30 years from now.

 

[nookoool]

People are over estimating how much computer you need in a educational setting. The 3a6000 would of been a better choice, but the 3a5000 is good enough for the majority of productivity software, coding, grinding leetcode, 780p/1080p video, video conference etc.

It's price/performance metrics are terrible compare to a modern intel. Hence why pushing it in goverment/corporate setting is the only way people will start initial adoption. In some of these settings , there wouldn't be much of an advantage of using a 3a6000/3a5000 than a intel anyways.

 

[williamcll]

A Loongsoon is enough, It's not like they are running those PCs on Windows 11 working with AI or Video Games.

 

[The_Future_Is_Here]

It's a Pilot Program.


Frankly speaking the central Chinese government don't care for the opinions of anyone commenting here, they'll continue to do whatever they have already planned out and whether it works successfully or not is a mix of some planning and a lot of blind hope that ultimately everything is able to transition from current foreign manufactured hardware to hardware that is designed & manufactured locally within Chinas own international borders.

For Western-based hardware manufacturers the writing of access to the Chinese market has been on the wall for almost a decade now, they knew that the market would close up on itself eventually, it is history repeating itself once more after all.

And it is not as if these Western Silicon Manufacturers & Designers are without other markets to sell to, after all despite China having close relations with some developing nations than other global powers it would still need to convince those nations to back track on hardware & software stacks that they already have widely adopted just so they can use Chinese developed hardware which they are now also starting to distrust as part of their infrastructure.

This is just a test bed, a small experiment to see if their homegrown hardware is truly ready for prime time inside of an educational setting, or if they need more time & investment to work out some remaining hurdles in the pipeline.

China is doing exactly what it said it would do, and, exactly what any well educated market analyst would have predicted was going to happen 10-Years ago, it is turning inwards on itself for protection of it's identity & of it's dictators hold on power over the people of China.

 

[pug_s]

People are over estimating how much computer you need in a educational setting. The 3a6000 would of been a better choice, but the 3a5000 is good enough for the majority of productivity software, coding, grinding leetcode, 780p/1080p video, video conference etc.

It's price/performance metrics are terrible compare to a modern intel. Hence why pushing it in goverment/corporate setting is the only way people will start initial adoption. In some of these settings , there wouldn't be much of an advantage of using a 3a6000/3a5000 than a intel anyways.

There's a few reasons 1) US has been slapping to sanctions to Chinese companies and entities, so it might there come a time where China can't buy Intel hardware 2) Google services is pretty much banned in China, so I would imagine that China is making some kind of google classroom ecosystem like in China and it will take time to do this. 3) economies of scale is currently not there in making these chips. China is subsitizing its chipmaking industry so eventually price will go down much like its solar panel, battery, and ev industry.

 

[WINTERLORD]

Yes but in the long run wouldn't there hardware and software be much more secure as they learn on this stuff while the rest of the world prolly knows nothing about there software and hardware