Rebel Netwinder 3100 Specs

Comparing the Netwinder 3100 against its predecessor highlights a list of upgrades in functionality, use, and most of all, prowess. Where the old Netwinder was based on the StrongARM SA-110 running at 275Mhz, the new Netwinder 3100 runs on the Crusoe TM5400 at a feisty 533Mhz. The full spec sheet is listed on the next page for those looking for all the details.

The upgrade to a Crusoe-based system effectively translates into a performance increase from about 233-262 BogoMIPS with the older StrongARM processor to between 992-1030 BogoMIPS with the Crusoe chip. While Crusoe performance in a windows environment has been the subject of much debate (most of it not too flattering), performance under the new Linux 2.4 kernal looks first rate!

Using 4MB of flash memory the Netwinder 3100 stores a compressed Linux kernal. During boot-up the kernal is uncompressed onto a RAM disk and yet another kernal is booted from the hard drive. Alternatively, a diskless system can be booted from a flash-based file system.

According to Rebel.com; "Rebel.com selected Crusoe based on a number of factors, including its ability to work in a small fanless enclosure, its low power consumption, its high performance and its compatibility with industry standards. These are very important strengths of Transmeta's Crusoe processor family which differentiated it from other processor architectures we evaluated."