Intel Demonstrates 3D Tools for XScale

Last week, Intel demonstrated at the Game Developers Conference in London its toolkit to help developers to write 3D games on devices using XScale processors. The Intel Graphics Performance Primitives (Intel GPP) for the PXA250 provides developers with a broad range of 3D graphics functions including data-type conversion, arithmetic, trigonometric, vector, matrix, and raster primitives. This toolkit is designed to overcome limitations in the XScale chip when it comes to 3D modeling. The Intel GPP is free.

There are at least two XScale processors in the Palm OS Ready Program, which is how chip manufacturers get their processors certified to be used with the Palm OS. These are the PXA250, which runs at up to 400 MHz, and the PXA210, which runs at up to 200 MHz. No StrongARM processors are in the program.

At this point, no Palm OS licensee has officially said it would be putting XScale processors in its handhelds but, according to an unconfirmed report in the DigiTimes, Palm is going to release a handheld that runs the PXA250 early next year.

Related Information:

• Cnet: Intel's new 3D tools take flight on PDAs
• PIC: Palm to Release XScale Powered Handheld in 2003
• PIC: Two PalmOS-Ready XScale Chips Announced by Intel