Why did Google choose RenderScript instead of OpenCL

android opencl renderscript
Redwarp picture Redwarp · Jan 17, 2013 · Viewed 16.1k times · Source

I've been wondering if it was possible to use OpenCL for Android, find out that it wasn't possible, and dropped the subject altogether. But thanks to the blog post from january 14th on the official Android Developer blog (http://android-developers.blogspot.fr/2013/01/evolution-of-renderscript-performance.html), I discovered that parallel programming was possible since Android 4.0, thanks to RenderScript ! An API that has quite a few common features with OpenCL.

What I'm wondering now is : why did Google choose to implement this new solution, instead of pushing OpenCL forward (an open specification now handled by the Khronos group).

I mean, I know, it's not really hard to convert from one to the other, but still...

Anyway, if anyone as the real explanation, please let me know !

Answer

arrayfire picture arrayfire · Jan 17, 2013

Apple holds the trademark on OpenCL. Google competes with Apple. Perhaps it's really that simple.

We've done work on OpenCL with Android (see here) and are happy to see it moving forward thanks to the work of Intel, Imagination, and other chip makers. Google will turn around soon enough.

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