A Microcontroller vs a Laptop: The Tortoise and the Hare
Matching computers from boot up to job done is the real test when comparing the speed of two computer devices. Very few people would say that a 2 gighertz machine that is 2000 times faster than a rival machine would every be second in a speed test. Let me remind you of an Aesops fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. Speed is not what you think it is.
The tales goes like this, a hare races a tortoise, the hare with its enhanced genetics has the ability to outrun a tortoise by a factor of 2000, not scientifically proven but whose going to doubt me. In the story, the hare makes stops along the race route to visit friends. When the tortoise is about to overtake the hare, that hare rejoins the race and separates himself from the tortoise and increases its distance. After using this race stratagem one too many times, the hare finds itself behind and with two much distance to make up. He loses the race.
A laptop is the hare and the microcontroller is the tortoise. In a speed test, from boot-up to message delivery, a microcontroller wins. Having the ability to boot and deliver data in under 4 seconds makes itself a formidable opponent. It can send multiple data packets to the World Wide Web even before a 2 gaghertz computer would connect to WiFi. In no way is 2 gigahertz slow, but today’s modern laptops are still delayed by its boot process. It’s operating system has to take steps to identify the hardware on which it runs. According to Microsoft there booting consist of 4 to 5 steps, that included firmware loading, OEM checks, Windows boot manager and operating system boot. A microcontroller’s boot process is streamlined. It loads software and executes. Its custom made program tells it everything it needs to know. When it comes to speed comparison. It boils down to knowing who you are. Today’s laptops are tied to 1 – 2 minutes of booting. In a speed race with a microcontroller, that’s a handicap that will be difficult to over come.
No actual data was compiled using the laptop speed to send MQTT messages. The additional time that was consumed booting the laptop answered the question of which device was faster.
The microcontroller referred is the ESP32 by espressif.