Alibaba T-Head TH1520 RISC-V processor to power the ROMA laptop - CNX Software
www.cnx-software.com
The ROMA RISC-V laptop was announced this summer with an unnamed RISC-V processor with GPU and NPU. We now know it will be the Alibaba T-Head TH1520

I got a quote for $4,999 for the laptop last July. This includes 3 years of unlimited service with free SoC upgrades, lifelong limited repair, and free repairs (excluding postage/shipping not included) and “six continuous-quarter ROMA OWNER SURPRISE PACKAGE” with AI headphones, AR glasses, AI speakers, classic game console, and autonomous Robots or Racing Car, plus some NFT thingy…

But now, I can see the laptop listed on Alibaba for $1,499 and up presumably without all the perks above unless you select the Premium package. The first 100 premium versions will be delivered in Q4 2022 and the company plans produce 1,000 more units in Q1 2023. A much cheaper way to own the laptop would be to get it for free, and you can do so, provided you are a developer with a compelling use case, by registering to the RISC-V Developer Boards program before December 15. It’s also possible to apply for the VisionFive 2 SBC instead, and you’d probably be more likely to qualify.