Xbox and PowerPC Technology

[MacRumors]

Mercury News reported that Microsoft had released some preliminary information about the upcoming next-generation Xbox.

An earlier announcement from Microsoft and IBM indicated that IBM processor technology would be used in the upcoming Xbox successor.

This new article reports that the new Xbox will utilize "three IBM-designed 64-bit microprocessors".

Meanwhile, Sony will also be using IBM-based processor technology in their upcoming Playstation successor... and has recently invested in IBM's chip grop.

[kansast]

It would appear that IBM is on a roll ? I can only hope this bodes well for Apple and the use of PPC chips ? in the long run.

[iGav]

3 processors...

[jderman]

could this be a microsoft conspiracy to migrate their entire line over to ppc, thus eventually making a windows box and a mac box essentially the same thing. It could be just the beginning. I dunno, i kind of liked the idea that ms wasn't investing in ppc from the get go.

[johnnyjibbs]

We've heard a lot about this recently. I'm still skeptical of the need of 3 processors. Meanwhile get ready for the "OS X on Xbox" and "Windows on PPC" discussion...

[Mudbug]

Looks like IBM hit a home run in the processor department... This is indeed great news for all the buyers of these chips - it means continued development of the processor and a healthly cash injection into the process.

[Redboy]

And presumably lower prices since the chips will be produced at such volume and the R&D costs can be spread out a little more.

[stoid]

Hmmm, what an interesting change..

Could it be because the x86 processor system is running out of steam really fast. This emphasized again by the unimpressive performance of the Prescott bricks Intel is pinching off now. As we see now, Steve's choice to go for the PowerPC instead of x86 architecture is paying off in the long run just like he thought. So, there is rumor that Apple has Mac OS X fully working on the x86, is it possible that Microsoft has Windows Longhorn developed to run on PowerPC chips just in case the x86 is out of the game by time Longhorn finally sticks it's head out the door.

If IBM makes the right plays right now, it could squish Intel and maybe again become the dominant chip maker with its awesome PowerPC line.

What do you all think the industry would be like in 10 years if the Wintel world switched to PowerPC in the next few years?

[1macker1]

What's so unimpressive about Prescott?

Originally posted by stoid
[b]Hmmm, what an interesting change..

Could it be because the x86 processor system is running out of steam really fast. This emphasized again by the unimpressive performance of the Prescott bricks Intel is pinching off now. B]

[kkubaryc]

Couldn't VirtualPC see some significant benefit from this? I mean, if MS is going to code to PPC iron, maybe they'll parlay some of that experience into optimizations for our favorite (and only viable) intel emulator...

[eric_n_dfw]

Originally posted by iGAV
3 processors...

I wonder if they didn't mean 3 IBM designed processors - one (or two) of them being 970 derivatives and the other(s) being support chip(s).

I've never seen a 3 CPU machine. I suppose it is possible, but it always seems that (other than "1") CPU's always travel in even numbers.

[rweidmann]

O assume that the $2000 iMac that ships when the Xbox 2 shipt has more oomph than the $300 xbox. Bodes well for the iMac.

[Diatribe]

What do you all think the industry would be like in 10 years if the Wintel world switched to PowerPC in the next few years?

Haha, that would be a kinda funny. This would be bad for Windows, what are they gonna differentiate themselves from the mac platform by then? Now its the processor and the software... now if software would be able to use a ppc and windows eventually switches to unix kernel... the programms could be easily converted to osx. Which would then be Windows' death. Because we all know who has the better os, don't we?

[andyduncan]

I'm betting that a little game of telephone went on here.

I think it's much more plausible that someone said the system will contain three IBM chips, and that the processors will be based on the 64 bit 9xx line.

Somewhere along the line from source to publication this got twisted into three processors, when it might have meant two processors and a System Controller/Northbridge. Or even a dual-core chip plus northbridge.

3 chips isn't unheard of (Sun had some three chip machines), but it's not a common configuration.

[Mac-Xpert]

This could be a good thing for the development of the 97x processors. More use of IBM 97x chips, should mean faster development and lower costs. Also if http://www.teamxbox.com/news.php?id=5388 is right, the next G5 PowerMac should be a really impressive machine too with dualcore 976's.

[Fukui]

The details suggest Microsoft is far more concerned about keeping the cost of its Xbox Next console low than it is with including dazzling technological features or driving its rivals out of the business, according to a variety of industry sources.

Riiiiight, and thats why they are using 3 64 processors...if they are thinking that they'll put 3 G5's our even dual core G5's in a video game system and make it cheaply....this article is what you call first-grade BS.

I think thier "sources" are and Xbox forum...

[Westside guy]

Originally posted by johnnyjibbs
We've heard a lot about this recently. I'm still skeptical of the need of 3 processors. Meanwhile get ready for the "OS X on Xbox" and "Windows on PPC" discussion...

Well, given the type of folks you find in the Linux community, I would be surprised NOT to see a variant of OpenDarwin running on it at some point. I mean, there are currently projects that have Linux running on Xbox, Playstation (1 and 2), and even the Game Cube!

Heck, there's even a "Linux on iPod" project currently starting up over at SourceForge.

[SpY2K]

...and those FPS wintel gamers still think the Mac G5 isn't up to caliber with the wintel gaming machines... oh the irony. Soon, the processors at the core of the new gaming systems will be in the same family as the processors in our dektop machines... I like that

[Stike]

Originally posted by Macrumors
Meanwhile, Sony will also be using IBM-based processor technology in their upcoming Playstation successor

As far as I know, the Cell processor is NOT IBM-based. Its a new design, conceived by Sony, built in cooperation with Toshiba and IBM.

[willrb]

*whistles*

[Mac-Xpert]

Originally posted by eric_n_dfw
I wonder if they didn't mean 3 IBM designed processors - one (or two) of them being 970 derivatives and the other(s) being support chip(s).

I've never seen a 3 CPU machine. I suppose it is possible, but it always seems that (other than "1") CPU's always travel in even numbers.

If the chips are dual-core you would essentially have 6 processors, which would make it a even number again.

[nagromme]

Could the author's misunderstanding be simply this? 3 IBM chips: one PPC CPU, and two cheaper, custom supporting chips? Or, maybe one PPC CPU and two non-IBM GPUs? Seems like the kind of detail that could get muddled in the wording.

Also... I thought it was already known that the new Xbox would use a next-generation PPC; in other words, a G6. Considering the time frame, a G6 for them AND for Macs sounds possible at least.

Then again, what's a G6 and what's a new-improved G5? It's all marketing, and MS won't use the "G" names at all.

[mrsebastian]

that's pretty interesting for two reasons:

one, if ibm starts producing tons and tons of ppc chips, perhaps that will lead to cheaper costs for apple, and thus to us on a retail level

two, as i posted this on another thread, it seemed appropriate here too... "how about an entertainment center like device ... maybe be compatible with a gaming comsole like playstation..." with ppc chips, that should be possible.

[0 and A ai]

Umm why is this posted again? Just regurgitation of info from the other day.

[AirUncleP]

Can you say......miniCluster?