While from what I have read I understand that the main reason Apple is switching to Intel is for notebooks. Just wondering if they took a look at the processors the Xbox 360 is using considering its PowerPC based, 3.2Ghz and a Tri-Core. To me this would be one hell of a processor to have in a mac. Does anyone know if this option was considered at all?
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Mac's and the Xbox 360
- Thread starter toomuchstereo
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sure it would be great but...
of course the xbox 360's processor would make for a pretty sweet machine running os x. however, this will be the processor used for the next 5 years. apple needs new processors at least every year and actually more than that. so apple switches to intel to give them the speed and power that they want, which IBM wasnt doing quick enough.
of course the xbox 360's processor would make for a pretty sweet machine running os x. however, this will be the processor used for the next 5 years. apple needs new processors at least every year and actually more than that. so apple switches to intel to give them the speed and power that they want, which IBM wasnt doing quick enough.
The cores in the chip for the XBox are not identical. The dual core G5 chips have 2 identical cores. That makes the Xbox processor good for a specialized use like the XBox. It's not good for general computer use.
Bear said:
I hear this alot but when microsoft was demoing the xbox 360 at a computer show they were actually using G5s behind the desk. The xbox wasn't even on. So if this is the case would xbox games run faster on a G5?
MacTruck said:
um, Noooooooooo........
OS X could not possibly run xbox games ever.
reason number 1:
1. OS x is not able to run direct X
2. OS x is not an OS that was ever optimized for taking full advantage of processor/ram/video processor in combination with each other
I can say this, it was easy to get Windows to run on PowerPCs...alot easier than anyone realizes around here...
Plus, it ran exceptionally well...incredible speeds, very easy to optimize Windows to run on another chip
By the way, it took about 5 times as long to get OS X to run on Intel based hardware
Yep it was a custom version of Windows NT on the developer G5's for the Xbox.360.
Remember as well the G5's the developers recieved were all way underpowered abd the games they had running on it even at E3 this year were only 50% of the speed and power. Due to CPU and GPU differences between beta and final hardware.
Xbox 360 is a damn fine machine, though unless you actually play it in HDTV mode, when it's scaled down to SD, games dont look much different to existing xbox.
I just played a final version of both Call Of Duty 2, which runs at 60FPS. The PC version on a tripped out 3.4GHz P4 with X850 XT runs at about 30FPS with drops here and there.
Also got to see final version of Condemned which again looks like the PC game FEAR (developed by same crowd I think) and again it was looking amazing and the framerte was consistent.
Finally a console capable of matching and beating a top pc rig with a GFX card that costs more than the xbox360.
I know things wont stay that way for long, but for a couple of years it's a better investment than a gaming rig.
Remember as well the G5's the developers recieved were all way underpowered abd the games they had running on it even at E3 this year were only 50% of the speed and power. Due to CPU and GPU differences between beta and final hardware.
Xbox 360 is a damn fine machine, though unless you actually play it in HDTV mode, when it's scaled down to SD, games dont look much different to existing xbox.
I just played a final version of both Call Of Duty 2, which runs at 60FPS. The PC version on a tripped out 3.4GHz P4 with X850 XT runs at about 30FPS with drops here and there.
Also got to see final version of Condemned which again looks like the PC game FEAR (developed by same crowd I think) and again it was looking amazing and the framerte was consistent.
Finally a console capable of matching and beating a top pc rig with a GFX card that costs more than the xbox360.
I know things wont stay that way for long, but for a couple of years it's a better investment than a gaming rig.
Morn said:
Err mac mini, powerbook, ibook - none of those can be upgraded (bar memory) and like I say if an xbox 360 costs less than a GFX card which still isnt going to be as fast or reliable consistant (as it relies on every other piece of hardware in your pc/mac) than an xbox360, then what the heck.
I'd rather spend 400 Euro on a console knowing it's going to work everytime on a game I purchase than spend 600Euro on a top GFX card, and then in 6 months more money on new Soundcard, CPU etc.... Consoles have their place, and at least with the 360 you can use it as a home entertainment hub, plug in your ipod or other mp3 player etc...
Besides even when we do have a killer G5 with a top GFX card, the framerate and resolution on stuff like Doom3 does not match a pc, let alone a 360.
toomuchstereo said:
wow, that thread got off topic quite fast.
i would also like to know why IBM never produced a 3 GHz G5. You would assume that if they can fit three cores on a chip at 3.2 GHz for a price low enough for the X-box then they should be able to put two full G5 cores on a chip at 3.0 GHz.
yes, the x-box chip doesn't have full G5 cores but there are three of them. and the chip is cheap, available in volume and clocked at 3.2 GHz. compared to the 2.0 and 2.3 GHz dual cores that apple offers in their powermacs they seem to be a quantum leap.
it seems the technology is there. just not for apple
>>>>Err mac mini, powerbook, ibook - none of those can be upgraded (bar memory) and like I say if an xbox 360 costs less than a GFX card which still isnt going to be as fast or reliable consistant (as it relies on every other piece of hardware in your pc/mac) than an xbox360, then what the heck.
Laptops are pretty much all like that, not just apples laptops, you can add ram, or put in a larger hard drive with more effort... much the same with any laptop. Even if xbox is cheaper, guess where they make all the money, the overpriced games. Buying is sort of optional for pc games. Actually I don't use a mac for my desktop, might consider a mactel powermac down the line if it can run windows and osx at the same time to game without rebooting.
>>>I'd rather spend 400 Euro on a console knowing it's going to work everytime on a game I purchase than spend 600Euro on a top GFX card, and then in 6 months more money on new Soundcard, CPU etc.... Consoles have their place, and at least with the 360 you can use it as a home entertainment hub, plug in your ipod or other mp3 player etc...
But a computer will do much more, I'd rather put the money into a device that will do everything I'd want to do with an entertainment device. Also that's probably cheaper than buy a game console, a tv and a computer seperately. I'm a big fan of convergence.
But the major point is that it's my computer, I configure it however I want, use whatever software or hardware with it I choose, I have a greater sense of control and ownership. It's not just a mere appliance but my digital home!
Laptops are pretty much all like that, not just apples laptops, you can add ram, or put in a larger hard drive with more effort... much the same with any laptop. Even if xbox is cheaper, guess where they make all the money, the overpriced games. Buying is sort of optional for pc games.
Actually I don't use a mac for my desktop, might consider a mactel powermac down the line if it can run windows and osx at the same time to game without rebooting.>>>I'd rather spend 400 Euro on a console knowing it's going to work everytime on a game I purchase than spend 600Euro on a top GFX card, and then in 6 months more money on new Soundcard, CPU etc.... Consoles have their place, and at least with the 360 you can use it as a home entertainment hub, plug in your ipod or other mp3 player etc...
But a computer will do much more, I'd rather put the money into a device that will do everything I'd want to do with an entertainment device. Also that's probably cheaper than buy a game console, a tv and a computer seperately. I'm a big fan of convergence.
But the major point is that it's my computer, I configure it however I want, use whatever software or hardware with it I choose, I have a greater sense of control and ownership. It's not just a mere appliance but my digital home!