PowerPC History and Future Name Change?

[MacRumors]

IBM updated an article entitled "POWER to the people" which runs down the history of the Power Architecture which developed into the PowerPC processor used in Apple's Macintoshes.

The PowerPC came from the Apple, IBM, Motorola alliance and introduced in 1993, the PowerPC saw its first commercial use in the Power Macintosh 6100.

Since 1993, the PowerPC ecosystem has of course evolved; Apple is no longer actively involved in PowerPC, and Motorola's PowerPC (and other microprocessor) development work has been spun off into the independent semiconductor company known as Freescale.

In summer of 2005, Apple announced it would be abandoning the PowerPC processors in favor of Intel processors. The transition is expected to begin as early as January of 2006.

Freescale and IBM are moving on with their PowerPC processors which may even see a name change sometime in 2006, according to this article:

Top-of-the-line custom processors, such as the next-gen Microsoft® Xbox 360® processor, are based on the PowerPC architecture, and IBM remains firmly committed to the PowerPC family as an important component of its microprocessor lineup (note that Freescale hints the PowerPC might undergo a name change in 2006!).

 

[Lacero]

I'd like to see the name change to Cell Broadband Engine.

Aren't they moving towards the Cell architecture, anyways?

 

[Super Dave]

I'd like to see a name change.

Aren't they moving towards the Cell architecture, anyways?

What would you call it?

David

 

[ZorPrime]

I'd like to see a name change.

Aren't they moving towards the Cell architecture, anyways?

It's sad to see the PPC nameplate end but time moves on. Cell is going to be interesting since, Apple hasn't had much, if anything, to do with its development, Sony, Toshiba, and IBM will be holding the patents.

As for the Xbox, who would have though Big Bill would be paying Jobs royalties for a computing technology.

 

[redAPPLE]

What would you call it?

David

PC = PowerCell

 

[GFLPraxis]

I'd like to see the name change to Cell Broadband Engine.

Aren't they moving towards the Cell architecture, anyways?

No, they're not. The Cell is:
1) Extremely specific in the type of tasks it is good at. It sucks for normal computing, terribly, especially running an operating system.
2) Made by IBM only. There's no way Freescale would call it the Cell Broadband Engine.

 

[steve_hill4]

Well, let's hope development continues as well without Apple on baord as it did with Apple. Who's to say that in another 5-10 years Apple will switch back, let's make sure there is something worth switching back to.

As for the name, I think it would be nice called something which still contains the word Power, but moves away from PPC, to a more general name. I don't think the word Cell should appear in it though, as already stated, that is an IBM thing, not Freescale.

 

[Photorun]

I've got some suggestions:

SD Processor (SD = "slow development")
Nevermake3 (GHz)
The G6!
Not-Intels

 

[~Shard~]

Just as with Apple's decision to move to Intel, time goes on and things change.... I wonder what they'll rename the line if this does indeed happen...

 

[inkswamp]

Am I wrong in thinking that Apple still owns a stake in the PPC? Don't they own the technology jointly with IBM and Motorola? I wonder how that plays out in the future of the chip.

 

[MacFan782040]

Ugg..should have stayed with PPC.

 

[hvfsl]

It's going to be called velocity engine.

 

[EricNau]

I wonder if IBM is getting just a little worried, now that they don't have Apple.

 

[d.perel]

how significant..... I'm just waiting for my $400 Intel-based mac mini with DVR and cable tuner built in...

 

[EricNau]

No, they're not. The Cell is:
...
2) Made by IBM only. There's no way Freescale would call it the Cell Broadband Engine.

It's also made by Sony, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., and Toshiba.

http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/200411/04-1129E/

 

[EGT]

We need a neutral vote for the front page news.

I don't see how this is significant. *yawn*

 

[plastique45]

They should call them Expensive Slo-Mo's.

 

[generik]

They probably will change to "Intel"

You see... the last WWDC was a hoax!

 

[EGT]

They probably will change to "Intel"

You see... the last WWDC was a hoax!

Imagine if that was the keynote. How funny would that be!?

 

[Lacero]

I don't see how this is significant. *yawn*

Sure it's significant. It's all marketing. See, when Apple introduced the G4 with Velocity Engine™, I went gaga and purchased my first Mac, because I wanted a supercomputer on me desktops.

Me gots a supercomputer!! YAY!

Cell Broadband Engine sounds rather dumb. I'd prefer something like maybe Synergon Cells™? Sounds dumb initially too, but hey, most folks didn't like when AMD called their new K's Athlons.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[Fiveos22]

We need a neutral vote for the front page news.

I don't see how this is significant. *yawn*

Its a slow Sunday...this is a good read...time to go out an ski now that finals are done!

 

[EricNau]

Sure it's significant. It's all marketing. See, when Apple introduced the G4 with Velocity Engine™, I went gaga and purchased my first Mac, because I wanted a supercomputer on me desktops.

Me gots a supercomputer!! YAY!

Cell Broadband Engine sounds rather dumb. I'd prefer something like maybe Synergon Cells™? Sounds dumb initially too, but hey, most folks didn't like when AMD called their new K's Athlons.

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

If the G4 is a supercomputer, what does that make my G5?

 

[ZorPrime]

Am I wrong in thinking that Apple still owns a stake in the PPC? Don't they own the technology jointly with IBM and Motorola? I wonder how that plays out in the future of the chip.

I think you addressed a really important point. Apple doesn't own any patent rights to the Power, PowerPC, or other hardware architecture or technological derivative implementation. What it does have co-ownership of is the floating point and integer SIMD instruction set technology, aka AltiVec(tm moto), VMX(tm IBM), and Velocity Engine(tm Apple). Anything that uses AltiVec is subject to licensing and the associated royalties... meaning, as long as RISC chips use AltiVec, Apple get a few $$.

 

[gangst]

If the G4 is a supercomputer, what does that make my G5?

A superduper computer

 

[ZorPrime]

I wonder if IBM is getting just a little worried, now that they don't have Apple.

I don't think IBM's worried, since they've been divorcing themselves from the consumer computer market for a while. Apple needed IBM more than IBM needed Apple. Also, Sony has deeper R&D pockets than Apple and Toshiba's all about semi-conductors. They're not going to have the supply-chain issues like with AIM. It's a win win for IBM.

just my 2¢