Xbox and PowerPC Speculation

[hvfsl]

Theres no reason M$ wont have the Xbox2 use PPC chips, but then that will mean ALL the next gen consoles will be using PPC chips from IBM. Since Sony and Nintendo have already comfirmed to be using IBM chips in PS3 and GC2.

Also, Windows has been in games consoles before. The Dreamcast used a 200Mhz NEC Risc chip and ran Direct X 6 and Windows CE. I expect the reason for the switch is so that the Xbox2 cant be used as another cheap PC. Although, people may just run PPC Linux on it.

I dont see any point in M$ porting Windows to run on Macs, why would anyone want it. VPC is good enough for most programs, but if you want anything faster, get a PC. People still wont be able to run PC games on their Macs if Windows was ported.

 

[singletrack]

Perhaps Microsoft could port Direct-X to PPC. I wonder if we'd see that on Macs? It would make porting games from the PC to the Mac a lot simpler but might possibly see the death of OpenGL.

 

[rasha]

I only see good for Apple if IBM supplies the chips for the next generation consoles. Apple has partnered with IBM so I am assuming the experience and knowledge along with technological achivements by IBM console chip manufacturing will be benificial to PPC chip development for Apple. It may also motivate IBM to keep pushing the envelope with PPC technology having multiple coustomers other than Apple.

I am not sure what is going on with IBM but they look like they may provide all the next gen system chips along with ATI doing the GPUs.

What about Motorola? Maybe their PPC embeded tech will show up in cell phone and handheld gaming machines.

 

[iMeowbot]

Originally posted by alset
I wonder if this may lead to rumors of M$ developing Windows for PPC?

There is Windows for PowerPC... or at least there was, up through NT 4. It would probably still be available, if there was much demand for it.

 

[Flynnstone]

Re: true or no

Originally posted by TMay
Moreover, since IBM makes the 405LP PPC, it would be possible to create a handheld game machine, without going to another development system, a bonus for developers (why hasn't Apple used this chip yet?).

If Apple was making a new Newton then the 405LP could be a good choice. It could be used for smart appliances like MS's spot things. But it may not be good for more. I use the 405 GP in a system running linux.