WinTel to WinRola

[xane]

Interesting article from the Inquirer speculating that the next Windows will run on the XBox2, which is rumoured to be using IBM's Power PC CPU, a.k.a. the Apple CPU.

Windows on a Mac ? IMO this could be a winning combination and one can only speculate the bad blood between Microsoft and Apple over the years has prevented it from happening to date, in fact the only way, according to the article is for Microsoft to "merge" with Apple, who have such a low market share nowdays it would not be seen as monopolising.

Microsoft have already sucked up to AMD behind Intel's back for the 64-bit versions of its OS, so why not a non-x86 platform too.

What next ? Windows on a Sun SPARC ?!

 

[Scooba da Bass]

Is the Power PC hardware that good that MS would want to switch? Mac people tend to use one because of the software regardless of what the Apple PR department might think (G5 FASTEST PC IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!).

Incidentally, as far as I know IBM are also supplying the chip for the PS3 and whatever Nintendo decide to call the N5.0, looks like we've already got a winner in the console wars.

 

[Shovel]

To the best of my knowledge - unless this has changed recently - XBox2 is not based on PowerPC, but on a different IBM chip which last I heard Microsoft were at least partially involved in designing.

Although it's an interesting idea it smells horribley of "Bored Inquirer Journalist gets Elaborately Hypothetical. Again".

 

[old.user4556]

There is an x86 build of OS X floating about. Speculation suggests it's incase Apple make a jump to an x86 (PC practically) architecture.

G

 

[xane]

Although it's an interesting idea it smells horribley of "Bored Inquirer Journalist gets Elaborately Hypothetical. Again".

True, but the fact being that if Microsoft are prepared to release non-x86 versions of Windows, then why not the Power PC ? Even if the MS/IBM combination CPU was not a Power PC it would not be that different from one as IBM do not have a licence for x86, so it would still be Motorola 88000 RISC based.

I don't think it's that "elaborate" in thinking, Microsoft have never needed to make a multi-platform OS until now and I think everybody has more or less wondered "why the hell not ?". If Linux is their new enemy then it makes sense to fight it in the same arenas, and that means non-x86 architecture.

The 88000 CPU is a good jump to make, it opens up everything from Macs, TiVos, Gamecubes, even the IBM AS/400 and RS/6000 series, and it's a 64-bit superscalar CPU as well !

There is an x86 build of OS X floating about. Speculation suggests it's incase Apple make a jump to an x86 (PC practically) architecture.

Apple's strength lies in their superior hardware, not their crap-awful software, if anything they'd dump the OS and move Windows onto the Mac, that would double their profits overnight.

 

[RandomBastard]

ps3 uses sony designed 'cell' processors, so ibm might have a hand in manufacture but its not really supplied by them as its designed inhouse by sony, and id be surprised if ibm were involved even in manufacutre

 

[Scooba da Bass]

ps3 uses sony designed 'cell' processors, so ibm might have a hand in manufacture but its not really supplied by them as its designed inhouse by sony, and id be surprised if ibm were involved even in manufacutre

Muhh? Toshiba, Sony and IBM have been involved in the design from the start. Toshiba are currently putting together the production line to churn them out.

 

[Xavier]

Yeah, some intelligent individual at IBM accidentally pre-announced that Sony were planning to use their low-k process for the PS3 cells. Pity the yields are so utterly crap at present that existing customers after low-k are having to use remasked designs for basic 130nm instead.

On the note of la Inq, I wouldn't be entirely surprised if it did prove to be total rubbish, some of the stuff Fudo has written about NV40 has been so far off the mark it's not funny...