IBM/linux: Can Apple buy a friend?
I was wondering what the impact of a broadly successful foray by IBM into the world of PPC-linux might be on Apple hardware and the mac platform.
We're all excited about a new Son of Power4 G5 (forgive me but for the now surrendered sake of brevity): A 64bit PPC that IBM wants to use (possibly) for an extensive range of linux machines. hmmm... This seems like a good thing to ease the hardware frustrations throughout macdom. But might it be a good thing for the mac platform in general? Or might it be a bad thing for them?
I can't imagine it's too much of a jump from PPC linux to OSX or back again. What's the difference between PPC linux and X86 linux anyway? Will linux apps run on both or do you need to recompile? And does this work well, or is it basically a task for the computer pro?
x86 has been on it's last legs forever. We're always waiting for the next great Windows platform, is it hammer? is it Itanium? It seems the x86 guys just keep finding ways to ratchet up the performance while maintaining backwards compatibility with the X86 instruction set. Nobody wants to risk a CPU that won't run the vast library of x86 apps/Windows.
But IBM is a major player, and if they decide that a linux-PPC platform is viable for servers and workstations, but also for lower cost desktops, Linux could get a big boost. I wonder why they wouldn't just go with x86 linux? For IBM, what are the advantages, if any, of PPC linux over x86 linux?
And where would this leave Apple? They get some fast CPU's right now, but in 5 years? IBM let their own workstations languish with 604's! Whose to say we're not in the same boat in 5 years time, or worse.
But back to the platform. If such a thing as an affordable PPC linux workstation became available would this be good for Apple or the Mac platform? People might be able to pull off a clone? On the other hand, another pile of apps might become instantly available.
We're all excited about a new Son of Power4 G5 (forgive me but for the now surrendered sake of brevity): A 64bit PPC that IBM wants to use (possibly) for an extensive range of linux machines. hmmm... This seems like a good thing to ease the hardware frustrations throughout macdom. But might it be a good thing for the mac platform in general? Or might it be a bad thing for them?
I can't imagine it's too much of a jump from PPC linux to OSX or back again. What's the difference between PPC linux and X86 linux anyway? Will linux apps run on both or do you need to recompile? And does this work well, or is it basically a task for the computer pro?
x86 has been on it's last legs forever. We're always waiting for the next great Windows platform, is it hammer? is it Itanium? It seems the x86 guys just keep finding ways to ratchet up the performance while maintaining backwards compatibility with the X86 instruction set. Nobody wants to risk a CPU that won't run the vast library of x86 apps/Windows.
But IBM is a major player, and if they decide that a linux-PPC platform is viable for servers and workstations, but also for lower cost desktops, Linux could get a big boost. I wonder why they wouldn't just go with x86 linux? For IBM, what are the advantages, if any, of PPC linux over x86 linux?
And where would this leave Apple? They get some fast CPU's right now, but in 5 years? IBM let their own workstations languish with 604's! Whose to say we're not in the same boat in 5 years time, or worse.
But back to the platform. If such a thing as an affordable PPC linux workstation became available would this be good for Apple or the Mac platform? People might be able to pull off a clone? On the other hand, another pile of apps might become instantly available.
Comments
<strong>I can't imagine it's too much of a jump from PPC linux to OSX or back again. What's the difference between PPC linux and X86 linux anyway? Will linux apps run on both or do you need to recompile? And does this work well, or is it basically a task for the computer pro?
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ppc linux programs can already run under osx. the binaries (the source code for program and libraries are compiled into `binaries`) are identical. the only problem is binaries using instructions that only work on newer processors, when the program is run on older one(s). x86 linux has binaries made for a totally different instruction set. if the source code is available, often a recompile can do the trick. if the code is heavily favored for the x86's special instructions (their simd), porting is more difficult. just about all linux users are familiar with the compiling process (many linux programs are distributed as source code to alliviate the x86/ppc/other chip problem).
[quote]<strong>x86 has been on it's last legs forever. We're always waiting for the next great Windows platform, is it hammer? is it Itanium? It seems the x86 guys just keep finding ways to ratchet up the performance while maintaining backwards compatibility with the X86 instruction set. Nobody wants to risk a CPU that won't run the vast library of x86 apps/Windows.
But IBM is a major player, and if they decide that a linux-PPC platform is viable for servers and workstations, but also for lower cost desktops, Linux could get a big boost. I wonder why they wouldn't just go with x86 linux? For IBM, what are the advantages, if any, of PPC linux over x86 linux?</strong><hr></blockquote>
ibm makes ppc processors, so they are slanted toward making ppc computers. i think part of the reason they make ppc procs is because of the AIM alliance.
[quote]<strong>And where would this leave Apple? They get some fast CPU's right now, but in 5 years? IBM let their own workstations languish with 604's! Whose to say we're not in the same boat in 5 years time, or worse.
But back to the platform. If such a thing as an affordable PPC linux workstation became available would this be good for Apple or the Mac platform? People might be able to pull off a clone? On the other hand, another pile of apps might become instantly available.</strong><hr></blockquote>
linux is already affordble, and the chip used doesn't really matter. ppc linux is used already. and many x86 linux progs are OSS, so they can already go to ppc.
Someone in another thread mentioned that one possible avenue for Apple to seriously break into the server market would be topartner with IBM. Apple has their own server now, but by licensing OSX to IBM (for servers only) they could seriously break into the business market and create a valuable ally in the search for a consistent supplier of high performance CPU's.
Anybody out there use Linux PPC ??? Are there problems getting apps for it? I'm a little dense about this compiling source code bit. When I buy/download a linux app do I do anything special to it or is such a compiler built into the OS itself (or the OS's installation process) ?