So nothing there that would have immediate effects on Apple...
It seems to me, after reading the article, he took one part of it and ran along those lines. I was under the impression, from press releases that this meeting was going to talk about a lot more. This is just to first report, I will wait to see more news later in the day.
On another note, I went back and tried to find the story that talked about this event, and I can't find it on AI. I also checked other sites to no avail. Does someone have a link to the story?
The Global Brands Manufacture Group, based in China, today announced a multi-million dollar agreement with IBM to explore using Power Architecture technology in its consumer products, including desktop and notebook computers, DVD players and digital cameras. GBM Group will work with IBM Engineering & Technology Services to create these consumer solutions.
This is the most interesting part of the announcement, especially the desktop and notebook computers this company might develop. I am assuming Power Architecture refers to the PowerPC. Hopefully this means some sort of competitive CHRP or PowerPC Open Platform system boards will be available to consumers and the PowerPC can really take off as a viable alternative PC system.
""The company also demonstrated its pending POWER5 architecture, which, as promised, runs multiple operating systems in virtual partitions off one chip in order to help enterprises consolidate IT infrastructure. However,commercial products based on the next-generation architecture aren't expected until the second half of 2004, company officials said""
The 64-bit PowerPC 970, a single-core version of the POWER4, can process 200 instructions at once at speeds of up to 2 GHz and beyond -- all while consuming just tens of watts of power. Its low power consumption makes it a favorite with notebooks and other portable applications on the one hand, and with large server and storage farms on the other. Its 64-bit capability and single instruction multiple data (SIMD) unit accelerate computationally intensive workloads such as multimedia and graphics. It is used in Apple desktops, Apple Xserve servers, imaging applications, and -- increasingly -- in networking applications. The Apple Xserve G5 features the first use of the new PowerPC 970FX -- the first chip made using both strained silicon and SoI technologies together, enabling the chip to run at even greater speeds with even less power consumption.
"Its low power consumption makes it a favorite with notebooks and ...."
This news is très fantastique. Awesome. IBM is outlining a long term strategy to grow market share, even achieve market dominance, for the PPC. In this strategy, IBM would not dominate the processor market, but the PPC architecture might, taking the lead away from the X86.
The X86 computer hardware grew rapidly when it was open to many vendors to compete with their own products. Hardware was open except for one item. Intel kept an iron grip on the processor. A few others managed to compete, but there is no unity. Intel and AMD do not cooperate on standards. For example, Intel could make their 64-bit X86 extensions different from AMD if they wanted to force a show down. Any company wishing to make an X86 processor must be prepared to do battle with Intel.
Contrast the X86 playing field with that pictured by IBM. IBM is ready to cooperate with those who wish to build PPC processors. IBM is eager to license the PPC and provide these new PPC makers with the tools to succeed. The result is that the PPC computer hardware may be truly open, with many suppliers for the processor. I can see where IBM vision would be very appealing. In the PPC world, there will be many CPU vendors and a hardware company is not at the mercy of a dominant CPU supplier who may favor one customer over another. Also consider countries that may wish to produce their own CPU, rather than buy it from a US owned manufacturer. IBM took the factors that made the original X86 hardware grow rapidly and extended it to include the CPU.
-- IBM introduced the Power Architecture Pack. The pack is a no-charge evaluation kit that lets designers create custom Power chips in a simulation environment. It can be downloaded at no charge from an IBM Web site and allows engineers to simulate a system-on-chip design based on their own intellectual property coupled with a Power processor.
I spy with my little eye...
a new favourite link for spec whores imagining their überchip?
coming soon... virtual chip deathmatch for the title "x computer can beat up y"
And now..., in this corner, Dr. Noonian Singh's virtual PowerData9 3/8ths
- with 4 TB of on-chip cache, an optical bus and holographic memory
and in the opposite corner, Nigel Tufnel's virtual PowerTap11
- with everything turned up to 11MHz using a new Ketamine-doping process
because other computers only go to 10, and ours goes up to 11
no pesky laws of the market to limit your wacked design experiments.
what better for those mad scientist FH mockup moods and rumour-mongering
even better if the promised link between IP and a Power chip allows virtual cyborgs
This news is très fantastique. Awesome. IBM is outlining a long term strategy to grow market share, even achieve market dominance, for the PPC. In this strategy, IBM would not dominate the processor market, but the PPC architecture might, taking the lead away from the X86.
The X86 computer hardware grew rapidly when it was open to many vendors to compete with their own products. Hardware was open except for one item. Intel kept an iron grip on the processor. A few others managed to compete, but there is no unity. Intel and AMD do not cooperate on standards. For example, Intel could make their 64-bit X86 extensions different from AMD if they wanted to force a show down. Any company wishing to make an X86 processor must be prepared to do battle with Intel.
Contrast the X86 playing field with that pictured by IBM. IBM is ready to cooperate with those who wish to build PPC processors. IBM is eager to license the PPC and provide these new PPC makers with the tools to succeed. The result is that the PPC computer hardware may be truly open, with many suppliers for the processor. I can see where IBM vision would be very appealing. In the PPC world, there will be many CPU vendors and a hardware company is not at the mercy of a dominant CPU supplier who may favor one customer over another. Also consider countries that may wish to produce their own CPU, rather than buy it from a US owned manufacturer. IBM took the factors that made the original X86 hardware grow rapidly and extended it to include the CPU.
Hey snoopy, I like how you outlined that! If linux hacks, console makers, Apple and server bigiron makers could invest in the PPC on relatively equal footings, not only would that change the center of mass of the processor industry, but it could ignite a mini-explosion of innovation in the computer industry again, especially in the newly awakening Asian nations! That could be good for everyone....and the consumer os (as in OSX) that plays the nicest with everyone else (esp. when China starts making its own archetecture) will find an easier global strategy!
IBM is giving away design tools?! I almost fainted when I saw that. This is a company that meters their drinking fountains (well, OK, maybe not ).
There was a lot of "investigating," because this idea of just... giving things away is a new and unproven concept within Big Blue. But it's definitely a welcome development. If they make Power as adaptable and accessible an architecture as the avenues they're "investigating" would allow, they will have the anti-Itanium, and Intel will be facing a real threat for the first time in two decades.
Comments
Originally posted by solero
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Mar/1027635.htm
So nothing there that would have immediate effects on Apple...
Originally posted by durandal
So nothing there that would have immediate effects on Apple...
It seems to me, after reading the article, he took one part of it and ran along those lines. I was under the impression, from press releases that this meeting was going to talk about a lot more. This is just to first report, I will wait to see more news later in the day.
Please.
http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/...18102708.shtml
Originally posted by Gusman
The link I saw was from Macrumors
http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2004/...18102708.shtml
Thanks, that is what I get for tracking so many sites online, I can't remember where any specific thing is.
The Global Brands Manufacture Group, based in China, today announced a multi-million dollar agreement with IBM to explore using Power Architecture technology in its consumer products, including desktop and notebook computers, DVD players and digital cameras. GBM Group will work with IBM Engineering & Technology Services to create these consumer solutions.
This is the most interesting part of the announcement, especially the desktop and notebook computers this company might develop. I am assuming Power Architecture refers to the PowerPC. Hopefully this means some sort of competitive CHRP or PowerPC Open Platform system boards will be available to consumers and the PowerPC can really take off as a viable alternative PC system.
Originally posted by solero
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Mar/1027635.htm
Still wonder why Microsoft turned to IBM for the next Xbox?
""The company also demonstrated its pending POWER5 architecture, which, as promised, runs multiple operating systems in virtual partitions off one chip in order to help enterprises consolidate IT infrastructure. However,commercial products based on the next-generation architecture aren't expected until the second half of 2004, company officials said""
Hmmm, that is really juicy info...
POWER to the People (POWER History)
PowerPC 900 family
The 64-bit PowerPC 970, a single-core version of the POWER4, can process 200 instructions at once at speeds of up to 2 GHz and beyond -- all while consuming just tens of watts of power. Its low power consumption makes it a favorite with notebooks and other portable applications on the one hand, and with large server and storage farms on the other. Its 64-bit capability and single instruction multiple data (SIMD) unit accelerate computationally intensive workloads such as multimedia and graphics. It is used in Apple desktops, Apple Xserve servers, imaging applications, and -- increasingly -- in networking applications. The Apple Xserve G5 features the first use of the new PowerPC 970FX -- the first chip made using both strained silicon and SoI technologies together, enabling the chip to run at even greater speeds with even less power consumption.
"Its low power consumption makes it a favorite with notebooks and ...."
Originally posted by solero
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Mar/1027635.htm
This news is très fantastique. Awesome. IBM is outlining a long term strategy to grow market share, even achieve market dominance, for the PPC. In this strategy, IBM would not dominate the processor market, but the PPC architecture might, taking the lead away from the X86.
The X86 computer hardware grew rapidly when it was open to many vendors to compete with their own products. Hardware was open except for one item. Intel kept an iron grip on the processor. A few others managed to compete, but there is no unity. Intel and AMD do not cooperate on standards. For example, Intel could make their 64-bit X86 extensions different from AMD if they wanted to force a show down. Any company wishing to make an X86 processor must be prepared to do battle with Intel.
Contrast the X86 playing field with that pictured by IBM. IBM is ready to cooperate with those who wish to build PPC processors. IBM is eager to license the PPC and provide these new PPC makers with the tools to succeed. The result is that the PPC computer hardware may be truly open, with many suppliers for the processor. I can see where IBM vision would be very appealing. In the PPC world, there will be many CPU vendors and a hardware company is not at the mercy of a dominant CPU supplier who may favor one customer over another. Also consider countries that may wish to produce their own CPU, rather than buy it from a US owned manufacturer. IBM took the factors that made the original X86 hardware grow rapidly and extended it to include the CPU.
Originally posted by solero
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Mar/1027635.htm
-- IBM introduced the Power Architecture Pack. The pack is a no-charge evaluation kit that lets designers create custom Power chips in a simulation environment. It can be downloaded at no charge from an IBM Web site and allows engineers to simulate a system-on-chip design based on their own intellectual property coupled with a Power processor.
I spy with my little eye...
a new favourite link for spec whores imagining their überchip?
coming soon... virtual chip deathmatch for the title "x computer can beat up y"
And now..., in this corner, Dr. Noonian Singh's virtual PowerData9 3/8ths
- with 4 TB of on-chip cache, an optical bus and holographic memory
and in the opposite corner, Nigel Tufnel's virtual PowerTap11
- with everything turned up to 11MHz using a new Ketamine-doping process
because other computers only go to 10, and ours goes up to 11
no pesky laws of the market to limit your wacked design experiments.
what better for those mad scientist FH mockup moods and rumour-mongering
even better if the promised link between IP and a Power chip allows virtual cyborgs
muahaha.... iGor come! Dr. Frank wants more SSOI
Originally posted by snoopy
This news is très fantastique. Awesome. IBM is outlining a long term strategy to grow market share, even achieve market dominance, for the PPC. In this strategy, IBM would not dominate the processor market, but the PPC architecture might, taking the lead away from the X86.
The X86 computer hardware grew rapidly when it was open to many vendors to compete with their own products. Hardware was open except for one item. Intel kept an iron grip on the processor. A few others managed to compete, but there is no unity. Intel and AMD do not cooperate on standards. For example, Intel could make their 64-bit X86 extensions different from AMD if they wanted to force a show down. Any company wishing to make an X86 processor must be prepared to do battle with Intel.
Contrast the X86 playing field with that pictured by IBM. IBM is ready to cooperate with those who wish to build PPC processors. IBM is eager to license the PPC and provide these new PPC makers with the tools to succeed. The result is that the PPC computer hardware may be truly open, with many suppliers for the processor. I can see where IBM vision would be very appealing. In the PPC world, there will be many CPU vendors and a hardware company is not at the mercy of a dominant CPU supplier who may favor one customer over another. Also consider countries that may wish to produce their own CPU, rather than buy it from a US owned manufacturer. IBM took the factors that made the original X86 hardware grow rapidly and extended it to include the CPU.
Hey snoopy, I like how you outlined that! If linux hacks, console makers, Apple and server bigiron makers could invest in the PPC on relatively equal footings, not only would that change the center of mass of the processor industry, but it could ignite a mini-explosion of innovation in the computer industry again, especially in the newly awakening Asian nations! That could be good for everyone....and the consumer os (as in OSX) that plays the nicest with everyone else (esp. when China starts making its own archetecture) will find an easier global strategy!
There was a lot of "investigating," because this idea of just... giving things away is a new and unproven concept within Big Blue. But it's definitely a welcome development. If they make Power as adaptable and accessible an architecture as the avenues they're "investigating" would allow, they will have the anti-Itanium, and Intel will be facing a real threat for the first time in two decades.
This new more friendly Big Blue is not surprising considering Gertsner's direction during his tenure.
It is actually one of the most easy to read business books I have ever read. Really informative.