Mac OS X on a POWER 5

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
First of all will Mac OS X run on a Power 5?



If no would it be difficult to make that work?



If yes why not build extream mac workstations with power 5's and extream Xserves with a power 5. Similar to what AMD is dong with it's FX line and Intel with the extream edition.



Think about how much faster the VA tech cluster would hace been if they were using power 5's.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 12
    here is another rumor on it btw
  • Reply 2 of 12
    rhumgodrhumgod Posts: 1,289member
    Regarding VT, cost was a major factor. Do you know what Power5-based systems cost? The 520 series (low-end of the Power5 systems) starts at over $11,000.00 and that is a minimal configuration.



    And no, Power5 systems will not run Mac OS X. Only Macs run Mac OS X.
  • Reply 3 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ibookgeek

    First of all will Mac OS X run on a Power 5?



    If no would it be difficult to make that work?



    If yes why not build extream mac workstations with power 5's and extream Xserves with a power 5. Similar to what AMD is dong with it's FX line and Intel with the extream edition.





    Doable, but would be very expensive. Athlon 64FXs are basically the same as regular A64s except that they have more cache (in fact that and the number of HT links and the socket are all that differentiate A64s, FXs, and Opterons). The Power4/5 not only are multi-cored, but have a ton of high-availability and other features intended for high-end systems, and would require significant infrastructure to build a system around. That was the whole point of the PPC970, to cut out those extra features to make the cost feasible. IBM doesn't even offer a Power5 based workstation, and their cheapest Power4+ workstation costs $5,500 for a stripped down 1GHz system and $10k for usable system (Intellistation POWER 275).
  • Reply 4 of 12
    shawkshawk Posts: 116member
    I understand that a variant of OSX will work on a Power 5. Apparently, Apple is using early Power 5 samples in lieu of dual core G5/G6 975/980/985 for long term OSX development work.

    As I am an idiot, I do not know if the development work is related to optimizing proposed processor and operating system features or analyzing the potential benefit of processor or system enhancements.

    I assume that Apple might find it useful to have a cost / benefit analysis of potential CPU features before they commit OSX to a CPU specification or place an order for a new CPU.

    But I could be wrong.
  • Reply 5 of 12
    well maybe they should release a dual core 970 with SMT instead then
  • Reply 6 of 12
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    ho hum
  • Reply 7 of 12
    marcukmarcuk Posts: 4,442member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by ibookgeek

    here is another rumor on it btw



    But thats a rumour from May 2003!
  • Reply 8 of 12
    yeah i noticed that after i already posted it
  • Reply 10 of 12
    airslufairsluf Posts: 1,861member
    Kickaha and Amorph couldn't moderate themselves out of a paper bag. Abdicate responsibility and succumb to idiocy. Two years of letting a member make personal attacks against others, then stepping aside when someone won't put up with it. Not only that but go ahead and shut down my posting priviledges but not the one making the attacks. Not even the common decency to abide by their warning (afer three days of absorbing personal attacks with no mods in sight), just shut my posting down and then say it might happen later if a certian line is crossed. Bullshit flag is flying, I won't abide by lying and coddling of liars who go off-site, create accounts differing in a single letter from my handle with the express purpose to decieve and then claim here that I did it. Everyone be warned, kim kap sol is a lying, deceitful poster.



    Now I guess they should have banned me rather than just shut off posting priviledges, because kickaha and Amorph definitely aren't going to like being called to task when they thought they had it all ignored *cough* *cough* I mean under control. Just a couple o' tools.



    Don't worry, as soon as my work resetting my posts is done I'll disappear forever.

  • Reply 11 of 12
    Quote:

    Originally posted by AirSluf

    That would be pretty much known as a Power5, seeing as how that's the basic design goal: Multi-core Power4 + SMT = Power5.



    well if that's the only differance why won't mac os x run on a power 5



    i'm kinda new to the mac world let me know if i'm wrong/right

    as i understand it altiVec is not incorporated into the power 5 if i'm right why not?



    also what exactly is altiVec...reading more about it as I type...



    I always thought it was something like advanced mmx sse sse2...
  • Reply 12 of 12
    airslufairsluf Posts: 1,861member
    Kickaha and Amorph couldn't moderate themselves out of a paper bag. Abdicate responsibility and succumb to idiocy. Two years of letting a member make personal attacks against others, then stepping aside when someone won't put up with it. Not only that but go ahead and shut down my posting priviledges but not the one making the attacks. Not even the common decency to abide by their warning (afer three days of absorbing personal attacks with no mods in sight), just shut my posting down and then say it might happen later if a certian line is crossed. Bullshit flag is flying, I won't abide by lying and coddling of liars who go off-site, create accounts differing in a single letter from my handle with the express purpose to decieve and then claim here that I did it. Everyone be warned, kim kap sol is a lying, deceitful poster.



    Now I guess they should have banned me rather than just shut off posting priviledges, because kickaha and Amorph definitely aren't going to like being called to task when they thought they had it all ignored *cough* *cough* I mean under control. Just a couple o' tools.



    Don't worry, as soon as my work resetting my posts is done I'll disappear forever.

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