IBM Computers

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Does anyone know why IBM uses Intel processors in their computers? Or, their laptops, at least. It would make more sense to me to use processors that they make, rather than buying them from another company...

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    quagmirequagmire Posts: 558member
    That does make sense. But maybe the G5 processers only work for mac and intel only work for windows. But I doubt that.
  • Reply 2 of 15
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    IBM makes PowerPCs, aka G3s and G5s. Neither of those are based on an x86 chip which is what is required to run Windows. IMB computers are Windows compatible, not Mac compatible. So if IBM were to use their own processors in their machines than they would no longer be able to run Windows. That's why...to the best of my knowledge.
  • Reply 3 of 15
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    they'd have to have an OS that runs on the power platform, which they don't. not really. unless they want to sell them with yellow dog linux it's not going to work.
  • Reply 4 of 15
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Stroszek

    Does anyone know why IBM uses Intel processors in their computers? Or, their laptops, at least. It would make more sense to me to use processors that they make, rather than buying them from another company...



    Windows == using x86. It's that simple.
  • Reply 5 of 15
    stroszekstroszek Posts: 801member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by torifile

    Windows == using x86. It's that simple.



    Maybe I am missing something then, but it makes no sense to me that they are in the PowerPC business. I mean, think about it. It's kind of like a company that makes road construction machinery also making bicycle wheels. If they're going to make wheels, why not make wheels they can use?
  • Reply 6 of 15
    fotnsfotns Posts: 301member
    A better analogy would be IBM is like a company that makes diesel engines, but buys gasoline engines to run on the fuel the market prefers, i.e. Windows.
  • Reply 7 of 15
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    An even better analogy -- well, not so much of an analogy -- is that IBM was once an enormous company. IBM was the 800 ton gorilla that could have bit off today's Microsoft's head and puked down its neck. But I'm pretty sure they got anti-trusted.



    So IBM is an extremely fragmented, departmentalized entity.



    I think that might explain it well enough. Their thinkpad division doesn't give a rat's ass about the semiconductor division, and the semiconductor division doesn't care much about the Thinkpad division.



    Blame the lawyers. If IBM went down, so should have MS.
  • Reply 8 of 15
    paulpaul Posts: 5,278member
    why doesn't microsoft make a PowerPC version of windows (NOT virtual PC, I'm talking about NATIVE support)
  • Reply 9 of 15
    jubelumjubelum Posts: 4,490member
    Well.. PPC970 processors allegedly work with WindowsNT
  • Reply 10 of 15
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Stroszek

    Does anyone know why IBM uses Intel processors in their computers? Or, their laptops, at least. It would make more sense to me to use processors that they make, rather than buying them from another company...





    Actually, IBM does use it own processors, not in desktop computers but in servers. Now that IBM has the baby version of its Power series of PPC processors, I expect to see them beginning to push PPC into small servers that compete with Dell. Right now, you can get almost any processor you want in an IBM server, but IBM's long term strategy may be to maximize the PPC in the server market.



    And it is anybody's guess what their long term strategy for desktops is -- maybe open source applications and Linux on a PPC? IBM could become Apple's competitor again. Who knows?



    Oh, by the way, I believe IBM's semiconductor operation and servers are now together in the same business unit.
  • Reply 11 of 15
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Paul

    why doesn't microsoft make a PowerPC version of windows (NOT virtual PC, I'm talking about NATIVE support)



    Microsoft doesnt do squat, used to do support for em.

    there was a version of NT that ran on powerpc, but it was actually coded and supported by.... MOTOROLA. they were able to license it from MS, and basically MS got the profits, but Motorola had to do the coding and support for the powerpc version(same with the MS Office for powerpc). (this is the same as it was for other non x86 version of NT(mips,ect)
  • Reply 12 of 15
    jadejade Posts: 379member
    Sorry guys, but ppc isn't going to take over the desktops any time soon. Intel processors have about 85% of the personal computer market. And in case you haven't noticed, not that many people are using the linux on intel hardware that IBM is selling. The most logical place for ppc to remain is in the the server market where there is more OS diversity and hardware diversity. If IBM can move downmarket with their server products and demonstrate PPCs superior architecture there it will have a positive effect on their chip making business and and Apple's sales.



    Already with the console makers choosing IBM, IBM is finding more customers for the ppc chips, and will make it more likely that it will be a wise long term decision for Apple to remain with the PPC architecture.
  • Reply 13 of 15
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Regarding Windows NT for the PPC, Microsoft has installed this on several pallets of G5 Power Macs they bought. These are for developing X-Box 2 games. A Microsoft employee was fired for posting a photo of the G5 shipment at Microsoft. It may have been in The Register?
  • Reply 14 of 15
    jadejade Posts: 379member
    NT on PPC had ceased development back in the NT 3.5 days. It only resurfaced for the xbox development, but is not availible for general purchase.
  • Reply 15 of 15
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jade

    NT on PPC had ceased development back in the NT 3.5 days. It only resurfaced for the xbox development, but is not availible for general purchase.



    Thanks for pointing out that PPC Windows NT is not available to the general public. Someone could easily get the wrong impression from my post. If a previous post is correct, and Motorola did much of the coding, I think it is ironic that Microsoft is now using it.
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