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 ).
Yes, but it's a design tool to design specialized POWER chips (from standard components, probably). You can't do anything with the design yourself, you'd have to go to IBM or a licensed vendor to get the designed POWER chip manufactured. Is it really a design tool or just a put the major pieces together type of tool?
Yes, but it's a design tool to design specialized POWER chips (from standard components, probably). You can't do anything with the design yourself, you'd have to go to IBM or a licensed vendor to get the designed POWER chip manufactured. Is it really a design tool or just a put the major pieces together type of tool?
That wouldn't have stopped IBM from charging $10K per seat ten years ago. They still charge eye-popping prices for friggin' PL/I compilers.
The idea that they're giving away design tools is astonishing, even if they're "only" SoC design tools.
Don't get too excited. The Power 5 is going to first be in IBM's large iSeries (AS/400) servers, then the pSeries (formerly RS/6000). We won't see a chopped down Power 5 (the 970 is a little brother to the Power 4) anytime soon. Certainly not this year. The 970fx is the chip for this year. If it goes to 3ghz then we'll get it. But I don't suspect there's anything in the pipeline regarding the Power 5 architecture.
Don't get too excited. The Power 5 is going to first be in IBM's large iSeries (AS/400) servers, then the pSeries (formerly RS/6000). We won't see a chopped down Power 5 (the 970 is a little brother to the Power 4) anytime soon. Certainly not this year. The 970fx is the chip for this year. If it goes to 3ghz then we'll get it. But I don't suspect there's anything in the pipeline regarding the Power 5 architecture.
Cheers,
John
You may find yourself corrected on that. I seem to recall it being noted that IBM would be developing the single-core vesion of the Power5 alongside, instead of later, like with the Power4. The PPC 970 was an add-on after the Power4 was already in production, which is why the time-gap between the two chips. If they are developing the Power 5 and the 980 single-core chip simultaneously, there's no real reason why we won't see it in the relatively near future. (Not that I'm prediction that it'll ship in Apples this fall, but it's not beyond the pale of possibility)
You may find yourself corrected on that. I seem to recall it being noted that IBM would be developing the single-core vesion of the Power5 alongside, instead of later, like with the Power4. The PPC 970 was an add-on after the Power4 was already in production, which is why the time-gap between the two chips. If they are developing the Power 5 and the 980 single-core chip simultaneously, there's no real reason why we won't see it in the relatively near future. (Not that I'm prediction that it'll ship in Apples this fall, but it's not beyond the pale of possibility)
CV
They may have developed it at the same time, but it may be too much to ask to get the production up and running for both chips at the same time.
It is my understanding that the mass production version of the Power 5 has/had a higher priority than the actual Power 5. This may relate to the anticipated income of a high volume CPU.
While the G5 was a spin off of the Power 4, future Power series may be considered spin offs of the mass production CPUs.
They may have developed it at the same time, but it may be too much to ask to get the production up and running for both chips at the same time.
True. I'm just trying to say that the lag between Power5 and its single-core variant won't neccessarily be as long as the lag between the Power4 and the 970. I, of course, have no clue when, if ever, we'll see Apple desktops with a 980.
True. I'm just trying to say that the lag between Power5 and its single-core variant won't neccessarily be as long as the lag between the Power4 and the 970. I, of course, have no clue when, if ever, we'll see Apple desktops with a 980.
CV
True, but there was over 6 months between the 970 and 970FX, so I think that it would be reasonable to expect that much of a lag between the Power5 and the 9XX (whatever IBM calls it officially). That would put the 970's successor into next year's production cycle. Not too shabby really, but not the optimistic take a lot of people are looking for.
Comments
Originally posted by Amorph
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
Yes, but it's a design tool to design specialized POWER chips (from standard components, probably). You can't do anything with the design yourself, you'd have to go to IBM or a licensed vendor to get the designed POWER chip manufactured. Is it really a design tool or just a put the major pieces together type of tool?
Originally posted by gensor
Very strange. The lack of a specific mention of Apple in the IBM news. I cannot figure that out.
Yeah, they mention Princeton, which of course will be using Xserve G5's, but don't mention Apple.
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1558747,00.asp
Another macnn article only mentions Sony?
http://www.macnn.com
Originally posted by Leonard
Yes, but it's a design tool to design specialized POWER chips (from standard components, probably). You can't do anything with the design yourself, you'd have to go to IBM or a licensed vendor to get the designed POWER chip manufactured. Is it really a design tool or just a put the major pieces together type of tool?
That wouldn't have stopped IBM from charging $10K per seat ten years ago. They still charge eye-popping prices for friggin' PL/I compilers.
The idea that they're giving away design tools is astonishing, even if they're "only" SoC design tools.
We have a winner !
That's how Steve is going to meet his 3 GHz by "this time next year" goal.
Straight to 3 GHz G6 on July 1, announced at WWDC, shipping in September anyone?
(edited for italics)
Cheers,
John
Originally posted by johnpg
Don't get too excited. The Power 5 is going to first be in IBM's large iSeries (AS/400) servers, then the pSeries (formerly RS/6000). We won't see a chopped down Power 5 (the 970 is a little brother to the Power 4) anytime soon. Certainly not this year. The 970fx is the chip for this year. If it goes to 3ghz then we'll get it. But I don't suspect there's anything in the pipeline regarding the Power 5 architecture.
Cheers,
John
You may find yourself corrected on that. I seem to recall it being noted that IBM would be developing the single-core vesion of the Power5 alongside, instead of later, like with the Power4. The PPC 970 was an add-on after the Power4 was already in production, which is why the time-gap between the two chips. If they are developing the Power 5 and the 980 single-core chip simultaneously, there's no real reason why we won't see it in the relatively near future. (Not that I'm prediction that it'll ship in Apples this fall, but it's not beyond the pale of possibility)
CV
Time will tell yet once again......
Originally posted by chris v
You may find yourself corrected on that. I seem to recall it being noted that IBM would be developing the single-core vesion of the Power5 alongside, instead of later, like with the Power4. The PPC 970 was an add-on after the Power4 was already in production, which is why the time-gap between the two chips. If they are developing the Power 5 and the 980 single-core chip simultaneously, there's no real reason why we won't see it in the relatively near future. (Not that I'm prediction that it'll ship in Apples this fall, but it's not beyond the pale of possibility)
CV
They may have developed it at the same time, but it may be too much to ask to get the production up and running for both chips at the same time.
While the G5 was a spin off of the Power 4, future Power series may be considered spin offs of the mass production CPUs.
Of course, I could be making this up.
Originally posted by JCG
They may have developed it at the same time, but it may be too much to ask to get the production up and running for both chips at the same time.
True. I'm just trying to say that the lag between Power5 and its single-core variant won't neccessarily be as long as the lag between the Power4 and the 970. I, of course, have no clue when, if ever, we'll see Apple desktops with a 980.
CV
Originally posted by chris v
True. I'm just trying to say that the lag between Power5 and its single-core variant won't neccessarily be as long as the lag between the Power4 and the 970. I, of course, have no clue when, if ever, we'll see Apple desktops with a 980.
CV
True, but there was over 6 months between the 970 and 970FX, so I think that it would be reasonable to expect that much of a lag between the Power5 and the 9XX (whatever IBM calls it officially). That would put the 970's successor into next year's production cycle. Not too shabby really, but not the optimistic take a lot of people are looking for.