IBM to license out the PowerPC architecture

outsideroutsider
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
This can only be good news for Apple.



<a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1001-984669.html?tag=fd_top"; target="_blank">Link here.</a>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    rhumgodrhumgod Posts: 1,289member
    [quote]Originally posted by Outsider:

    <strong>This can only be good news for Apple.



    <a href="http://news.com.com/2100-1001-984669.html?tag=fd_top"; target="_blank">Link here.</a></strong><hr></blockquote>



    Not quite sure why...it sounds like they want to get the PPC in more hands, but how does that benefit Apple?
  • Reply 2 of 14
    tom westtom west Posts: 39member
    It could be a possible second source. One fix that Apple is in right now is that their future depends on someone (Motorola right now, probably IBM in future) whose fate does not depend on its ability to produce decent PowerPC chips for desktops.



    IBM could cancel the 970 development anytime in the next few years if it fails to bring in enough money (say if 970 Linux IBM server sales don't take off) (and no, Apple by itself is nowhere near enough to justify expensive CPU development - that's why Motorola doesn't produce a competitive desktop CPU. Apple sale's don't justify the R+D costs).



    Multiple licensees *might* mean that other companies (hopefully smaller ones whose existence depends on making Apple happy...) may be able to produce the chips that Apple needs so that if IBM decides it's not worth the effort to produce the 970, or 980 or whatever, someone else can take up the slack.
  • Reply 3 of 14
    macroninmacronin Posts: 1,174member
    Maybe AMD will be manufacturing PPC 970s in the future...?!?



    ;^p
  • Reply 4 of 14
    jcgjcg Posts: 777member
    The way I read this, Apple could license the chip from IBM and have IBM, Motorolla, Intel or AMD, Samsung or whoever fab the chips. Apple might even be able to custom order a design from IBM to better suit their needs, such as a G3 with the 970's VPU grafted on, and Apple's Apple Pi processor interconnect...
  • Reply 5 of 14
    msanttimsantti Posts: 1,377member
    Well, I think it commits IBM to a greater level.



    Thats good for Apple.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    Wasn't Jobs kinda of buddy buddy with Intel recently....
  • Reply 7 of 14
    pesipesi Posts: 424member
    if you actually read the article, you'll see that IBM plans to limit this to their PowerPC 400 series for the time being.



    this is IBMs series of embedded chips (auto industry, networking, tivo).



    this is clearly IBMs attempt to get PowerPC into more embedded devices. PDAs, cell phones, etc.
  • Reply 8 of 14
    wmfwmf Posts: 1,164member
    Now Apple will have a choice of a wide variety of 500MHz PowerPCs with no floating point or AltiVec!
  • Reply 9 of 14
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    [quote]Originally posted by Rhumgod:

    <strong>



    Not quite sure why...it sounds like they want to get the PPC in more hands, but how does that benefit Apple?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Simple, more PPC support, more PPC hoopla, more PPC Inside stickers, more PPC software, more PPC, well you get the idea. More of anything related to Apple is good for Apple.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    [quote]Originally posted by wmf:

    <strong>Now Apple will have a choice of a wide variety of 500MHz PowerPCs with no floating point or AltiVec! </strong><hr></blockquote>

    True, they are starting with the 4XX series, but this is only a beginning. And someone mentioned Intel. As much as I hate to admit it, they would be a great manufacturing partner. Lord knows they have the bucks.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    bartobarto Posts: 2,246member
    Great. As KidRed said, more developer support.



    Barto
  • Reply 12 of 14
    @homenow@homenow Posts: 998member
    [quote]Originally posted by Barto:

    <strong>Great. As KidRed said, more developer support.



    Barto</strong><hr></blockquote>



    More call for Developers tools, and more demand for Developers familirar with the PowerPC archetecture, etc...etc...
  • Reply 13 of 14
    japhjaph Posts: 29member
    [quote]Originally posted by @homenow:

    <strong>



    More call for Developers tools, and more demand for Developers familirar with the PowerPC archetecture, etc...etc...</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Time to brush up on your basic PPC Assembly and refresh those resumés. :-)
  • Reply 14 of 14
    os10geekos10geek Posts: 413member
    This means nothing, let alone something bad, to Apple. This just means that computer companies who uses PowerPC processors in their products might have to agree on some kind of nonbinding, beaurocratic, stupid agreement. Nothing more.
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