Should Apple use the 4 core "cell" for under $100?

[DrGruv]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/usatoday/20041130/tc_usatoday/speedycomputerchipforplaystationnear

"Brookwood says. A Cell chip will cost less than $100, he says."

"IBM has long made processors for Apple's Macintosh (news - web sites) line of PCs. The new chips are expected to have four of these processors lashed together, Doherty says. That would give the system four "brains" that could handle four different tasks."

How much are the 970mp or the new 980 or the current 970fx?

[jouster]

Well, the 980 is currently a figment of our imagination, so pick a number. No one has any idea of its specs, even if it does exist, so its pretty hard to guess a price.

[DrGruv]

my point is.. I can't see the other chips being less than $100 and containing 4 cores! Why wouldn't apple use these chips is really my question?

[julesstoop]

In the article it says (at the end): But Brookwood says the threat remains small because the chips are so specialized. Plus, the market for gaming chips is about one-tenth the size of the market for PC chips, he says.


I guess it sort of answers your question.

[Quagmire]

I don't think apple will use cell for a while. I do not know much about cell processors but, wouldn't it mean a redesign of OS X since cell is not PowerPC?

[julesstoop]

Cell has simply not been designed with desktop computing in mind. It wouldn't run something like OS X + application software very well unless the whole OS were to be recompiled with all kinds of - partly hand tuned - cell specific optimizations.

[jouster]

I don't think apple will use cell for a while. I do not know much about cell processors but, wouldn't it mean a redesign of OS X since cell is not PowerPC?

Cell is based on the IBM Power/PowerPC architecture. While there are good reasons it may not be suitable for a Mac, a different architecture isn't one of them. Check out arstechnica's article on Cell for more details, or go here (http://www.eet.com/semi/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=54200580) for a recent news item.

[jouster]

my point is.. I can't see the other chips being less than $100 and containing 4 cores! Why wouldn't apple use these chips is really my question?

No, I can't see whatever is next in the 970 lineage being less than $100 either.

As to your question, we will know a lot more soon; there is a presentation planned (for February iirc) which will release a number of Cell's secrets.

Also, once IBM's Cell workstations start to ship - again, relatively soon if reports are correct - we will learn more about the chip's suitability for non-console purposes, and thus about about any limitations it might have wrt being incorporated into Macs.

[micmoo]

It's interesting that Sony is making HD video workstations that are suposed to just scream using the Cell. There's got to be some oomph for Sony to be using it for something as intensive as HD Video...

[DrGruv]

I knew there was some connection:

http://www.themacmind.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=676&mode=nested&order=0&thold=0

[Enki]

It's interesting that Sony is making HD video workstations that are suposed to just scream using the Cell. There's got to be some oomph for Sony to be using it for something as intensive as HD Video...


Sony has said they were going to do that from the beginning of Cell talk. There's lots of smoke, but where's the fire and look out for the mirrors. Until something ships and can actually meet the hype, remember Sony's track record with the Emotion Engine in the PS2. They said it was going to change the world, blah, blah, blah. Sure it made a decent game box, but it really isn't very powerful and by all accounts is not simple to program for.

[satansam]

i havnt read much into this, but isnt this Sony just attempting propietry stuff again? you know, the stuff that usually dosnt take off or is way overhyped (like what Enki said; the emotion engine (whereas the gamecube and xbox just have regular graphics/cpu do-hickeys without fancy names and do the job better)).

[oldmacfan]

Is there some reason that a new Apple using Cell processor thread has been started. There is a perfectly good one that is already running. Could we have a mod add this to the other thread or just lock it all together please.

People try using the search function first.

[DrGruv]

i wasn't trying to off anyone... i started this in dec. and was updating

[oldmacfan]

Me see your point...So Sorry.

How deep was it...? I missed the date originally. It is the same discussion and...

We should have a Mod combine the two....Oh Mod, Oh Mod...Could you please combine these two for us.