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Re: [PLUG] Apple announces G5 - IBM 970 based
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On Tue, 24 Jun 2003 11:59:22 -0400, William H. Magill wrote:
>Yesterday's announcement by Apple of G5 PowerPC systems based on the
>IBM 970 PowerPC gives anybody interested in Linux a new 64-bit,
>seriously high-performance, platform to work with.
>(www.apple.com/g5/)
>
>On another list a couple of us have been discussing the
>implications...
>
>The 970 runs both 32 and 64 bit code.
>
>IBM has large chip runs to meet its own needs, but the chip runs to
>fill Apple's needs is at least an order of magnitude larger. That
>means
>cheap chips...! [All being built in a brand new IBM Fab.]
>
>Apple is pricing the Dual 2 ghz CPU with a 1 ghz system bus at $2999!
>
>There is a sub 20w version of the 970 that runs at 1.2 ghz ... can
>you
>say Laptop?
>
>"IBM's entry into the commodity Power chip space will only bring
>down
>the prices as well. It seems IBM's strategy is to sell the
>commodity
>version for Linux solutions (as well as to Apple)."
>
>Couple this with the fact that IBM DOES have decent compiler
>technology, significant experience with emulation from the 68K to
>PowerPC migration, and, unlike Digital, Compaq or HP, DOES
>understand
>Marketing -- Itanium with Alpha inside is likely to prove too little
>too late. (Tape-out was scheduled for late 2004, early 2005.)
>
>This announcement is the "first shoe" that many of us who watch the
>hardware side of things have been waiting for since Compaq killed
>Alpha. It basically marks the beginning of the end for SPARC and for
>the entry of folks like Dell into the mid-range server market.
>
>And if we suddenly discover that we also are once again seeing REAL
>IBM
>clones appear again, it could also hammer Hammer.
>
>Hardware has just gotten interesting again.
>
I just wanna see the Microsoft/Intel/AMD threesome (yes, that was a deliberate sexual reference -- except that it's not each other they're fucking, it's us) have some real competition. Especially in light of Palladium. Palladium SCARES me. The concept of giving ANYBODY a lock on my computer decisions scares me.
Besides, they have a kickass movie on their web site. :)
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