IBM power4 lite

[technocoy]

gbojim

I usually don't give a crap about windows.... used it... hate it still have to use it occasionally, I'm no developer, just a creative with a hankerin' for Macs, I happen to have the wonderfull benefit of working with clients like IBM, SonyEricsson, Motorola, Audi, etc.... I just thought since the question was still not answered as to whether or not the new IBM chip was being used in Macs, I would would be a nice fellow member and let you guys in on it. I didn't expect to be analyzed.... next time i'll be more prepared in how i present the info. Just letting you guys know to plan on a new processor in your macs in 2003/2004... and that it will be a 64bit IBM chip. I was excited to get the inside info, and since most people here have been very helpful and informative with me, i thought i'd share a little insider info that i just happened to be blessed with... I don't lie...

barely even ever post...
won't make the mistake again...

Later

 

[gbojim]

No insult intended

I'm not trying to flame or insult anyone. I'm just trying to determine the validity of what you are saying like everyone else. I have no problem with most of what you posted. But for someone from IBM to say

"apple's already on the way... DONE DEAL... but have you heard about the power5 in development?? i wish i could use them in our 3D workstations, but as of yet they cant run windows... but we'll see."

plus my previous reference is pretty strange. MS dropped support of PPC for Windows in 1997 and have made no announcements about supporting it again.

 

[technocoy]

sorry gbojim

that wasn't directed all at you, i was just miffed about the reception of what i wanted to be exciting news... to maybe clarify for my friend... i think he was saying it more along these lines :"to bad i can't put it in our windows workstations.... we'll see... maybe in the linux boxes. "we'll see" meaning maybe they will put them in their linux boxes, he's been really hyped lately because we're doing this sweet new 3d animation because they are marketing their newer workstations and racks at the 3d industry.. Not sure, but i think he knew the windows thing... i probably interpreted it wrong.

hope that helps.

technocoy

 

[strider42]

Originally posted by JamesDP
it's a PowerPC chip, just like a G3 or a G4. Even though it's 64 bit, it's still a PowerPC.

the power4 was a powerPC chip as well (though I don't know if its a book e powerPC chip). the new chip is indeed based on the power4, just its a single core chip with les cache, and things like that. its probably more closely related to the power4 than the G3 or G4.

 

[nixd2001]

I believe IBM have stated that the major improvements in Power5 and 6 over 4 are lumps of hardware to perform tasks that would otherwise have been performed in software (excessive instructions?). For example, ISTR the example quoted was moving most of the initial decoding of an IP packet down into silicon, rather than having to have a series of software instructions perform such a well defined series of operations. IBM is also pushing hard on some of its mainframe OS software approaches - including partitioning, where the one processor appears to be multiple machines and run multiple OSs.

So - to speculate - imagine some silicon acceleration to make it easier to emulate x86 instructions. Maybe the intention is to end up with the ability for Power5 to simultaneously run Linux (or AIX) and a Win32 OS? Lots of cost saving potential for large data centres would probably be the presented marketing advantage.

Oh well, just some gluing together of pieces that might be from different jigsaws.

 

[dongmin]

I don't understand why this thread has gone as long as it has. This guy isn't saying anything new or controversial, other than maybe calling the PPC 970 a "power4 lite" (this isn't meant to be a flame).

1. The PPC 970 is going into the next generation of Macs. Not confirmed by Apple but the evidence is clear. It's just a matter of when.

2. Yes IBM is working on the Power5. It's public knowledge; it's on their roadmap. It's the succesor to the Power4 which is stricly a server chip. So what's so exciting about it?