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[KingJ2002]

if old... mock me, lock topic, call me bad names.

Macintosh guru reportedly rejects Sony's Cell, claims it offers disappointing performance. PLUS! The Apple home console...?

12:50 The man who runs Apple has apparently handed out a stunning dis to Sony's Cell processor, rejecting the notion of using it in his computers and claiming that he is disappointed by its performance.
The New York Times is reporting that Steve Jobs, co-founder and of CEO of the Apple computing empire, met last year with PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi to discuss using the Cell chip in future Apple hardware.

But Jobs reportedly knocked Kutaragi back, claiming he was not impressed by the performance of the IBM-built Cell processor and stating that he felt the PowerPC chip - also built by IBM - would eventually offer better performance.
The reports, stemming from a source close to Sony, throw doubt on the power of the Cell chip, which Sony claims will offer 'supercomputer' processing might. Sony also plans to use the chip in other home electronics devices such as televisions and stereos, eventually linking all your entertainment devices together in one hub - the PS3.
The Xbox 360 will be given grunt by three IBM PowerPC processors and also plans to be a multimedia hub for your music, video and portable devices.

Apple recently split from IBM in a high-profile technology divorce. IBM processors have been powering Apple computers for the last fourteen years, but Jobs has now signed a new deal with Intel.

Speculation is rife as to why Apple has jumped ship, but it's thought that the electronics giant is looking for new ways to penetrate the living room - putting its products in direct competition with Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Apple recently launched the Macintosh Mini, a shrunk-down version of the iMac at an affordable price and complete with multimedia functionality, designed to be slotted into the living room with the minimum of fuss. If Apple adapted the system to play games it could be a serious long-term rival to Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo's consoles.

Intel, famous for the Pentium PC processor, is also looking for ways to challenge IBM's dominance in the home entertainment sector (IBM will create chips for all three next-gen consoles). It will no doubt be creating new processors for Apple with that goal in mind.

So does Job's dis of Sony's Cell processor mean that the PS3 will be out-powered by Xbox 360, as ATi man Richard Huddy recently suggested? And is Apple planning a daring raid on the home gaming market?

My Comment: Apple Console... WTF!

Source: CVG

 

[Guy LeDouche]

older than Yamauchi

e: well, maybe not that old, but it came out last week or the week before. The consensus was that CELL isn't suited for general processing because it wasn't designed for general processing. Shocking.

 

[Do The Mario]

A rerun from the OT.

 

[Ranger X]

This is all indeed interesting (though we can't verify which chip is actually the best).
Next-gen is gonna be alleluia hot!

If Apple comes in with a console and and a hot one at that -- there will not be a place for 4 players so... who will drop the ball?

 

[Mr. Lemming]

A) Remember the Pippin!

B) I love how this one comment by Jobs is spiraling out of control. At first it was like Cell wouldn't be ideal for general computing use, now its like Cell is not ideal for our video game console that third world countries will use to fly nukes into your home or pet!

 

[sly]

if old... mock me, lock topic, call me bad names.

Slut! Bitch! Moron! Imbecile! :lol I kid, I kid!

Quite old. http://new.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=51480

 

[HokieJoe]

Eh, I think it's just a matter of Jobs giving Otellini the proverbial reach around. OTOH, it is interesting that Apple is eye-balling the home entertainment space. I actually think that they might be well-suited to this task.

 

[Stinkles]

I don't think Apple would stand a chance with a console, unelss they teamed up with say, Nintendo, but I would buy an Apple Tivo in a fucking heartbeat.

 

[AB 101]

Apple could certainly do the home media PC/box thing and do it better than MS is doing it right now.

Apple would not, however, be able to compete in the home videogame console business.

 

[Fowler]

It's pretty funny how slowly this is spreading throughout the web. This is at least the third time a new topic has been started on this in GAF... and come on, it's bollocks anyway. Who cares how suitable the CELL is or isn't for Macs? And who honestly believes Apple is adapting the Mac Mini to be a CONSOLE? Set-top box, sure. Console, no.

Looks like in the absence of any $pong stupidity CVG is taking one for Team Britain!

 

[bishoptl]

Apple knows sweet dick-all about the games industry.

 

[iapetus]

At first it was like Cell wouldn't be ideal for general computing use

Wasn't even that - originally it was that any switch to Cell would require too much in the way of changes to existing software to get good general performance. Not that you can't get the performance, that you can't get it with coding techniques optimised for a different architecture. Duh.