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Yes, no and sort of.
True, the Xbox has a PowerPc chip and has NOT been optimized for the Cell. But, all that is required is for a compiler to be written.

What you call complicated for use of the SPEs is what many would say has been lacking for years, access to the hardware to do what I want it to do. I see no reason Windows can't take advantage of it, say DirectX Next.

Like wise it's not a big step to recompile OS X to run on it either. Remember the foundation of OS X is *nix and IBM is hard at work making certain *nix runs and runs well on it. (Of course that puts Linux in the running too.)

Or take it from the direction of the OEM. Place the cheapest x86 CPU you can find on the MoBo and then hand all the real work off to the Cell CPU. No need for MS to do anything at that point. Now why would an OEM do this? Well lowered costs (compare Intel's latest CPU pricing) being a big factor, but also performance gets a HUGE boost.

The fact is the x86 instruction set is very, very long in the tooth and no matter how you pump up the clock speed there is little room for improvement in performance. A new paradigm is required and IBM understands that better than just about anyone.
Posted by: No_Ax_to_Grind   Posted on: 05/31/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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This is the *big* test for AMD  bidemytime | 05/30/05
This is revolution in Processors world  navdeep21 | 05/30/05
Great chip less heat.  jimk_z | 05/30/05
RE: Great chip less heat.  thetruth_z | 05/31/05
Where AMD went right...  nucrash | 05/31/05
Moore's Law is dead  Roger Ramjet | 05/31/05
You should learn Moore's law  nucrash | 05/31/05
I'm not sure about that....Moore actually said...  el1jones | 05/31/05
Bad information above.  gordon@... | 05/31/05
Correction  bobiroc | 05/31/05
more law  pesky_z | 05/31/05
Uhh point of contention here  Linux User 147560 | 05/31/05
Well....  nucrash | 05/31/05
The real news is IBM's Cell CPU  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Not really.. it's another variant of the PowerPC  thetruth_z | 05/31/05
Sorry but no...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Why the Cell will replace the PC  nucrash | 05/31/05
Couple corrections.  ShadeTree | 05/31/05
Yes, no and sort of.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
IBM already does the x86 handoff, well sort of...  nucrash | 05/31/05
Won't hurt MS at all...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Considering the way they waste resources now....  nucrash | 05/31/05
Why does it matter?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Internal buses & memory is NOT new!!  thetruth_z | 05/31/05
I suggest you do some reading....  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
AMD already did this!  zeusfuse | 05/31/05

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