Power 5 to hit 3GHZ, but thats just for starters

Skyraker · 08-10-2003, 09:40 PM

The road ahead for IBM's Power chip line is full of speed boosts with the Power5+ chip hitting 3.0GHz and its successor going well beyond that.

Check it out at The Register ...

AmigaHeretic · 08-10-2003, 10:44 PM

It sounds like good news, but being as you can get a 3+Ghz X86 chip for under $370 <here> right now how fast will x86 be running when these PPC chips come out? Some where at 6 to 10GHZ? Maybe more?

It's great to have a choice other than X86 and I realize competition will only keep bringing the chip speeds up and prices down. I guess it's just that I feel like it would be nice to have Amiga back at the top of the heap again. I just see such a wonderful future for AmigaOS on X86 and most don't see it that way.

It's hard enough to get people to use a different OS other than Windows. When you compound the problem with them having to buy 'special' hardware that is no where near the price/performance of what they can get in X86 or in many cases 'already own' then it just seems rather difficult to anyone to ever convert.

So here's my question. Does anyone here think or see things like I do as far as: If I were to develope a decent OS that runs on most peoples current computers what are my chances of getting people to use it? Not good? What if I developed a decent OS, but it had to run on expensive hardware that people have to buy first? Now I think my chances would be somewhere in the range of 'not good to impossible'.

I know I know... AROS. It is getting better...maybe someday soon when it's more complete it will be my OS choice.

AmigaGuy

DethKnight · 08-10-2003, 10:57 PM

Old News, This has already been discussed on Amiga.org
refer to my previous posting

http://amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3554

Quote:

If I were to develope a decent OS that runs on most peoples current computers what are my chances of getting people to use it?

Not unless you could get it to ship w/ the (mass market "sheep" ) computer pre-installed or dual-bootable.
reference the linux struggles in such an environment.

biggest obstacle imho = pervasiveness

HyperionMP · 08-10-2003, 11:40 PM

No offense but please do not even think of comparing a Power5 to a Pentium IV.

The Power5 is a multicore server chip which is incredibily powerful and leaves a Pentium IV in the dust even if it ran at 12 Ghz.

Having said that, it isn't a desktop chip although it has been said that the PPC980 will be derived from it.

kd7ota · 08-11-2003, 12:59 AM

@amigaguy

I do see your point. I always thought that having a x86 based AmigaOS would be awsome. I would not have to buy some specific hardware for an OS. You can buy awsome hardware for cheap prices. Oh well, hopefully that perfect OS comes out for x86 sometime.

**Hammer** · 08-11-2003, 01:13 AM

Quote:

It's hard enough to get people to use a different OS other than Windows.

Via http://www.pricewatch.com/

"Lindows** PC" is an alternative option (within the X86 market).

**Commercial Linux distro...

**Hammer** · 08-11-2003, 01:25 AM

Quote:

The Power5 is a multicore server chip which is incredibily powerful and leaves a Pentium IV in the dust even if it ran at 12 Ghz.

That's maybe true IF Intel did not apply any IPC increases with their designs...

Warface · 08-11-2003, 01:39 AM

@kd7ota

Quote:

I do see your point. I always thought that having a x86 based AmigaOS would be awsome. I would not have to buy some specific hardware for an OS. You can buy awsome hardware for cheap prices. Oh well, hopefully that perfect OS comes out for x86 sometime.

Quote:

Windows just just fine and has everything I need.

Pardon me, but I doubt you'd have any interest in even an X86 AmigaOS :-)

Waccoon · 08-11-2003, 01:42 AM

Quote:

DethKnight: Not unless you could get it to ship w/ the (mass market "sheep" ) computer pre-installed or dual-bootable. Reference the linux struggles in such an environment.

The alternative is to do everything yourself and sell a horribly expensive and obsolete machine that almost nobody wants. Good examples are obvious.

Why, oh why, do people just slice things into two categories: Bargain-basement X86 hardware that must be bought in parts and an OS off-the-shelf... or proprietary, prepackaged systems NOT based on X86? Why can't you have a prepackaged X86 system? Put together an Abit IS7, P4, and a custom case, and preload a decent OS on it. Modern hardware, low price, and upgradability. If you can't sell that, it's just because nobody wants it... or your list of potential customers really, really hate Intel. ;-)

Of course, that's the desktop market. For servers, most everything is proprietary. I've been wanting to upgrade our duel processor IBM tower at work, but our software is hard-coded for each CPU by serial number, so we can't upgrade unless we go through Kodak, and, naturally, they don't HAVE any upgrades... at any price.

Sheesh. No wonder they're hemorrhaging money.

**Hammer** · 08-11-2003, 02:16 AM

Quote:

Not unless you could get it to ship w/ the (mass market "sheep" ) computer pre-installed or dual-bootable.

It’s funny that it took a “commercial X86 Linux vendor”(i.e. non-free Linux distro) to break into Wal-Mart targeted PC markets. I don’t think the mass desktop PC market is ready for 'shovelware' Linux distros. At least they (Lindows) started off a bit better than 'OS/2 Warp PCs'…

These sheep has needs and wants. For fill those needs and wants then you’ll get the business. BeOS departed from Window'ish familiarly i.e. learn from Lindows‘s experiences (i.e. look'a'like WinXP with Linux/GNU). BeOS's presentation is to foreign for most desktop users…

Note that Windows PPC PC failed by the way side due to relative hardware cost and poor Motorola support… Even Microsoft's Windows brand can't rescue PowerPC for mass desktop OS use.

minator · 08-11-2003, 02:51 AM

Quote:

That's maybe true IF Intel did not apply any IPC increases with their designs...

The P4 actually decreased IPC by around a third. The P4 at 1.5GHz was beaten by a P3 at 1GHz.

Thats how the 970 at 2GHz gives the P4 a good run for it's money at 3GHz.

When the POWER5+ "consumer version" appears (second revision of the 980?) it should be I'd guess around 3.5GHz, don't know where Intel will be but I suspect by then the IBM will be outgunning them performance wise. If the 980 (or whatever it's called) has the same enhancements as the POWER5 it'll leave even the 970 in the dust.

**mikeymike** · 08-11-2003, 03:21 AM

Quote:

The Power5 is a multicore server chip which is incredibily powerful and leaves a Pentium IV in the dust even if it ran at 12 Ghz.

Well, it hasn't yet, and that's matching clock for clock.

minator · 08-11-2003, 05:16 AM

Quote:

The Power5 is a multicore server chip which is incredibily powerful and leaves a Pentium IV in the dust even if it ran at 12 Ghz.

Well, it hasn't yet, and that's matching clock for clock.

Heh,
A 1.5GHz POWER4+ can outgun a P4 running at 3.2GHz...

And thats on SPEC FP marks where Intel gets to throw in it's favorite compiler...

dammy · 08-11-2003, 06:33 AM

Poster: kd7ota Date: 2003/8/11 2:59:59

Quote:

I do see your point. I always thought that having a x86 based AmigaOS would be awsome. I would not have to buy some specific hardware for an OS. You can buy awsome hardware for cheap prices. Oh well, hopefully that perfect OS comes out for x86 sometime.

Then you may want to keep an eye on AROS .

Dammy

ksk · 08-11-2003, 07:38 AM

amigaguy:
"It sounds like good news, but being as you can get a 3+Ghz X86 chip ... how fast will x86 be running when these PPC chips come out? Some where at 6 to 10GHZ? Maybe more?"

If schedules do not fail too badly, there should be PPC980 @ 3Ghz available year from now.

And if Alan Redhouse wins in lottery a few times, we might see PPC970 on A2 already in y2005??? :-P

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