Running at 1267 MHz, and with Altivec to assist it, this radiation hardened version of the G4 based 7448 will be a big boost over the G3 chips in the 200-300 MHz range that are currently being used.
I wonder if the next Mars Rover will be 7448 powered. It takes at least a few years to implement new chips into hardware that will go to space, simply because of how deep the engineering and testing has to go.
Read more about it here:
e2v Release Space Qualified GHz-Class Microprocessor
OK, so the G4 rocks! But, I have a question...why?
ReplyDeleteI mean, I know why I use a G4: because a Sawtooth Power Mac was the first machine I got hold of when I made the switch from Windows a few years back, and with a few upgrades and OS X Leopard (plus some dabbling in Linux lately) it meets all my needs. I just don't really have a reason to spend hard-earned $$ on something new.
But - why this blog? Or the others devoted to PowerPC? Why are there so many Linux distributions available for PowerPC? Or MorphOS, that only runs on PowerPC and nothing else? Why is NASA still using this hardware so long after Apple abandoned it? I see the homage given to the "greatest computer architecture ever created" both here and elsewhere, but have never quite understood why. Don't get me wrong: I'm glad this blog, and others like PPC Luddite, are out there; because they are fantastic resources for someone like me who's just trying to keep an old mac useful...I just don't get the "why" behind it all.
What I'd like to see on these blogs, are the authors explaining to people like me just what is it that's so great about PowerPC? What is it about the architecture that inspires such a loyal following?
If you need to ask that question, you will not be able to understand the answer in the first place.
DeleteDo you honestly think that this architecture existed just because it was used in Macs for about 12 years? That is not the case at all. Apple helped engineer the early PowerPC chips in the early to mid 90's but by the G3 and past it was all Freescale (Motorola's CPU division) and IBM.
These chips are pretty much the most robust of their kind. Their kind is RISC (reduced instruction set computer) and they are extremely reliable chips. The G3 and G4 chips specifically are easily two of the most reliable chips ever made.
The only reason Apple abandoned PowerPC was that it wasn't growing at a rate that could meet the coming bloat and sloppy code that Apple loves to do these days.
PowerPC still have a very vast market today but it's pretty much all in things that are out of the public eye. The G3 and G4 based ships that are still made are used in plane, power plant and space hardware computer systems.
The current Mars Rover runs on a G3 200 MHz and is controlled by a BSD-like command line OS named VxWorks.
The gaming industry is also very fond of PowerPC. The Wii, PS3 and Xbox are all powered by PowerPC/Power chips. "Power" is the architecture IBM makes these days and it's 100% code compatible with PowerPC. PowerPC chips can easily run Power code also with just a few modifications to a few lines of code.
This blog is almost a year old now and you're the first person to ever ask such a question here. Everyone who comes here (other than maybe you) knows exactly why it's a great architecture.
Some use it because they're poor and others (like me) use it because they admire the efficiency and reliability of it.
I hope that helps you understand
For those who see computers only as a tools to do specific tasks, it's probably not easily understood. I mean no criticism toward anyone on this point. It's normal. Most of us started out that way. The Macintosh, in particular, was very well suited to be used as a tool for my existing hobbies of photography, music, and eventually video.
DeleteAt some point, though, computing itself became a hobby. That doesn't necessarily mean that one will be drawn to PowerPC, but there is an undeniable appeal to the architecture. You either understand or you don't. Again, I mean no offense to anyone. I drive my car every day without fully understanding its strengths and weaknesses compared to other cars on the road. It does the task that I require and I simply do not care about anything else. I have a friend, though, who could tell you intricate details about every Japanese or American engine made since 1970. To him, it would matter.
If it doesn't matter to you, then don't worry about it. I understand the curiosity, but, as zen stated, if you have to ask, then you probably won't understand. I mean no disrespect by that. It's probably the case that the last person to even have a chance of understanding the existing body of human knowledge was Anaximander--And that was quite some time ago. We modern folk have to pick and choose the things that we explore with any level of depth.
Freddy
zen! Beautiful site and great writing! I've only made it through about half so far.
DeleteFreddy (thundersnake)
It's great to hear from you, Freddy!
DeleteI figured you were caught up in your new life after moving, and I was wondering if you would ever stop by.
If you ever want to become a writer here then you're more than welcome to. I would happily give you an author account here.
Keep in touch!
Anytime I ever check ebay there are at least 90-100 G3 and G4 CPU for sale, and about 35-40 are third-party upgrades. Most never get bought so you can't say there is a shortage.
ReplyDeleteThen there is the option of buying more than one of the PowerPC system you settle on. Then you have a spare for every single part.
You can often buy a whole G4 tower for what many sellers ask for just a CPU, PSU or logic board.
Anyone who uses PowerPC hardware in 2013 needs a cache of parts if they expect any semblance of longevity. Period.
I wish we had as much as that here, you can't buy any CPU upgrades and the higher-end PowerPCs can go up to €400 (Quad).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxVVgBAosqg Cumpleaños feliz!
ReplyDelete