Open Cell CPU Reference Motherboard

[asian1]

Is it possible to port AmigaOS / MorphOS / AROS to this new motherboard?

http://eetimes.com/news/latest/technology/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=163106213

A representative of Toshiba Corp., the development partner most likely to pursue the merchant market with Cell-based designs, said the company will release hardware reference designs and a software development platform for Cell.

[Cymric]

Why?

By whom?

At what cost?

For what market?

asian1 wrote:
Is it possible to port AmigaOS / MorphOS / AROS to this new motherboard?

Possible? Yes.

AmigaOS/MorphOS, not likely.
AROS, slightly more likely, but only if someone got a board and was interested.  ie. Still not very likely.

[asian1]

Two rumors about Cell CPU:

1. Advanced security feature:
This enable the vendor to build dongle /anti piracy mechanism inside the CPU. This mechanism also prevent an unathorized OS to run on certain cell hardware. IMO the anti piracy mechanism is perfect for AmigaOS 4.

2. Virtualization, similar to Vanderpool (Intel) or Pacifica (AMD).
This enable both AmigaOS 4 for Cell CPU and Linux for Cell CPU running together at the same time on a single cell CPU.

[boing]

Is Mr. Hare listening?


If the Amiga is to be a real Amiga, it desperately needs to have some advanced hardware that makes it stand out far ahead of the x86 and Mac camps.

  I still think Jeri Ellsworth needs to be hired too.

[asian1]

Article about Cell vs Intel X86:

http://www.blachford.info/computer/Cells/Cell4.html

"It can't get an advantage in price or volume as Cell will also be made in huge volumes."

Usually IBM fab have yield problem and they cannot produce high end CPUs in large number. INTEL manufacture more than 100 millions X86 in a year.

IBM & Motorola PowerPC is famous for buggy/failed CPU (PowerPC 620), failed / buggy chipsets: Winbond/POP, Articia etc.
Will Cell CPU have the same problems?

"Cell may be expensive initially but once Sony and Toshiba's fabs ramp up it will be manufactured in massive volumes forcing the prices down, the fact it's going into the PS3 and TVs is an obvious help for getting the massive volumes that will be required"

What about yield problems on Multicore CPUs?
Who will build multi Billions dollar Fabs for manufacturing cell CPUs?

"power, the vast majority of PCs these don't need the power they provide, Cell will only accentuate this because it will be able to off load most of the intensive stuff to the APUs."

What is the REAL Benchmark result of Cell CPU?
Is it below 100 Gflops, 40 Gflops, 20 Gflops or only 10 Gflops?

[Sparky]

Why as soon as something with a shiny new CPU come along does the Question "Can xxxx be ported to this ?" follow along shortly afterwards ?

The answer is most likely to be "No." or "NO!!!" or "No it f'ing can't!"

AmigaOS4 itself hasn't even been finished yet.

Ah well, back off to play on my nice Mac Mini (and before you ask, no AmigaOS won't run on that either ..) with it's OS you can buy in the shops and get support for, think I'll do some web browsing with it's working browser, then maybe I'll write some documents in a format that other computers understand ....  :lol:

[JuvUK]

i have a mac running amiga os!
only saving grace it has (muttering) "bloody mac, with its stupid design philophesy, and crappy colour and amiga like operating system ,robbing gits, that bloody bill gates,.
people saying pcs are poo i'm off to get a mac that'll teach that bloody bill gates, oh hes got his fingers in there too!
  sorry its early here (my dog woke me up) im tired and rambling so i'm gonna go....
  cyas Juv.U.K

[Sparky]

JuvUK wrote:
i have a mac running amiga os!

  cyas Juv.U.K

No you don't, you have a Mac running an emulator that's running AmigaOS...

Sparky wrote:

JuvUK wrote:
i have a mac running amiga os!

  cyas Juv.U.K

No you don't, you have a Mac running an emulator that's running AmigaOS...

Maybe he's running AROS-PPC-Hosted on it? :-D

[Doobrey]

Sparky wrote:
Why as soon as something with a shiny new CPU come along does the Question "Can xxxx be ported to this ?" follow along shortly afterwards ?

The answer is most likely to be "No." or "NO!!!" or "No it f'ing can't!"
 

Never say never..

"Can xxxx be ported?" is a different question to "Will xxxx be ported?"

Pretty much anything is possible given enough time and money, so yes OS4 could be ported to the cell , but will it happen?
 Seeing as Amiga Inc have already turned down 2 other hardware licenses, I'd say no,not unless there was a sh*tload of money in it for them.

[Sparky]

Doobrey wrote:

Never say never..

"Can xxxx be ported?" is a different question to "Will xxxx be ported?"

Pretty much anything is possible given enough time and money, so yes OS4 could be ported to the cell , but will it happen?
 Seeing as Amiga Inc have already turned down 2 other hardware licenses, I'd say no,not unless there was a sh*tload of money in it for them.

Yeah your right, but those words don't go together "Amiga .. money ? .. Money .. Amiga ?" nope they don't seem to join up ...  :-)

There is also the fact that a hardware manufacturer would look at Amiga, see an appalling track record for management and customer relations, then take one look at the rabid followers and just turn them down flat so that they don't get tarnished themselves.

As a matter of interest what other hardware licenses did Amiga Inc turn down ?

[Doobrey]

 AHT tried to get it for their STB thingy, dunno the exact details of why they couldn't get a license.
 And Acill was just ignored in his effort to get a license for OS4 on the PegII.

But then again, Hyperion have mentioned a mystery device that does run OS4. Assuming it's not another AmigaOne variant, then it sounds like someone has succeeded in doing business with Amiga Inc.