So you're telling me that 16-bit real mode still has a freaking use? It doesn't, just takes up space on the die. Protected mode is pretty much deprecated at this point as no major OS for x86 is 32-bit only, so that leaves long mode, which you can't, as far as my coding has gone, escalate to without passing through real and protected. Seems pretty dumb. 68k at least has the saving grace of being big-endian, and since 68k has no 64-bit extension... I'm a little bit confused as to why even bring 68k up on an article about POWER.
Also as I said, I'm against the patents on the AMD64/x64 architecture, as well as the wide use of proprietary and glitchy EFI/BIOS, as well as crap like SecureBoot ( which is also on Windows ARM rubbish )
OpenFirmware, which is used on most POWER devices, is open source, and with OpenFirmware, any bugs or limitations are publicly documented. Not saying it's perfect, as I don't like it's Forth-style syntax for command shell use, but it is a better alternative to proprietary UEFI.
The main reason I put this out was because, most POWER equipment that is new, is thousands of dollars higher than comparable x86 equipment, and A-EON or A-Cube partnering with TYAN for manufacturing a board based on the specification may serve to reduce production cost. The main issue for A-EON I can see is lack of a clear upgrade path from the 10-year old PA6T CPU, so unless they can pull a design out of their own arse, I don't see any better option than to partner with TYAN.
