IBM looks for third party PowerPC mobo partners

[Hammer]

What type of PowerPC motherboards?

Are they from the big X86 motherboard manufactures (e.g ASUS/Asrock, MSI, Gigabyte, Tyan, ABit, Aopen)?

Are they from the medium X86 motherboard manufactures(e.g. ECS, Leadtek, Biostar, Chaintech, Soltek, Shuttle, Albatron, Epox, XFX / Pine, DFI).

There are already several of PPC motherboard reference builders/manufactures.

1.Momentum Computer
2. MAI/Eyetech.
3. Marvell Semiconductor

4. Genesi.
5. Atlas.
6. Apple (1st Tier).
7. Motorola

Is there a defacto BIOS eco-system that can unite** them all?

**I define “unified BIOS eco-system” in the level of X86 motherboards. Not Apple vs Genesi Open Firmware mess (illustrated as an example).

[Hammer]

I thought that open firmware was supposed to be a single standard?

I don't think one could run MOS 1.4 on MOL.
Virtualization is use for experimental applications development work e.g. I use VMWARE for application testing on particular eco-system setups e.g. not everybody has Windows XP.
 
Minimum eco-system standard like IBM’s PC/AT defacto standard for PPC would be nice and may improved PPC market's commoditization characteristics.      

In X86 world, I don’t have any fear in obtaining an incompatible motherboard i.e. I can purchase MSI, ASUS, Gigabyte and ‘etc’ without any fear of serious incompatibilities with X86 OSes (usual OS solutions).  

Notes on Open Firmware...
http://www.firmworks.com/www/ofw.htm

it would be awesome if Asus started releasing PPC motherboards...

Is there sufficient market for risking ASUS’s funds on this adventure? It wouldn’t be a problem IF IBM is risking their money by contracting some big motherboard manufactures in mass producing PPC motherboards.