Speelgoedmannetje wrote:
Microsoft isn't putting it's money for nothing on .NET. Everyone, and especially Intel, knows the adressing structure of x86 sucks balls (figuratively speaking of course, otherwise it'd not be bad).
There really isn't anything wrong with a modern x86 chip! The x86-64 is even very nice!
They all want to get rid of it, but they need it as well, to keep the compatibility advantage they have over their competition.
No one wants to get rid of the x86! Especially for the reason you just listed! :-D
With the Xbox 360, Microsoft didn't need this compatibility so they chose not to use x86.
M$ wanted cheap... IBM offered a cheap muilticore CPU, IBM own a PPC licence but not an x86 one, so they use that... if IBM owned a MIPS licence that would use that instead... The choice of CPU architecture in the consoles is not a technical one... it's a cost/political one.