IBM looks for third party PowerPC mobo partners

[System]

FLUSHED BY its success with the Power PC processor, we were told by two mobo makers here at CeBIT that they'd been approached by IBM to consider possible designs supporting the Power PC platform.

Read the original article by The Inquirer

[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).

[BigBenAussie]

Consider possible designs?
Does that mean Big Blue can give them or dicate the designs?
Maybe they can license Eyetech's A1 design.
Of course they're pushing the mobos for running linux but it would be great if they were Amiga compat wouldn't it.
I wonder if IBM have given Eyetech any support at all, and if they can do more to promote the Amiga platform.

Afterall, just like PCs wouldn't it be great if all PPC systems were compatable.

[TeeOneKay]

PPC is on the move.
The Pegasos is right on time, flow with it :]
(I Would have said that about the A1 too, but after all recent events...)

[Doobrey]

Maybe they can license Eyetech's A1 design.

No disrepect meant towards Eyetech, but it`s Mai`s Teron reference design.

Afterall, just like PCs wouldn't it be great if all PPC systems were compatable

I`ll drink to that :pint:
It really sucks knowing that whatever I choose for my next OS will dictate what motherboard it`ll run on, and vice versa.

[CodeSmith]

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

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

Staying on-topic, it would be awesome if Asus started releasing PPC motherboards...

[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.

[asian1]

Hello
This remind me of failed POP project (1999)
IBM blame Winbond (Taiwan) for failed chipset.
The POP project want to get the failed chipset design but IBM refused.
IBM try to force the POP project to use expensive, slow IBM chipsets.
After the failed OS/2 for PowerPC, IBM gave up on inexpensive PowerPC for mass.
In PC world, unless you can produce 10 millions motherboards, you are NOTHING.
Is there any plan by IBM to port AIX to the new PowerPC boards?
Will SCO try to stop the IBM Linux PowerPC project?

[downix]

@asian1

Why would IBM blame Winbond for the failed chipset when it was Mai that failed to deliver the chipset?

Unlike you, I did follow POP when it was happening, and I fully remember the lack of the Mentor Arc Inc (Mai) Aureate-GX northbridge was the area of failure.  The 1 Winbond chip on the reference design ships to this day, even if it is now hopelessly obsolete.

[asian1]

http://www.openppc.org/components.html

Hi
The POP board use Mentor/MAI northbridge and Winbond southbridge. According to the former leader of the project, the main problem was winbond. Anyway why IBM kept the design of chipset and refused to give it to the group?
Will IBM use their own chipset for the new PowerPC boards or other vendors?
Thx.

[downix]

@asian1

That's quite interesting, as I've not had any issues getting winbond chips.  Also, as it was the southbridge, it is not as if they were locked-in as you are with a northbridge.  VIA and SIS still make PCI based southbridges, and as I've found, you can make a southbridge using OSS cores found on opencores.org without breaking the bank on a CPLD.