PPC on the desktop and endangered species?

[Thetargos]

I was thinking... Now that Apple is moving towards an Intel platform, how long will it before they do it in their high end workstations too?, and after they do, what other PPC hardware providers are there, as there are no "Apple clones" unlike the IBM "PC" (AKA x86(64) architecture)?. Is the PPC port of Fedora and other "desktop" distros hopeless for the PPC platform?

I'm just venting some thoughts, so don't mind me much... I was just thinking that for some time Apple has been the main PPC supplier for the desktop users, with them now moving towards Intel, PPC on the desktop pretty much is condemned to extintion... or am I totally wrong, and there are other suppliers? Maybe we'll se the resurging of Amiga, or other PPC vendor (one with Linux up their sleeve would be terrific!). I haven't got the chance to work with the platform that much, so I'm not that familiar with it, and as such I ask here those of you who are what are your thoughts about PPC on the desktop...

[Jman]

I wouldn't worry about PPC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerPC) with all the other uses, including embedded and cell, apparently.

Fedora, or at least Linux for PPC, will likely be around for some time. Never underestimate the willingness of hackers to pick up hardware and make it work, regardless of platform. ;)

[Thetargos]

I wouldn't worry about PPC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerPC) with all the other uses, including embedded and cell, apparently.

Fedora, or at least Linux for PPC, will likely be around for some time. Never underestimate the willingness of hackers to pick up hardware and make it work, regardless of platform. ;)
I'm awre of the uses of the PPC architecture, but once Apple is done with their current G5 high-end workstations and (most likely) move them to a Intel platform, that will be pretty much it for the PPC architecture on the desktop... Or so I believe, but I'm no analist nor expert.

[ppesci]

Visit penguinppc.org. There are some reference for another ppc machine makers

Pietro Pesci Feltri

[jim@nordisk]

Dont worry about PPC as IBM is starting to ship their P6 chip in their systems. That puppy is running at 6.25 gigaherz. The IBM boys think they may be able to squeeze a few more gigs out of it before they are through. It is a 64bit chip that is binary compatable with thier older 64 bit procs, (power3, power4 and power 5). For high end workstations that P6 chip will blow away anything from Intel and AMD.

As for the older chips, I have benchmarked my 6F1 with 4 way RS64 III mod 2 procs running at 750 mhz against the fastest thing on the common desktop from AMD and Intell and it is slightly faster (but then we are comparing apples and oranges)and with ultra 320 SCSi disk drives that is to be expected. I got the 6F1 (weights in at 200 lbs ) just for taking it away. Not bad for a 14, 73 gig Disk Drives, (1 TB if any one is counting) 16 gig of ram machine, but be warned those dual redundant 525 watt power supplys will make the electric company rich.

[ppesci]

Jim:

IBM has no focus in a Desktop PC, the target for then are servers with higher Power chips, and game console with Cell architecture.

I was using PowerPC from day one and look promising but the reality is there are a lack on software on Desktop and IBM is doing nothing for solve the problem.

Apple switch because there are no competitive PowerPC chip for a laptop offer, I switch because there are a serious lack on software and development tools after many years of promises.

Anyway Power is a fabulous for mainframes, servers and gaming, but for desktops, is dead.

[Thetargos]

Yes, that was my original point. As a desktop platform, PPC is done for. IBM won't let the architecture die, but PPC is now what Itanium is for Intel, only a high end server processor, nothing more.

[jim@nordisk]

You are quite right about a serious lack of desktop tools for the IBM line.

That is one of the reasons I am thing to get Fedora core 6 tor un on the chrp architecture RS/6000's. There are a ton of those machines comming available in the next few months. My boss jsut bought 30 43P-150's and 70 44P-170's with with 1 gig ram and 36 gig of Scsi2 hard drivs matrox video card for $50 a unit. If I can get Fedora running plus the management tools for pSerises, Tivoli Storage manager, HACMP storage manager running on them we can probably kick them out the door at $500 each. that is a 1000% profit for us and gives the customers a rock solid machine for applications.

There some enpros (intellistations) (30 of hose) with raid cards 36 gig drives, 3d labs Wild cat video cards, Xeon procs for dirt cheap. I am shaging one of those to give to my son who is a big time gammer. I want him to ring out with windows XP and Fedora Core 6 to see how they stackup. If the work well we can probably kick them out the door at a reasonable price.

With the shipping of the new P6 chips we are going to see a lot of the older P4's become available and quite frankly the agressive pricing, ( A 51A (one way 1.65 gig 64 bit dual core system with some wild l1 and l2 cache arrangements) can be had for around $5k brand new) it doesn't make a lot of sense for a business to stick with older machines which will cost them an arm and a leg in maintenance agrrement costs, (whch cannot be written off) when the half cost of a new machine can be written off in the first year and has a 3 year parts and labor warrentee.

So like I said a lot of old IBM stuff is comming on the market at dirt cheap prices.
All we need is a good opeating system. (other than AIX)