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PowerPC Open Platform Motherboards Finally Here

Posted by timothy on from the hope-laptops-come-next dept.

Cajal writes: "IBM's POP (PowerPC Open Platform) is a standard for making PowerPC-based motherboards. It's been out for years, but no one did anything with it. That's now changed. According to a story on PenguinPPC, Mai Logic is finally making POP motherboards. Finally, we can buy PowerPC motherboards without dealing with Apple."

3 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. So, We can get a PPC Motherboard by OS24Ever · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What would the advantadge of this be over an Intel/AMD system? Or is the clone AIX market going to open up?

    If they're comparable in price to an intel I could see Linux folks using them for servers vs. Intel. But if the PPC is a lot more expensive (20%) I don't see the value in this.

    If MacOS still ran on something other than Apple's machines like it did in the mid 90s that'd be a reason to get one, but at the moment I'm not seeing it.

    --

    As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.

  2. If performance is the only goal..... by Pengo · · Score: 4, Insightful


    Why not just buy a damn Athlon +++++ whateever system. At least I can be sure my binary only applications would work (ie. Java, Games, drivers, etc). Yes, in an open-source-only world, thats cool...

    If I HAVE to have a risc-based work-station I would rather do it on Solaris. You can pickup a sun-blade very cheep, throw in some ram and you have a great unix workstation. It will run all the crap you would want to run on linux, including linux itself.

    If I want to use a PPC platform, I personally will buy an Apple.

  3. Apple Proprietary ROMs still an issue? by swngnmonk · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd assume that Apple continues to tie their Operating Systems to proprietary ROMs - making a generic PPC motherboard fairly useless if you're planning to run MacOS. Not like this is a new thing - since the early 80's, Apple has used their ROM chips to sue any clone manufacturers. I remember my 1992-vintage Mac emulator for the Amiga required Mac ROMs that the emulator manufacturer would not supply.


    I'd love to be wrong on this one - getting more competition in the PPC-hardware space would be great, but I doubt Steve Jobs will play along - he'll take his ball home first.

    --

    'ARRGH! Pirate Designers of the Internet, we be!'