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PowerPC Goes 64 bit

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the everyone's-doing-it dept.

prostoalex writes "ExtremeTech runs a story about IBM planning to introduce a new 64-bit PowerPC architecture for desktops in October at the Microprocessor Forum. The conference agenda tells us that "this processor is an 8-way superscalar design that fully supports Symmetric MultiProcessing. The processor is further enhanced by a vector processing unit implementing over 160 specialized vector instructions and implements a system interface capable of up to 6.4GB/s"." There's also a News.com story.

7 of 372 comments (clear)

  1. Wait a minute by tspears · · Score: 0, Troll

    Isn't the PPC velocity engine 128 bit already????

  2. just curious... by edrugtrader · · Score: 0, Troll

    forgive me for not following mac technology much...

    a PowerPC is a mac that can run some x86 applications and hardware right? if they go 64bit, how does that affect what is already in place?

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    MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
    1. Re:just curious... by edrugtrader · · Score: 0, Troll

      so it can just open files from floppies saved on formatted by windows or what?

      why do i need a 64 bit powerPC, and what will i be sacraficing that already exists on the 32 bit platform?

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      MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
    2. Re:just curious... by edrugtrader · · Score: 0, Troll

      wow, about 15 replies before you caught on.

      troll dead. long live edrugtrader.

      Excellent to Horrible in 10 days... can it be done?

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      MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
  3. 160 hrm.. by autopr0n · · Score: 1, Troll

    The processor is further enhanced by a vector processing unit implementing over 160 specialized vector instructions and...

    Yet Mac zealots will still be going on and on about how PPC is better because "Its RISC!". Never mind that the 486 only had 142 instructions total or anything like that.

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    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
    1. Re:160 hrm.. by pi+radians · · Score: 2, Troll

      You must be a blissful fellow (read: ignorant)....

      RISC vs CISC is a concept of design, there is no set amount of instructions for either. Go back to computer science 101.

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      sin(6cos(r)+5A)
  4. Right on! by Slur · · Score: 1, Troll

    Let's hear it for the 486 - woohoo!

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    -- thinkyhead software and media