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Next G5 Multitasks Operating Systems

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the little-bit-of-this-a-little-bit-of-that dept.

squiggleslash writes "IBM has big plans for the 970, Apple's so-called "G5". The CPU will support partitioning, similar to IBM's mainframe systems, allowing multiple operating systems to run at the same time on a single CPU. A Mac built around this chip could theoretically run OS X, GNU/Linux, Mac OS 9, and the PowerPC version of Windows NT, all simultaneously and independently."

17 of 449 comments (clear)

  1. great by jrl87 · · Score: 5, Funny

    so now I can crash at least five systems at the same time?

    1. Re:great by Nicholas+Hill · · Score: 2, Funny

      Or crash Windows five times at once.

  2. What's the point? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    OS X is already the best OS available anyway.

  3. PowerPC version of Windows NT? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    What is this, 1994?

  4. So... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I see it runs this "GNU/Linux", but the question is... does it run Linux?

  5. Sounds great... by iamzack · · Score: 5, Funny

    But will it come in a stylish case with a 4-figure price tag?

  6. OMG! by Chief+Typist · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm going to need more than one mouse button!

    -ch

    1. Re:OMG! by rtaylor · · Score: 3, Funny

      Take your keyboard and put it ontop of the mouse.

      There, now you have over 100 buttons on your mouse.

      --
      Rod Taylor
    2. Re:OMG! by Chicks_Hate_Me · · Score: 4, Funny

      WRONG! Steve Jobs has already thought ahead! Pressing control-click will act as a click in Windows, while in Linux it will be command-click, in BSD it will be ctrl-alt-click, and OS/2 it will be control-alt-command-click, and DOS will be control-alt-command-shift-~-click (will require use of nose.)

    3. Re:OMG! by Otter · · Score: 5, Funny
      ...in Linux it will be command-click...

      Actually, that's only in KDE. It'll be ctrl-click in GNOME, option-click in Motif, :-click in vi and hitting every key simultaneously in emacs.

      --
      What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  7. After introduction of G5 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...the CPU PartitionMagic is released.

  8. Can't wait by gkuz · · Score: 2, Funny

    NT for PowerPC. Be still, my heart!

  9. Whats the point? by dan_sdot · · Score: 1, Funny

    I hate the state the obvious, but, why not get two computers?

  10. great-Demolition derby. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "so now I can crash at least five systems at the same time?"

    Just wait till partitioning comes to the automotive industry.

  11. Re:Native Mode Java? by Timesprout · · Score: 4, Funny

    native mode is when a resident national of the country in which the machine is located types "java LocalMain" at the console to launch the program and is not to be confused with indigenous mode which is when a resident national of the country in which the machine is located launches it from an IDE GUI. Hope this clarifies things.

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  12. Re:Linux and OS X side by side by pegr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Do you need to test a multi-machine app? Don't feel like buying more hardware yet? Guess what technology solves that problem ...

    VM-Ware?

    Really, how is this different? When the OS rides directly "on the metal", you're supposed to get the best performance. Abstract the hardware layer and yes, you can do tricks like this but you pay for it in ticks. Maybe individually affordable hardware now has the ticks to spare. That, and while I love VM-Ware, it's still subject to the goings-on of the underlying OS...

    Crap, wasn't the 386 supposed to do this? If only Intel had written the hardware abstraction layer instead of trusting OS vendors to do "what's right"...

  13. clusterd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    yes but I run a beowolf ckuster in the chip