So they have optimized an entire Linux distro to use the highly specialized SPEs in the Cell? Somehow I doubt it. You can't just fire up X standard threads and throw them at the Cell, since the SPEs cannot access main system memory. The PPE has to copy whatever data the SPEs need onto their local memory store, and then move it back when they're done with it. This basically throws everything we've been doing with multithreading on x86/PowerPC out the window.
I'm guessing they may have fiddled with some of the video codecs and other places where it makes some sense, but on the whole I'm suspecting it's a more or less standard PPC distro... without graphics drivers.
The Cell PPE is a dual issue, dual threaded, in-order core, which means it ain't all that. A normal G4 would probably kill it. Yellow Dog Linux on the Cell only runs on the PPE (leveraging the other cores would take some heavy re-engineering of just about every piece of software in it), so I think it's safe to say the PS3 Linux experience won't be anything special either. Fun to play with, sure, but certainly no speed demon.
Yes, it's the same feature, but you have to admit the iTunes implementation of that feature is more restrictive than the Winamp one? In iTunes you have to use one of the codecs Apple have provided you with, and you have to use an iPod to transfer you music to. It's all about locking you into Apple tech.
Now, the next portable player I buy might very well not be an iPod, and with Winamp that isn't a problem since it'll just as happily transcode my FLAC files into MP3, WMA, OGG or any other format I want. If I was using iTunes and Apple lossless, it would be a lot easier to just buy another iPod instead of converting about a week of music into a format suitable for my new portable, and then finding another player for my computer supporting that format and the portable. (Which is what Apple wants, isn't it?)
Sure, but only from Apple's own lossless format, if I'm not mistaken? I'm a bit picky when it comes to my formats, so that's not really an option for me. It's good if you don't mind ripping your music to a proprietary format though, I'll give them that.
Everyone who owns and iPod uses iTunes to transfer music to it (well you can work around this but its a pain and pointless unless you a techie)
Speak for yourself. I use Winamp, and it's neither a pain (works out of the box) nor pointless (I get a lot of features iTunes doesn't have, like on-the-fly transcoding of my.flac files to AAC, and the ability to copy songs back off the iPod if I want to).
I wouldn't say raped. I think you'll find most people (At least over here, across the pond) didn't respect Chevrolets when they were Chevrolets either.
Slashdot Mirror
So they have optimized an entire Linux distro to use the highly specialized SPEs in the Cell? Somehow I doubt it. You can't just fire up X standard threads and throw them at the Cell, since the SPEs cannot access main system memory. The PPE has to copy whatever data the SPEs need onto their local memory store, and then move it back when they're done with it. This basically throws everything we've been doing with multithreading on x86/PowerPC out the window. I'm guessing they may have fiddled with some of the video codecs and other places where it makes some sense, but on the whole I'm suspecting it's a more or less standard PPC distro... without graphics drivers.
The Cell PPE is a dual issue, dual threaded, in-order core, which means it ain't all that. A normal G4 would probably kill it. Yellow Dog Linux on the Cell only runs on the PPE (leveraging the other cores would take some heavy re-engineering of just about every piece of software in it), so I think it's safe to say the PS3 Linux experience won't be anything special either. Fun to play with, sure, but certainly no speed demon.
Is that about analogous to playing with a Wookie?
Yes, it's the same feature, but you have to admit the iTunes implementation of that feature is more restrictive than the Winamp one? In iTunes you have to use one of the codecs Apple have provided you with, and you have to use an iPod to transfer you music to. It's all about locking you into Apple tech. Now, the next portable player I buy might very well not be an iPod, and with Winamp that isn't a problem since it'll just as happily transcode my FLAC files into MP3, WMA, OGG or any other format I want. If I was using iTunes and Apple lossless, it would be a lot easier to just buy another iPod instead of converting about a week of music into a format suitable for my new portable, and then finding another player for my computer supporting that format and the portable. (Which is what Apple wants, isn't it?)
Sure, but only from Apple's own lossless format, if I'm not mistaken? I'm a bit picky when it comes to my formats, so that's not really an option for me. It's good if you don't mind ripping your music to a proprietary format though, I'll give them that.
I wouldn't say raped. I think you'll find most people (At least over here, across the pond) didn't respect Chevrolets when they were Chevrolets either.
5) Upgrade the CPU. A real bitch
The Winamp thing was basically a joke. They took Winamp 2 and tacked some of Winamp3 onto it. 2 + 3 = 5 obviously. :)