Xbox 2 SDK is Based on Apple Technology?
Microsoft Corporation has just released its Software Development Kit for the Xbox 2 console, a report over The Inquirer suggests. Apparently, Microsoft supplies Apple POWER Mac G5 systems running “a custom Windows NT Kernel” operating system – something one may hard to believe without becoming familiar with preliminary Xbox 2 specifications
The current version of the Microsoft Xbox 2 SDK is an Apple POWER Macintosh G5 computer based on two IBM POWER PC 64-bit microprocessors. Just like the latest Macs, the Xbox 2 SDK is equipped with ATI RADEON 9800 PRO graphics card. Microsoft decided not to wait for ATI Technologies to supply the next-generation R420 VPUs that resemble Xbox 2 graphics fairly more than the R350 chips.
It is not clear whether “a custom Windows NT Kernel” operating system runs in 32-bit or 64-bit mode. According to Apple, POWER PC architecture was designed from the beginning to run both 32-bit and 64-bit application code. 64-bit mode would require ATI Technologies, SiS and other technology partners of the Redmond, Washington-based software giant to develop drivers specifically for SDK, which may not be possible.
IBM’s POWER chips at 65nm process technology were reportedly taped-out recently and are now evaluated by engineers at Microsoft and IBM, though, the architecture of those microprocessors still remains to be investigated.
There is a lot going on with multi-core, multi-threaded designs at IBM. Apparently, Microsoft also wants to jump on that bandwagon by incorporating IBM’s POWER 976 architecture into the CPUs for Xbox 2 console to allow truly high-performance processing. POWER 976 is expected to be a dual-core processor able to handle two threads at once. What may seem a pretty hard to believe is that Microsoft wants more than 1 such chip to power its forthcoming console, according to some sources.
To get the maximum computing power out of IBM’s 64-bit central processing units, Microsoft may need to develop 64-bit operating system for POWER chips and ensure there are 64-bit drivers for Xbox 2 hardware.
News source: X-bit Labs
Microsoft Corporation has just released its Software Development Kit for the Xbox 2 console, a report over The Inquirer suggests. Apparently, Microsoft supplies Apple POWER Mac G5 systems running “a custom Windows NT Kernel” operating system – something one may hard to believe without becoming familiar with preliminary Xbox 2 specifications
The current version of the Microsoft Xbox 2 SDK is an Apple POWER Macintosh G5 computer based on two IBM POWER PC 64-bit microprocessors. Just like the latest Macs, the Xbox 2 SDK is equipped with ATI RADEON 9800 PRO graphics card. Microsoft decided not to wait for ATI Technologies to supply the next-generation R420 VPUs that resemble Xbox 2 graphics fairly more than the R350 chips.
It is not clear whether “a custom Windows NT Kernel” operating system runs in 32-bit or 64-bit mode. According to Apple, POWER PC architecture was designed from the beginning to run both 32-bit and 64-bit application code. 64-bit mode would require ATI Technologies, SiS and other technology partners of the Redmond, Washington-based software giant to develop drivers specifically for SDK, which may not be possible.
IBM’s POWER chips at 65nm process technology were reportedly taped-out recently and are now evaluated by engineers at Microsoft and IBM, though, the architecture of those microprocessors still remains to be investigated.
There is a lot going on with multi-core, multi-threaded designs at IBM. Apparently, Microsoft also wants to jump on that bandwagon by incorporating IBM’s POWER 976 architecture into the CPUs for Xbox 2 console to allow truly high-performance processing. POWER 976 is expected to be a dual-core processor able to handle two threads at once. What may seem a pretty hard to believe is that Microsoft wants more than 1 such chip to power its forthcoming console, according to some sources.
To get the maximum computing power out of IBM’s 64-bit central processing units, Microsoft may need to develop 64-bit operating system for POWER chips and ensure there are 64-bit drivers for Xbox 2 hardware.
News source: X-bit Labs
I'll leave you to decide exactly how good it is; the first comment on the page is a bit... depressing!
Only ATI need to cxode drivers for 64bit ATM because the apple g5 contain no sis part's. When the sdk resembles more of the xbox two then every other company will need to develop drivers
no.
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