I want to use the PS3 as a Desktop PC

[Windam]

Is it possible to use the PS3 as a PC?

My theory:

Put in a 500GB laptop hdd plug in a hdmi cable to a HANNS-G Display w/ hdmi. Put in a copy of Yellow Dog or Fedora Sulfur; use mouse and keyboard via usb. Blu Ray Drive might have DVD write support.

[jimbo11883]

That sounds cool! :)

[StevoJD]

That sounds great to be honest, if you do it tell me how it goes.

[br_]

I highly doubt that the BD-ROM drive has ANY form of write support, and I do not have a PS3 so I cannot tell you from any experience whether this works or not, but I personally have no idea why it WOULDN'T work. Also, you do not need a monitor with HDMI; DVI works fine. I have an adapter plugged into the back of my brother's 360 to convert the HDMI to DVI. Cost me all of $9 after shipping.

EDIT: and if I were able to put Damn Small Linux on my (original) XBOX and solder in a USB port to use a mouse and keyboard, I'll be damned that you can't do something that Sony SAYS you can on a PS3.

[MMaster23]

Hmm why would you do it?

The cost of an PS3 + 500GB 2,5" SATA drive alone will buy you an hefty gaming pc running any OS of choice and giving you DVD burning capabilities...

(The PS3 can't burn any disc as far as we know... wouldn't make sense if it could)

[Windam]

That sounds great to be honest, if you do it tell me how it goes.

I'll have to buy the PS3 though :blush:

I told myself, the PS3 has to be useful with all it's hardware so instead of building a cheap Core 3 Duo next year I'll get something that can do everything. When you think about it if the performance suffices the PS3 would make the cheapest most efficient desktop/gaming hybrid to ever exist.

I'll be waiting next year to buy the PS3 and the laptop hdd; hopefully the prices will drop on the hdd

[StevoJD]

You would probably miss Windows, unless you're already a linux enthusiast. Also, I don't think the PS3 was made to be a primary desktop. But hey, give it a go!

[Keito]

Hmm why would you do it?

The cost of an PS3 + 500GB 2,5" SATA drive alone will buy you an hefty gaming pc running any OS of choice and giving you DVD burning capabilities...

(The PS3 can't burn any disc as far as we know... wouldn't make sense if it could)

No it wouldn't. It would set me back 600 euro's in total to get a 40GB PS3 and a 500GB 2.5" HDD. My PC, which is an Intel E8500, 4GB RAM, 500GB storage, Vista computer, cost me 1200 euro's... so that's quite a difference.

[Bhav]

The PS3's Blu-ray drive can't doing any writing lol.

Plus, it won't be a great desktop PC because you don't have access to the GPU...so you immediately lose 256MB of RAM (leaving you with 256MB) and you won't be able to run games, graphics-heavy applications etc very well.

[Windam]

The PS3's Blu-ray drive can't doing any writing lol.

Plus, it won't be a great desktop PC because you don't have access to the GPU...so you immediately lose 256MB of RAM (leaving you with 256MB) and you won't be able to run games, graphics-heavy applications etc very well.

If I can run photoshop through wine on the PS3 I'll be satisfied :)

I've been using Linux on and off and my experience has led to know how to get things working

I'll just buy PS3 games for the fun >.< or do some MAME emulation

[utdarkviper]

but he did says he was going to put linux on it. you can run linux just fine with 256. please let us know if this works!

[BajiRav]

If I can run photoshop through wine on the PS3 I'll be satisfied :)

I've been using Linux on and off and my experience has led to know how to get things working

I'll just buy PS3 games for the fun >.< or do some MAME emulation

I don't think wine will work on ps3...

[Windam]

I don't think wine will work on ps3...

And why's that? :)

The high frequency of the XDR RAM and SPE's will make a fine desktop machine capable of running Linux and running the Wine Emulation Software to execute apps like Photoshop CS

[gigapixels Veteran]

It will not make any sort of fine desktop computer. You'll only have 256MB of RAM. Tell me the last time Photoshop ran fine on that natively, and then factor in the fact that you'll have to run it through Wine. And then factor in the fact that you can't even run Wine on the PS3.

Sorry, but this is a really dumb idea. Unfortunately, running Linux on the PS3 is really just for kicks and is in no way useful for everyday applications.

Edited April 13, 2008 by gigapixels

[BigCheese]

And why's that? :)

The high frequency of the XDR RAM and SPE's will make a fine desktop machine capable of running Linux and running the Wine Emulation Software to execute apps like Photoshop CS

Wine won't work because its made to run x86 applications on an x86 processor, the PS3 does not have an x86 processor.

[Rudy]

I have to agree with gigapixels, dumb idea

[Windam]

It will not make any sort of fine desktop computer. You'll only have 256MB of RAM. Tell me the last time Photoshop ran fine on that natively, and then factor in the fact that you'll have to run it through Wine. And then factor in the fact that you can't even run Wine on the PS3.

Sorry, but this is a really dumb idea. Unfortunately, running Linux on the PS3 is really just for kicks and is in no way useful for everyday applications.

It's not a dumb idea.. At least I made the effort thinking about it.

[gigapixels Veteran]

Dumb as in it would be dumb to actually try, which is completely true. I wasn't calling you dumb in any way.

[Windam]

Dumb as in it would be dumb to actually try, which is completely true. I wasn't calling you dumb in any way.

geh.. I get curious about this kind of stuff sometimes there could be potential in messing around with different kinds of hardware.

[carmatic]

Plus, it won't be a great desktop PC because you don't have access to the GPU...so you immediately lose 256MB of RAM (leaving you with 256MB) and you won't be able to run games, graphics-heavy applications etc very well.

well like, the cell processor is halfway between a cpu and a gpu anyway, so with the right type of application it can still be very fast... you wont be playing games on it since sony wont let you, but the cell processor is used for other things like servers and accelerator boards so it should be more than good for just games

[Windam]

hmm I'll check into the next revisions of yellowdog

allot of stuff could of be improved

[TheDreamX]

I think it sounds like an excellent idea. I'm not sure you could use it as your primary machine if you ever plan to do some serious computing (as others have mentioned), but for surfing the web, sending e-mail, and writing reports, it should work great. Even Sony said so in their press released upon Yellow Dog's launch of Linux for PS3...

It was fully intended that you, a PS3 owner, could play games, watch movies, view photos, listen to music, and run a full-featured Linux operating system that transforms your PS3 into a home computer.

So if you're not a really big art generating fiend, I say go for it! And people are complaining about not being able to play games? Hello? You will have a fully functional PS3 (if you do it right) to play those respective games with!

[Astra.Xtreme]

Interesting idea, but kind of pointless unless you plan on using it primarily for gaming.

Hense why it is called a gaming console, and not a pc.

[Cormier6083]

It's pretty good for checking eMail and the Intertubes. Like any other $400 computer.

[Ricardo Gil]

It's not a dumb idea.. At least I made the effort thinking about it.

So did everyone else in here at least once. You're better off with a real PC.