Re: [openppc] PowerPC based Desktops

[Bjørn Stadil <bjorn@stadil.com>]

On Monday 29 October 2001 04:03 pm, you wrote:

> Obviously the PowerPC is doing well in servers 

Only IBM's Power4 is doing well.  There is nothing important in the server 
market based on G3 or G4

>and embedded applications like settop boxes. 

No set-top boxes are a flop.  It's in the Communications area where they are 
doing OK, Not well but OK.   

> That said, has anyone on this list noticed an increased willingness on the 
>parts of the PowerPC players, IBM and Motorola, to produce the SoCs 

Not really.  They major exception that comes to mind though is IBM's 
derivative for the Nintendo GameCube.  There is rumours that they will make 
the chip available to other large players.  


>discretes that system builders need to compete with Intel on the desktop?

They have given up on the desktop.  

Intel is positioning the Xscale Arm based processor as the Processor of 
choice for lowpower requirements.  They are prices lower than PowerPC and you 
can buy them in smaller quantities.    Intel and TI understands that to 
develope a new market its not smart to gouge the innovative smaller 
companies.  Moto haven't got a clue.   As long as Galvin runs the show they 
will continue to deteriorate.  

> 
> Is the lack of applications that will run on a PowerPC platform an issue 
that is preventing PowerPC on the desktop from becoming reality?

No not yet,  but soon due to lack of mindshare, and developers more 
interested in ARM.  
> 
> Obviously there is the price issue.  Volume issues aside, is there a 
fundamental reason that a desktop Soc with a PowerPC core has to be more 
expensive than such a Soc with a Pentium core?

No its a smaller core so it should be cheaper.  The volume / police is what 
drives this.  


> 

-- 
Bjorn Stadil
bjorn@stadil.com
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