no it is a noble act. it's both a noble act and PR = a noble PR (2 birds with one stone). I don't crap on it I just salute their innovative marketing strategies.This isn't a 'noble act'? Wow! You're no easy flirt are you!
Seriously man, what is it that makes you feel the need to crap on this idea?
Cure@PS3 project
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They better make it extremely clear that they will be doing this, or have people sign some papaer that they accept it or something, so they don't get draged to court all the time with people claiming having their consoles high jacked by Sony, personal integrity violation and higher electric bills or whatever, especially in the sue happy US...
Uh... I'm sure you'll have to download the app yourself to get involved - just like now - y'know?
Also people c'mon, of course the PS3 won't be folding during gameplay (or during *anything* else). When folding, the entirety of Cell will likely be dedicated to it, as in the PC version of the app. And since Stanford is estimating a yield of 100 GFlops per PS3 towards folding on their page, it's obvious this is going to be no 'lite' thing.
Anyway the FAH has already achieved plenty of results... not sure where the naysayers are coming from:
http://folding.stanford.edu/papers.html
How is this a tech forum and so few are familiar with the Folding@Home project?
"Internet time", baby!
But, sure, it would be nice to get to an iconic moment when the distributed computing movement can point at something major and understandable and say truthfully it wouldn't have happened without them. Like, "we just cured x" or "we now have an effective treatment for x".
In the PlanetQuest star finding/mapping distributed app, you get associated with the relevent celestial body if your computer is the one to locate it, so there is credit to be had out there.
I'm just a huge fan of the distributed model in general.
I'm just a huge fan of the distributed model in general.
I'm just a huge fan of the distributed model in general.
I hear you. My main pc has been going 24/7, with the occassional "going out of town" and maintentence breaks, since 1999 on one project or another. Well, 4 different iterations of my "main pc" now.
Gradthrawn
Veteran
xbdestroya and geo
Given the potential userbase of the PS3, and the possible adoption rate for online connectivity as demonstrated by Xbox Live!, there seems to be a lot of potential clients (even if only a small % of the total userbase). However, also keeping in mind that there are going to be many “average joe” users, even initially as there are plenty with money who are part of the “Playstation Family,” I can see countless potential participants not taking part. Not because they’re not interested, but simply because they are not familiar with it, or don’t have what they would consider a “comfortable” or “friendly” environment to learn about it and ask questions. To focus on B3D specifically, particularly contributors in the Console Talk section, I think one could find numerous individuals, who will own PS3s, that aren’t the most technically savvy, but would be willing to contribute if properly introduced to it and convinced. I think messages targeted directly at this demographic, with support and information catered specifically to their application (PS3) could convince said users to take the necessary steps to becoming a contributing member (and the fewer the steps the better, buts that’s in SCE's hands). I know we have yet to see what SCEA plans to do in terms of marketing, but I think its always good to have an independent source to go to for information and what not. Especially if it’s a familiar “face” on a message board someone uses often. Since you two seem to be very familiar with the project, and willing to answer questions do you have any plans to help inform, guide, and organize potential PS3 Folders on B3D? I know I for one am interested and have never heard of this particular use of distributed computing until now. And what little I've read here and on the Folding website has been informative enough for me to look further into myself. But that’s only because I stumbled across this thread, not really knowing what it was about (Cure@PS3 Project?) or even that interested, but interested enough to look. Which goes to demonstrate my point about targeted messages. Just thought I would bring all of this up as something to consider. What I’m suggesting does sound like a heck of a lot of work though.
Given the potential userbase of the PS3, and the possible adoption rate for online connectivity as demonstrated by Xbox Live!, there seems to be a lot of potential clients (even if only a small % of the total userbase). However, also keeping in mind that there are going to be many “average joe” users, even initially as there are plenty with money who are part of the “Playstation Family,” I can see countless potential participants not taking part. Not because they’re not interested, but simply because they are not familiar with it, or don’t have what they would consider a “comfortable” or “friendly” environment to learn about it and ask questions. To focus on B3D specifically, particularly contributors in the Console Talk section, I think one could find numerous individuals, who will own PS3s, that aren’t the most technically savvy, but would be willing to contribute if properly introduced to it and convinced. I think messages targeted directly at this demographic, with support and information catered specifically to their application (PS3) could convince said users to take the necessary steps to becoming a contributing member (and the fewer the steps the better, buts that’s in SCE's hands). I know we have yet to see what SCEA plans to do in terms of marketing, but I think its always good to have an independent source to go to for information and what not. Especially if it’s a familiar “face” on a message board someone uses often. Since you two seem to be very familiar with the project, and willing to answer questions do you have any plans to help inform, guide, and organize potential PS3 Folders on B3D? I know I for one am interested and have never heard of this particular use of distributed computing until now. And what little I've read here and on the Folding website has been informative enough for me to look further into myself. But that’s only because I stumbled across this thread, not really knowing what it was about (Cure@PS3 Project?) or even that interested, but interested enough to look. Which goes to demonstrate my point about targeted messages. Just thought I would bring all of this up as something to consider. What I’m suggesting does sound like a heck of a lot of work though.
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The answer is... yes.
I will definitely be pushing that an informational page be hosted and that online PS3 owners be made aware. It doesn't take that much to do or get going, since frankly I'm fairly active anyway in that respect. And just like 'clans' have become a known quantity among gamers everywhere - even those that don't game online - I hope that that same level of pride and feeling of belonging (and accomplishment) will become associated with PS3 folding teams.
So whereas I will in fact set up a competing team to B3D's (which has an existent PC-folding team btw), it will certainly be a friendly competition. And count on Geo to sell you his vision of folding.
(insert Team PSINext folding plug #2)
But seriously, in this competetion, everyone wins. I for one will do my part to get the word out.
I think even as it stands now, I was first to report on it beyond Stanford's own release.
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Uh... I'm sure you'll have to download the app yourself to get involved - just like now - y'know?
I thought that bleons point was that if this was something that you would actively have to start, or download stuff and so on the user base would be much much smaller than if the PS3 would decide in idle moments to by itself by default start computing on this stuff and I am not against it, just make it clear that it will be done, a bit like MS says they are gathering information from your PC that they then use for whatever reason...
Well, and indeed I do think the user base will be constrained as such. Even if the app was to ship with your PS3 HDD by default, I'm sure it would be something you explicitly engage and/or agree to have run. They simply could not have it run arbitrarily without yoru consent... and won't. In fact to take the user out of the decision IMO would deprive the owner of some of the appeal of actively beign able to engage their PS3 in foldign operations - and thus diminish the appeal of this announcement overall.
I think if even 1% of PS3 users were to sign on for this, at the end of the generation such would represent a significant, significant source of folding power. What the actual numbers will end up being, who knows. But I think the mental barrier to entry will be lower than on the PC, and as such I could see folding turning into a 'cool' thing for owners to do.
And well it should be!
So whereas I will in fact set up a competing team to B3D's (which has an existent PC-folding team btw), it will certainly be a friendly competition. And count on Geo to sell you his vision of folding.
....
http://www.beyond3d.com/forum/showthread.php?t=33038
Hey now, I saw that too, don't worry.
And I think it's great they're going to be looking into tapping GPU power as well (at the moment only ATI as indicated). If the 360 gets an app for the Xenos to fold as well, more power to the console owners of the world...
Gradthrawn
Veteran
The answer is... yes.
I will definitely be pushing that an informational page be hosted and that online PS3 owners be made aware. It doesn't take that much to do or get going, since frankly I'm fairly active anyway in that respect. And just like 'clans' have become a known quantity among gamers everywhere - even those that don't game online - I hope that that same level of pride and feeling of belonging (and accomplishment) will become associated with PS3 folding teams.
So whereas I will in fact set up a competing team to B3D's (which has an existent PC-folding team btw), it will certainly be a friendly competition. And count on Geo to sell you his vision of folding. :smile:
(insert Team PSINext folding plug #2)
But seriously, in this competetion, everyone wins. I for one will do my part to get the word out.
I think even as it stands now, I was first to report on it beyond Stanford's own release.
Ah, I did not realize you had (or are at least a contributing author to) a PlayStation specific site. I can't think of a better way to get the word out in general to PS3 users. Getting IGN to help spread the word would probably be the ultimate way to get mainstream exposure. They can damn near hype anything up, and from the looks of it, all that is needed is for the participant to turn it on and maybe provide some basic information (at least for the initial setup)? IGN's primary demographic is perfect for that. I'm glad to hear you will be taking what looks to be an excellent opportunity to support this project. In regards to competing teams, in my opinion, some healthy, friendly, competition is a great way to get people actively engaged in something.
Lets not forget that there is always an initial, run once, setup process for a PlayStation product (and ever console I've seen come out in the last 2 generations). If the Folding option were to be put in there..... Hmm.... Maybe we should email SCE and recommend that.
No $£!#... At a stated effective computing rate of 100Mflops, these folding PS3s would represent the potential of roughly 10 ordinary PCs each, and that's just counting the theoretical peak of a standard x86 CPU. The actual calculation speed when running the folding client would of course be even lower!
Except if the PC was equipped with an X1900...
Except if the PC was equipped with an X1900...
Well for those that worry about power consumption, an X1900 running full throttle - and I don't think many people actually realize what that means - for the majority of the day... now *that* will be a wattage concern!
In that respect the delta wouldn't be too far from a PS3 system running full pelt, and I'll wager it giving a higher throughput.
Perhaps not if Cell and RSX were to cooperate on folding, rather than the GPU just drawing pretty spheres of atoms being twisted around...
Well, another point of friendly competition then, to be sure.
Honestly though, I wouldn't be surprised if the all-out burn of a high-end x1900 exceeds the maximum wattage supplying capability of the PS3's PSU outright.
