What's the probability PS3 will start "PC era of consol

[Inane_Dork]

In 2010, do you guys really think you'll still be gung ho about a "PS3 only more" console? The idea sounds fine now, now when Cell is so advanced and future tech. But what about when it's 5 years old?

Do y'all really want to predict all related markets out that far?

 

[Nite_Hawk]

In 2010, do you guys really think you'll still be gung ho about a "PS3 only more" console? The idea sounds fine now, now when Cell is so advanced and future tech. But what about when it's 5 years old?

Do y'all really want to predict all related markets out that far?

It really depends on how much processing is done in software vs hardware. If PS3 (probably a long shot now) ends up doing something like scanline rendering with very fast and generic floating point processors, I'd be very happy to see the same basic system in place running much much faster. On the other hand, if PS3 more resembles the current generation hardware, then I'd definately be unhappy with a product in 2010 with the same architecture.

Nite_Hawk

 

[GwymWeepa]

In 2010, do you guys really think you'll still be gung ho about a "PS3 only more" console? The idea sounds fine now, now when Cell is so advanced and future tech. But what about when it's 5 years old?

Do y'all really want to predict all related markets out that far?

People seemed contented with x86 long enough, I imagine they could get away with a 5 year old architecture if they want to, it would save a lot of R&D resources if they didn't have to reinvent the wheel again. Now, for the GPU, oh that's guaranteed to change of course.

 

[Vince]

Entropy,

Good post. Once upon a time I posted this which is sorta what you're talking about And good luck with debating x86, around ayear or two ago we had a few pretty cool discussions with Faf, nAo, Mfa, Archie, et al -- but recently there has been in influx of people who are more, lets us say, aligned with the current PC concept and don't take well to discussion on such theoretical grounds. If you hunt around you can find a few still around.

PS. Like the name.

 

[Qroach]

What entropy said makes perfect sense to me. I would like to read a discussion about where x86 is going. I don't think there's people aligned with the X86 "concept" as there are people that simply think it won't be toppled anytime soon or so easily. I'd be glad to do away with it, Damn, I want a power PC that can run windows. However I suddenly won't be able to run my software for windows, and there's the problem.

I think people here are fine with discussing things in therory, but as long a marketing hype is left out of the conversation, and certain people don't get all huffy or overly excitable. It's certianly be worth having.

 

[Entropy]

Entropy,

Good post. Once upon a time I posted this which is sorta what you're talking about And good luck with debating x86, around ayear or two ago we had a few pretty cool discussions with Faf, nAo, Mfa, Archie, et al -- but recently there has been in influx of people who are more, lets us say, aligned with the current PC concept and don't take well to discussion on such theoretical grounds. If you hunt around you can find a few still around.

PS. Like the name.

Those early Cell discussions were the reason I ventured into the console group at all - I have little to no interest in console gaming per se. I do have a long standing interest in massive floating point capabilities and architectures geared towards that, as well as a general interest in computing and computing devices. The PS3 Cell initiative seemed, and still seems, to be a case of someone looking at the situation and their projected needs and realizing that they had to take a leaf from another book. And maybe write a few new pages themselves.

While impossible is a strong word, IMHO there are very good reasons why x86 will not evolve into something similar. But it takes time to structure a good post if you are going to make the pertinent points clear, and the thread where I might do that (with aaronspink) was locked.

PS. The name comes from my scientific field. (And we burn a lot of CPU cycles. x86 has never been "the preferred embodiment of a processor" in my field.) While energies are generally pretty accessible computationally, the entropy typically isn't and is often swept under the rug. Started trying to at least take it into account a couple of decades ago, and still find it interesting. And tricky.