ppc users, are we the last of a dying breed?

nss · Guru Joined: 04 Oct 2004 Posts: 389

Someone approached me the other day and was amazed that I was running linux on my mac (ppc). This person seemed to know a lot about linux too. We, the ppc linux/gentoo users, already seem to be a minority. With Apple's intel switch, does this mean our days are numbered? I hope not. These are good machines and have been for some time.
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nixnut · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 7:35 pm Post subject:

Moved from Gentoo on PPC to Gentoo Chat.
Not a support question, so moved here.
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cyrillic · Posted: Mon Jan 23, 2006 9:27 pm Post subject:

I just recently bought 2 mac minis after many years of x86 machines, and I am very happy running Gentoo on them.

It is kinda sad that Apple has decided to move to Intel chips. I suppose now would be a good time for PPC enthusiasts to buy macs, before they are gone.

Hey, what about IBM servers ? Don't they use PPC / PPC64 chips ? I suppose they are probably too pricey for home users (at least in my home :wink:

).

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

talipdx · n00b Joined: 13 Jan 2006 Posts: 7

I can definately see it slowing down abit, but Im more than happy working with my current ppc hardware .... just because all the new macs will be x86 doesnt mean all the tons of older ppc mac products will disappear completely.

torchZ06 · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:45 am Post subject:

sktrdie · Apprentice Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 153

PPC is not dying... other companies like GENESI are growing intensively.
I've heard a PPC developer saying that at the latest 2006 CES all the computers were using Intel and Windows (same hardware and software) with the only difference of having a different enclosure. It was like looking at the same thing, just different colors used in different tasks, but that's it.
While when GENESI presented their new line of ODW and their new Home Theater system, it was not the same, it was innovation into a new different type of hardware, new software all open-source.
That's what innovation is about.
About the x86 vs PPC, of course there are differences and x86 is developing much faster.
Until an open-source company doesn't start using x86 the way GENESI is I don't think innovation will come.

cyrillic · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 3:20 pm Post subject:

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

torchZ06 · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 1:09 am Post subject:

DrWilken · Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 1:52 pm Post subject:

Well, for starters it's a rack mount box ;-)

I work with these machines... And the 710 is NOT designed for desktop usage but if You got the money you got the POWER! ;-)

Another better solution, but pricy(!!), is to use an OpenPower 720 desktop model and plug in a nice graphics card... I've had a customer (web developer) which had this setup as his PPC development machine...!
http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/eserver/openpower/hardware/720_9124720ad.html
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ASUS AT5IONT-I (64bit Dual Core Atom D525 processor with Nvidia ION(2) GPU) running Gentoo Linux... Latest and Greatest...

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peaceful · Apprentice Joined: 06 Jun 2003 Posts: 287 Location: Utah

Well, I'll be switching to "x86", but sticking with macs. There's a Macbook Pro out there with my name on it...someday.

I didn't get my current macs for the PPC processor, I got them for cool hardware and OS X (great for the desktop) ... with which I manage all my rackmounted, x86, gentoo boxes with.

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

DrWilken · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:54 am Post subject:

I'm trying to setup an LPAR (Logical Partition) on a pSeries 520 (not OpenPower but same arch/CPU) in the near future. I'm looking forward to seeing how fast it compiles ;-)

I don't understand what You're saying about power consumption. These boxes gives You a lot of computing power compared to their power consumption. Please don't just say: "Well, it's only a 1.5/1.9GHz CPU so it must be slower than my P4..."

Have a look at http://www.tpc.org/tpcc/results/tpcc_perf_results.asp

If you wan't an IBM POWER workstation this is it:
http://www-03.ibm.com/servers/intellistation/power/
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-=[DrWilken]=-
ASUS AT5IONT-I (64bit Dual Core Atom D525 processor with Nvidia ION(2) GPU) running Gentoo Linux... Latest and Greatest...

tux-power.dk

pjp · Administrator Joined: 16 Apr 2002 Posts: 20067

cyrillic · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 9:48 pm Post subject:

torchZ06 · Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2006 10:13 pm Post subject:

DrWilken · Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 9:01 am Post subject:

You could also ask any specific question here @ IBM developerWorks in the Linux on POWER Architecture forum:
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/forums/dw_forum.jsp?forum=375&cat=5

This is the general developerWorks - Linux site:
http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linux

Hope it helps a bit ;-)

I myself am thinking of bying a Mac Mini box to play around with, and I think I'm going to go with an AMD Opteron X2 (165) + DFI mobo setup too...

I don't need the processing power these monsters deliver @ home ;-)

BUT it sure as h*** would be nice to have around... :lol:

_________________
-=[DrWilken]=-
ASUS AT5IONT-I (64bit Dual Core Atom D525 processor with Nvidia ION(2) GPU) running Gentoo Linux... Latest and Greatest...

tux-power.dk