Is PowerPC Obsolete in 2016?

[MagicBoy]

Exact same everything apart from the cheap plastic enclosure, keyboard and mouse, tiny battery, half the RAM and slow eMMC storage.

So yeah, the SoC is similar.

An interesting modding project nonetheless.

 

[mzs.112000]

Exact same everything apart from the cheap plastic enclosure, keyboard and mouse, tiny battery, half the RAM and slow eMMC storage.

So yeah, the SoC is similar.

An interesting modding project nonetheless.

Don't tell adamscomputerrepair this but, I have looked at that PI-Top(for some Raspberry Pi stuff I want to do), I think the version I was going to use at least, connected via the raspberry pi's GPIO pins, good luck getting a Intel compute stick to work like that. Maybe next he will try to put a Xeon in a iBook

 

[MagicBoy]

Display on the GPIO, or the HDMI out?

If it's HDMI, given the USB 5V power source for the Pi it's at least feasible.

 

[mzs.112000]

Display on the GPIO, or the HDMI out?

If it's HDMI, given the USB 5V power source for the Pi it's at least feasible.

Display is via HDMI, but I believe power management is via GPIO, so, in theory it should work, but he wont get any battery info(It will still get power though), and he will lose HAT functionality(that means he cannot use any raspberry pi hardware addons).

 

[jbarley]

So, what is your opinion? Is PowerPC obsolete?

NASA doesn't think so, seems like the Mars Rover with it's G3 CPU is still doing a fine job on Mars.

 

[mzs.112000]

NASA doesn't think so, seems like the Mars Rover with it's G3 CPU is still doing a fine job on Mars.

And, Orion, will have a PowerPC as its main computer as well, several NASA missions use PowerPC CPU's.
They choose them because they are reliable in a high-radiation environment.
I think Apple should have at least waited another year before deciding to use Intel chips, IBM had chips in the works(Xenon) that were G5 based, but were 3-cores on a single die, and could go to 3.2gHz, while using less power than Apples G5 chips, but by the time IBM started production, Apple had already switched to Intel.

 

[Adamscomputerrepair]

Don't tell adamscomputerrepair this but, I have looked at that PI-Top(for some Raspberry Pi stuff I want to do), I think the version I was going to use at least, connected via the raspberry pi's GPIO pins, good luck getting a Intel compute stick to work like that. Maybe next he will try to put a Xeon in a iBook

Where there's a will, there's a way. Xeon in an iBook, now there's a thought.

 

[mzs.112000]

Where there's a will, there's a way. Xeon in an iBook, now there's a thought.

Xeon in an iBook as a drop-in replacement for the G3? Tell me how that goes.

 

[Adamscomputerrepair]

Xeon in an iBook as a drop-in replacement for the G3? Tell me how that goes.

It doesn't. I was just saying its an idea. Didn't say it's a bad one.

 

[oi!]

I think Apple should have at least waited another year before deciding to use Intel chips, IBM had chips in the works(Xenon) that were G5 based, but were 3-cores on a single die, and could go to 3.2gHz, while using less power than Apples G5 chips, but by the time IBM started production, Apple had already switched to Intel.

The 970GX chips? I agree, but not everyone does.
IMHO, if Apple had decided to stay with PPC architecture, IBM would have continued to provide reduced cost (and feature) chips for Macs based on Power 5 through Power 8 (confusingly, the G5's 970/970FX/970MP CU's are actually a derivative of the Power 4 series)

A purely hypothetical (if unlikely) machine might be a rehashed cheese grater case running dual 12 core Power 8 chips running at 5Ghz. I'd call it the Power Pro.

IBM produce a server named the 'Power E870' which can support up to 80 Power 8 cores and up to 8 TB of RAM.
Makes the Intel Mac Pro waste paper bin seam a little limp. IMHO.

 

[cube]

There are very nice PPC networking chips.

 

[mzs.112000]

The 970GX chips? I agree, but not everyone does.
IMHO, if Apple had decided to stay with PPC architecture, IBM would have continued to provide reduced cost (and feature) chips for Macs based on Power 5 through Power 8 (confusingly, the G5's 970/970FX/970MP CU's are actually a derivative of the Power 4 series)

A purely hypothetical (if unlikely) machine might be a rehashed cheese grater case running dual 12 core Power 8 chips running at 5Ghz. I'd call it the Power Pro.

IBM produce a server named the 'Power E870' which can support up to 80 Power 8 cores and up to 8 TB of RAM.
Makes the Intel Mac Pro waste paper bin seam a little limp. IMHO.

Those 970GX's dissipated 16 Watts at 1.6GHz and 85 watts at 3.0GHz, so at 2.2GHz they should dissipate less heat than my Intel Laptop did before I swapped the CPU(45 watts). But that Core 2 Duo was dual core, the PowerPC 970GX was single core.

In my other post I was referencing the Xenon CPU, IBM built it for the X-Box 360, but it was based on the G5 architecture, it added Altivec registers but it removed some Altivec math functions.

 

[swamprock]

I dunno. I've got a 300 mhz Wallstreet Powerbook running Debian Jessie with Openbox. It's usable, with an up-to-date OS, but obviously limited.

I think that any usable computer with a modern OS shouldn't be considered obsolete (even if a bit limited in its capabilities), but that's just me.

 

[MysticCow]

I dunno. I've got a 300 mhz Wallstreet Powerbook running Debian Jessie with Openbox. It's usable, with an up-to-date OS, but obviously limited.

I think that any usable computer with a modern OS shouldn't be considered obsolete (even if a bit limited in its capabilities), but that's just me.

It's only obsolete when you replace it. I refuse to replace my G4 DA (still has original processor and Ye Olde GeFroce2) because it isn't dead. I only replace systems when they are 100% dead.

 

[mzs.112000]

It's only obsolete when you replace it. I refuse to replace my G4 DA (still has original processor and Ye Olde GeFroce2) because it isn't dead. I only replace systems when they are 100% dead.

Even when they are 100% dead, they are still useful, take parts from them(HDD, GPU, RAM, or anything else that may be working and put them an another computer), then any fried parts can be used as decoration, and the case can be used as a door stop, or a paperweight, or a boat anchor.

 

[MysticCow]

Even when they are 100% dead, they are still useful, take parts from them(HDD, GPU, RAM, or anything else that may be working and put them an another computer), then any fried parts can be used as decoration, and the case can be used as a door stop, or a paperweight, or a boat anchor.

I bet you those G5/G4/G3 cases could be repurposed as jewelry boxes also. They're not just for fish tanks anymore.

You'd just have to gut it, add a shelf, a tiny drawer or two, and a few hooks at the top. With heavy duty glue and patience, it could be done.

And the G5 towers are already compartmentalized, so that one would be a lot easier to redo.

 

[mzs.112000]

I bet you those G5/G4/G3 cases could be repurposed as jewelry boxes also. They're not just for fish tanks anymore.

You'd just have to gut it, add a shelf, a tiny drawer or two, and a few hooks at the top. With heavy duty glue and patience, it could be done.

And the G5 towers are already compartmentalized, so that one would be a lot easier to redo.

Yep, I suppose you could, but I think, I will keep them as PowerPC computers, any PowerPC's I get will continue to be computers until they completely burn out(like catch on fire and melt or get vaporized), and parts for them are simply no longer available.

 

[MysticCow]

Yep, I suppose you could, but I think, I will keep them as PowerPC computers, any PowerPC's I get will continue to be computers until they completely burn out(like catch on fire and melt or get vaporized), and parts for them are simply no longer available.

Oh no, you misread me and I apologize for not being really specific. I'm talking about repurposing fully dead computers with no hope. I see them on eBay all the time as "for parts or not working" and those are the ones I'm talking about.

Good god, if I can fix my PPC's and get them to keep chugging along, I'm going to fix them. When it becomes physically or financially impossible (and financially impossible will come in another couple of years for everyone), then it'll become a jewelry box.

 

[mzs.112000]

Oh no, you misread me and I apologize for not being really specific. I'm talking about repurposing fully dead computers with no hope. I see them on eBay all the time as "for parts or not working" and those are the ones I'm talking about.

Good god, if I can fix my PPC's and get them to keep chugging along, I'm going to fix them. When it becomes physically or financially impossible (and financially impossible will come in another couple of years for everyone), then it'll become a jewelry box.

Okay, oh I see them on eBay, too.
But yeah, if I can fix my PowerPC's, then I will do it. For me, if the parts get too expensive, I will just have to save for longer, or stockpile them beforehand(seriously though, I will stockpile parts).

 

[MysticCow]

Okay, oh I see them on eBay, too.
But yeah, if I can fix my PowerPC's, then I will do it. For me, if the parts get too expensive, I will just have to save for longer, or stockpile them beforehand(seriously though, I will stockpile parts).

Now is probably the best time to stockpile. Plus, you get free jewelry boxes with the parts.

 

[mzs.112000]

Now is probably the best time to stockpile. Plus, you get free jewelry boxes with the parts.

Or, stockpile cases too, that way, even when spare parts start to fail, I still have dozens and dozens of cases, and mobos, cpu's, RAM, GPU, HDD, so I can ensure that no matter what, I always have enough parts to combine and assemble a working computer.

 

[bunnspecial]

I showed someone the beige section of my parts closet the other day and they just about went nuts. MOST of my stuff came from one source and a lot of it was from parted out computers. I do have some bagged OEM parts, though.

I'm not saying too much, but one of the best items in there is a 350mhz 604e...unfortunately I don't have the "Kansas" logic board that goes with it.

 

[Nameci]

Or, stockpile cases too, that way, even when spare parts start to fail, I still have dozens and dozens of cases, and mobos, cpu's, RAM, GPU, HDD, so I can ensure that no matter what, I always have enough parts to combine and assemble a working computer.

One of my Dual Core PM G5's I already kept for parts.

 

[pochopsp]

I don't know whether they are obsolete or not, I only know that i have a PowerMac G4 MDD single core 1.25 GHz with Mac OS leopard and i use it almost everyday. I use it for retrogaming (psx emulation, peggle and others...), music playback, watching movies, TV series and anime... i also do web browsing with the great tenfourfox and roccat. another use for it to me is for university... i can read PDFs, use geogebra (an excellent mathematics app) that is available for PowerPC Mac ... These are my main tasks on my PowerMac... and it does it quite fast, sometimes I wonder how it could be fast with a G5

 

[Adamscomputerrepair]

I don't know wheter they are obsolete or not, I only know that i have a PowerMac G4 MDD single core 1.25 GHz with Mac OS leopard and i use it almost everyday. I use it for retrogaming (psx emulation, peggle and others...), music playback, watching movies, TV series and anime... i also do web browsing with the great tenfourfox and roccat. another use for it to me is for university... i can read PDFs, use geogebra (an excellent mathematics app) that is available for PowerPC Mac ... These are my main tasks on my PowerMac... and it does it quite fast, sometimes I wonder how it could be fast with a G5

How'd you do PS X emulation? I've tried and failed several times now.