IBM: Lots of transistors on single chip = more heat, power consumption
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Jun 10, 2005 at 4:03pm
Is IBM trying to send a message to Apple? Check out this note on their Web site:
“Squeezing ever more transistors onto a single chip means microprocessors are running hotter and drawing more power. And that means design challenges and chip-performance trade offs. At the same time, the microprocessor market is shifting. Personal computers constitute a maturing market, while demand is being driven by proliferating mobile devices, the spread of broadband data connections and the advent of the digital home.
“IBM clearly saw the branching paths of chip technology many years ago and is meeting the challenges of the new era, particularly with its family of POWER chips. Industry-leading design innovation is pushing POWER inside a wider range of products, from gaming consoles to company servers and lightning-fast supercomputers—and the Power.org open development community ensures that collaboration fuels the accelerated evolution of POWER chip technology.”
This note leads to a Web page talking about IBM’s chip strategy. This page describes IBM’s 64-bit, dual-core POWER5 processor as a fully integrated “system on a chip.” It also notes that IBM is working with all three leading game console manufacturers (Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo) on next-generation platforms. IBM forecasts that next-gen game console shipments will be 17 million in 2006, 27 million in 2007 and 33.5 million in 2008.
Cats Says:
Yeah IBM, we had front seats to that message on Monday!
One side thinks Apple’s move is for desktop, notebooks and servers...on Intel, but with a foot in the door with PPC for the odd device. QuickTime will always run on both architectures anyways which is good for thin clients that are on their way...and are already here. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2137733/hp-dumps-transmeta-via
HP installs Quicktime on all systems according to casanova -which means these “thin clients” as well.
And there’s a tiny part of me that thinks that Steve just blew his cork and dramatically pulled the plug.
Ok, one more little part of me has always hated IBM for not running with Taligent, so as to give MS time to get Windows 95 out the door and then screw apple. Still feel that way - MEOWWWWWWWWW.
Posted on June 10, 2005
What's the frequency, Kenneth? Says:
Hyperbole.
If IBM was producing a 3 Ghz G5 a year ago or producing a low power G5 for the PowerBook, they wouldn’t be defending their technology shift.
This is all about Apple being able to get the chips it needs and IBM and Freescale not providing them. One leg fell of the AIM partnership a few years ago, and the second leg fell off a bit over a year ago. Steve properly pulled the plug.
Posted on June 10, 2005
Dick Applebaum Says:
The common thread through all this is that many believe that the desktop computer is a maturing market.
That Thin-Client/Services (TC/S) and game/home systems are the real growth opportunity.
I think I agree with this, but the existing desktop/homers are a very large market, too.
Some will never (or, at least, for a very long time) abandon having the applications and data under their direct control, on their computers.
If Apple does it right (I am betting they will) they will be uniquely poised to sell into the existing desktop and [near] future TC/S market.
Dick
Posted on June 10, 2005
Tomovich Says:
Ok, maybe a stupid question, but what does Thin-Client/Services mean?
And do you mean desktop will once go away?
Posted on June 11, 2005
Dick Applebaum Says:
To Tomovich
Thin-Client/Services is what Neo describes in his Next Wave Series on MacsimumNews… the latest is at:
http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/5240/
Watch for wrapping of the URL.
The series explains that the Next Wave will provide solutions to the billions of people (many in emerging countries) who don’t already own computers.
The proposition is that these people will buy devices that have less compute power (Thin-Client) and primarily get their processing power and data through web services.
A cell phone is an example of a specialized device (mobile telephone) that can act as a thin-client…
With this thin-client you can potentially:
--send/receive & manage your email
--manage your stock portfolio including triggers/buy/sell
--make reservations, buy music and video for later download/delivery
--comparison shop for everything form a box of candy to a new house
--receive alerts about things of importance to you: traffic, weather, etc.
--be able to access your personal data as necessary
A common thread runs through all of these capabilities:
--The Thin-Client is doing little more than providing an interface to programs and data that reside elsewhere (on the network)
--At the user’s request, programs are invoked, the user’s data is accessed and processed, and results/confirmation are sent to the user… all the heavy lifting is done on the network.
The Thin-Client/Services model also applies to offices that have LANS/WANS of desktop computers.
Currently, each user has a desktop computer, with its own HDD, DVD, etc. and its own copy of the OS, and every application.
Compare this to:
Each desktop has minimal hardware consisting of a display and keyboard and network connection. A single, updated, multi-user version of each program exists on the network; as well as a single-updated copy of all the data.
--The desktop hardware doesn’t become obsolete as quickly.
--Software updates on the server are instantly reflected on every desktop
--data is more secure, backed-up, and more accessible to authorized users
There are potentially great cost savings, and the authorized user has access to all of this wherever, whenever he has access to another thin client-- down the hall or across the world.
Farfetched? Not really… as Neo explains in the Next Wave series… many pieces are in place now (the iTunes Music Store) and others are being live tested.
http://www.kddi.com/english/corporate/kddi/ubiquitous/
Read Neo’s series… he makes a compelling case!
Dick
Posted on June 11, 2005
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Contributor
Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
Stevie Stets Says:
The message is clear - IBM is going one direction, Apple is going another.
Posted on June 10, 2005