PlayStation 3 processor could support Mac OS X Tiger
The processor in Sony's PlayStation 3 gaming console can potentially support Apple's Mac OS X Tiger operating system according to a recent posting to Sony's UK website.
"Sony is expected to offer optional hard drives for the PlayStation 3 with potential memory capacity of 80 or 120 GB. It remains to be decided whether the standard version of the PS3 will come complete with a hard drive," reads a company statement.
"The operating system has also yet to be clarified. The integrated Cell processor will be able to support a variety of operating systems (such as Linux or Apple's Tiger)."
It's unclear at the moment exactly what this will mean for Mac or PlayStation 3 users. Sony's Cell processor is a derivative of IBM's PowerPC chip used by Apple in its personal computers.
Previous mumblings had presented the possibility that Apple was looking to form a partnership with Sony on the PlayStation 3 that would make some of the console's games compatible with the Mac OS X operating system. With Apple's announced switch to Intel processors, this now seems less likely.
Analysts at Wedbush Morgan Securities recently said that Sony may delay the release of the PlayStation 3 until 2007 if the Microsoft's Xbox 360 launch is less than stellar.
86 Comments
Why? How? I'm confused...
Does this mean that Apple needs 3 version of Tiger? Intel, PowerPC, and the Cell processor?
What is the signifigance of this?
Previous mumblings had presented the possibility that Apple was looking to form a partnership with Sony on the PlayStation 3 that would make some of the console's games compatible with the Mac OS X operating system. With Apple's announced switch to Intel processors, this now seems less likely.
How is this less likely?
There's a version of Tiger that runs on PS3, therefore if sony chooses Tiger as the PS3's default OS, Tiger on Intel would be a few clicks and some minor code changes away from running any game originally written for PS3.. period.
However, you might be saying that if Apple stops supporting OS X on PPC, maybe sony would choose a different OS.. I think this is possible, but you have to remember that usually consoles are shipped with the same version of the same OS for years, so if there's a working PPC version now (and there is), then there's no reason not to use it (unless tiger's just not very good for games, which is probably true).
Moreover, if the PS3 ships say a million units, and each one has OS X.. I'm sure Apple would be more than happy to support it.. after all, the OS is supposed to be platform independent.
When will people learn: instruction sets don't matter much if the OS is the same!
Whaaaaaaaa?
Sounds to me like they were looking for PPC-capable OS names to toss into a PR piece. Weird.
It *could* be something else, but... wacky.