Path: univ-lyon1.fr!jussieu.fr!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.erols.net!rill.news.pipex.net!pipex!uunet!in3.uu.net!136.142.185.26!newsfeed.pitt.edu!bb3.andrew.cmu.edu!cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!fs7.ece.cmu.edu!derekn From: derekn@ece.cmu.edu (Derek B. Noonburg) Newsgroups: comp.sys.powerpc.misc,comp.sys.powerpc.tech,comp.sys.amiga.hardware,comp.answers,news.answers Subject: PowerPC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Supersedes: Followup-To: comp.sys.powerpc.misc Date: 27 Feb 1997 20:28:49 GMT Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon Lines: 2007 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Expires: 12 Apr 1997 20:28:44 GMT Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: vw.ece.cmu.edu Summary: This posting contains a list of frequently asked questions about the PowerPC architecture and PowerPC-based computers. Originator: derekn@ece.cmu.edu Xref: univ-lyon1.fr comp.sys.powerpc.misc:2666 comp.sys.powerpc.tech:4428 comp.sys.amiga.hardware:150264 comp.answers:24511 news.answers:95689 Archive-name: powerpc-faq Last-modified: 27-February-97 ======================================================================== PowerPC FAQ 27 February 1997 ======================================================================== The PowerPC FAQ is maintained by Derek Noonburg (derekn@ece.cmu.edu). Please send me any and all additions, corrections, clarfications, and suggestions. # An HTML version of this FAQ is now available on the World Wide Web # . Changes since last version (16 January 1997): * added: 3-3, 3-6, 4-7 * changed: * moved: This document uses uniform resource locators (URLs) to refer to net resources. For more information, see the World Wide Web (WWW) FAQ. In general, for a URL of the form: you should anonymous ftp to foo.bar.com, cd into someDirectory, and get someFile. For a URL of the form: you should gopher to foo.bar.com, and follow the path. URLs of the form: indicate a hypertext document, which require a WWW viewer (such as Mosaic) to read. ======================================================================== Index ======================================================================== [1] Introduction [1-1] Where can a current copy of this FAQ be obtained? [1-2] Can I convert this FAQ to a different format and/or redistribute it? [1-3] What newsgroups are appropriate for PowerPC discussions? [1-4] What other FAQs contain PowerPC information? [1-5] What other net sources (ftp, gopher, etc.) contain PowerPC information? [1-6] Bibliography: where can I get more information on the PowerPC? [1-7] Contributors. [2] Processor [2-1] What is a PowerPC? [2-2] How does PowerPC relate to POWER and POWER2? [2-3] What processors have been announced? What are their specs? When will they be available? [2-4] What processors have been announced by companies other than IBM and Motorola? [2-5] What embedded controllers will be available? [2-6] How fast is a PowerPC? [2-7] Is there special hardware for emulating 68k or x86 processors? [2-8] What is the PowerPC 615? [2-9] Does PowerPC have anything like Intel's MMX instructions or the SPARC VIS instructions? [3] Hardware [3-1] What PowerPC-based workstations are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? [3-2] What PowerPC-based PReP-compliant (IBM-compatible) personal computers are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? [3-3] What PowerPC-based Apple (and compatible) personal computers are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? [3-4] What PowerPC-based controllers are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? [3-5] What PowerPC-based supercomputers and parallel processors are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? [3-6] What other PowerPC-based systems are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? [3-7] What is PReP and how can I get a copy? [3-8] What is the Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP)? [3-9] Can PowerPC 601-based computers be upgraded to, e.g., a 604 when they become available? [3-10] Where can I get the specifications for the PCI bus? [3-11] Can I used any PCI card in my PowerMac/PReP/etc.? [3-12] What is FireWire? [4] Software [4-1] What operating systems will run on PowerPC-based computers? When will they be available? [4-2] What is PowerOpen? [4-3] What is Taligent / Pink? [4-4] Will NeXTStep be ported to the PowerPC? [4-5] What is WorkplaceOS? Will OS/2 be available on PowerPC-based computers? [4-6] Can IBM-PC / Macintosh software be run on PowerPC-based computers? [4-7] What PowerPC development tools are available? [5] Comparisons [5-1] Should I buy a PowerPC system rather than a Pentium or 68k system? [5-2] What will be the differences between the various PowerPC-based personal computers? [6] Miscellaneous [6-1] What's the deal with Ford and the PowerPC? [6-2] What's the deal with 3DO and the PowerPC? ======================================================================== [1] Introduction ======================================================================== [1-1] Where can a current copy of this FAQ be obtained? This FAQ is posted monthly on comp.sys.powerpc, comp.answers, and news.answers. The hypertext (HTML) version is available on the Motorola World Wide Web server . The text version is available from the news.answers archives via anonymous ftp . This can also be obtained by sending email to mail-server@BLOOM-PICAYUNE.MIT.EDU with the body send usenet/news.answers/powerpc-faq For other archive sites, see the "news.answers Introduction" post. [1-2] Can I convert this FAQ to a different format and/or redistribute it? This FAQ may be redistributed as long as the following guidelines are met: * You notify me by email that you are redistributing the FAQ. * The attribution notice ("The PowerPC FAQ is maintained by ...") is left intact. * The instructions for obtaining current copies of the FAQ (Question 1-1) are left intact. * You use the latest version of the FAQ you can get. * Any modifications (other than formatting) that you make are clearly marked as such. If you convert the FAQ to a different format, please email me a copy. If it is impossible to email it, contact me for other arrangements. If you are redistributing the FAQ and would like to get an up-to-date copy each month via email, let me know, and I will add you to my mailing list. Please specify text, HTML, or both. [1-3] What newsgroups are appropriate for PowerPC discussions? comp.sys.powerpc The primary newsgroup for PowerPC discussion. "Comp.sys.powerpc (unmoderated) will be a newsgroup which will provide a common forum to users and developers of products based on the PowerPC architecture." comp.sys.powerpc.advocacy "To discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the PowerPC architecture and specific processors implementating that architecture." comp.sys.powerpc.tech "To discuss the technical issues surrounding the PowerPC architecture, the features of specific processors implementing that architecture, and efficient programming techniques for PowerPC-based systems (i.e. code optimisation)." comp.sys.powerpc.misc "To discuss matters related to the PowerPC processor family that otherwise do not belong in a specific group." comp.sys.mac.* Discussions which are specifically related to PowerMac hardware or the MacOS should be taken to one of these newsgroup. comp.sys.be For discussion related to the Be operating system and computers. (Text in quotes is taken from the official newsgroup charter.) [1-4] What other FAQs contain PowerPC information? The Macintosh PowerPC FAQ has been discontinued. Robert Boys maintains two FAQs of interest to comp.sys.powerpc readers. The comp.sys.m68k FAQ contains some information on the PowerPC, including the PowerPC embedded controllers. It is posted to comp.sys.m68k, comp.answers, and news.answers, and is available via ftp and on the WWW . The comp.arch.bus.vmebus FAQ, posted to comp.arch.bus.vmebus, contains information on PowerPC-based VME cards. The Linux for PowerPC FAQ is available via ftp and on the WWW . [1-5] What other net sources (ftp, gopher, etc.) contain PowerPC information? Apple/IBM/Motorola: * Apple Computer home page . * IBM home page . * IBM's PowerPC page . * Motorola home page . * Motorola's PowerPC page . Miscellaneous: * The PowerPC News was an Internet-based free magazine, publishing news for both users and developers of PowerPC systems. The last issue was published on 9 July 1996. Back issues are still available at the web site. * The Embedded PowerPC Internet Resources list. Online services: * America Online has a Power Macintosh Forum (as part of the Mac Hardware Forum). * CompuServe has PowerPC and Macintosh Hardware forums. * Delphi has a Macintosh SIG. * Fidonet has a PowerPC echo (Area: POWERPC) for discussions about "PowerPC hardware, software issues, availablity, RISC technology, developers, and more. Covers both PC and Mac versions." * GEnie has two PowerPC roundtables: PowerPC (PPC) on page 1435 and PowerPC programmers' on page 1440. [1-6] Bibliography: where can I get more information on the PowerPC? Manuals and databooks: * Motorola publishes several brochures and manuals. See their PowerPC Technical Library page for a list (including online copies). You can also contact Motorola's Literature Distribution Centers: USA Motorola Literature Distribution P.O. Box 20912 Phoenix, AZ, 85036 1-800-441-2447 Europe Motorola Ltd. European Literature Center 88 Tanners Drive Blakelands, Milton Keynes, MK14 5BP, England Japan Nippon Motorola Ltd. 4-32-1, Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku Tokyo 141 Japan Asia-Pacific Motorola Semiconductors H.K. Ltd. Silicon Harbour Center No. 2 Dai King Street Tai Po Industrial Estate Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong * IBM manuals and databooks are available from IBM Publications . In the USA: IBM Corporation P.O.Box 29570 Raleigh NC 27626-0570 phone: 1-800-879-2755 fax: 1-800-445-9269 email: usib6fpl@ibmmail.com * A PowerMac-specific manual is available from APDA: * Programmer's Introduction to RISC and PowerPC (R0172LL/A) -- $150 Books: # Most of this info has been culled from the net. I haven't actually # read all of these books. If you've read one of them and are willing to # write a very short review (5-6 lines), let me know. - Derek # (derekn@ece.cmu.edu) * Apple, IBM, and Motorola, _PowerPC Microprocessor Common Hardware Reference Platform: A System Architecture_; 1995; ISBN 1-55860-394-8. [Also available on the WWW from IBM and Apple .] * Jeff Duntemann and Ron Pronk, _Inside the PowerPC Revolution_; Coriolis Group Books; April 30, 1994; ISBN 1-883577-04-7; $24.95. [Not a technical book for programmers. (Surprisingly, it has some detailed info about microprocessor fabrication and the PowerPC cache architecture, but doesn't discuss the instruction set or bus). Lots of interesting stuff about the major industry companies, strategies, alliances, and gossip. With the benefit of hindsight, we can laugh at the authors enthusiastic predictions for the IBM PowerPC products available Real Soon Now. -Hugh.Fisher@cs.anu.edu.au] * Steve Heath, _NEWNES Power PC Programming Pocket Book_; Butterworth-Heinemann; Nov. 1994; ISBN 0-7506-2111-7; $22.95. [Similar information to the 601 user's manual.] * Jim Hoskins, _The Power PC Revolution!_; MaxFacts Special Report (Maximum Press); Aug., 1994; ISBN 0-9633214-9-8; $26.95. [Concentrates on the effects the PowerPC will have on business.] * Steve Hoxey, Faraydon Karim, Bill Hay, and Hank Warren, _The PowerPC Compiler Writer's Guide_; IBM Microelectronics Division; Jan., 1996; ISBN 0-9649654-0-2. [Also available on the WWW .] * IBM, _IBM RISC System/6000 Technology_. [Describes the POWER architecture and the POWER-based RS/6000 workstations.] * IBM, _PowerPC and POWER2: Technical Aspects of the New IBM Risc System/6000_; Apr., 1994; IBM book number SA23-2737-00. [Describes the PowerPC and POWER2 architectures and the workstations based on these processors, including I/O, graphics, and system software. (This was _RS/6000 Tech Vol. II_.) Available for around $40 from IBM: 1-800-879-2755. Selected papers from this book are available via the WWW .] * IBM, _PowerPC Architecture_; Oct., 1993; IBM book number SR28-5124-00. [The official manual for the PowerPC architecture. Three parts: instruction set architecture, virtual environment architecture, and operating environment architecture.] * IBM, _The PowerPC Architecture -- A Specification for a New Family of RISC Processors_; Morgan Kaufmann Publishers; Aug. 1994; ISBN 1-55860-316-6; $54.95. ["This is the official technical description of the PowerPC architecture and its hardware conventions." Errata are available via ftp .] * Gary Kacmarcik, _Optimizing PowerPC Code: Programming the PowerPC Chip in Assembly Language_; Addison-Wesley; ISBN 0-201-40839-2. [Not PowerMac or IBM-specific.] * Ron Rahmel and Dan Rahmel, _Interfacing to the PowerPC Microprocessor_; SAMS Publishing; 1995. [Includes info on FireWire, along with several other buses and interfaces.] * Stephan Somogyi, _The PowerPC Macintosh Book_; Addison-Wesley; August 1994; ISBN 0-201-62650-0; $19.95. ["could equally be called 'The story of the Macintoshes RISCy new Insides' ... It manages to cover the history of the PowerPC alliance, looking at Power Mac hardware and software, and includes sections on the internals of the chip itself." -PowerPC News] * Dan Sydow, _Programming the Power PC_; M&T Books; Aug. 1994; ISBN 1-55851-400-7; $34.94. [Covers 601, 603, 604, as well as x86-to-PPC migration.] * Shlomo Weiss and James E Smith, _IBM Power and PowerPC: Architecture and Implementation_; Morgan Kaufmann Publishers; May 1994; ISBN 1-55860-279-8; $54.95. ["Writtten from the perspective of developers and teachers of high performance computing, this book provides a wealth of information about IBM's important contributions to the development and evolution of RISC technology."] * Jerry Young, _Insider's Guide to PowerPC Computing_; QUE Corporation; May 1994; ISBN 1-56529-625-7; $29.99. [Provides detailed information on the new architecture and its history, from the early IBM RISC designs. Describes the relationship between the PowerPC architecture and IBM's POWER architecture, from which it was developed. Provides description of the characteristics and advantages of RISC architecture and the special features of the PowerPC architecture. Includes in-depth descriptions of the 601 and 603 microprocessors and offers an overview of early PowerPC-based systems.] * Joe Zobkiw, _A Fragment of Your Imagination_; Addison-Wesley; Aug., 1995; ISBN 0-201-48358-0; $39.95. [Code Fragments and Code Resources for Power Macintosh and Macintosh Programmers. WWW ; zobkiw@triplesoft.com] * ???, _PowerPC Concepts, Architecture, and Design_; McGraw-Hill; 1994; ISBN 0-07-011192-8; $34.95. Papers, articles, etc.: * Michael S. Allen, Michael C. Becker, "Multiprocessing Aspects of the PowerPC 601 Microprocessor", Proc. COMPCON 1993, 117-126. [A good introduction to the PowerPC instruction set for the curious or beginners. ("Reduced" it ain't!) The Motorola manual is a mass of fine detail to get lost in, but this article gives a nice overview of how the instructions are organised and formatted. -Hugh.Fisher@cs.anu.edu.au] * J. Alvarez, et al., "A wide-bandwidth low-voltage PLL for PowerPC microprocessors", Proc. 1994 IEEE Symposium on VLSI Circuits, 37-38. * William Anderson, "An overview of Motorola's PowerPC simulator family", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, 64-69. * Michael C. Becker et al., "The PowerPC 601 Microprocessor", IEEE Micro, Oct. 1993, 54-68. * J. Bertsch, et al., "Experimental 2.0 V power/performance optimization of a 3.6 V-design CMOS microprocessor-PowerPC 601", Proc. 1994 VLSI Technology Symposium, 83-84. * David Biedny, "PowerPC: the era of RISC begins", Windows Sources, v2 n6 p140(7). [includes related articles on the PowerPC family, glossary, pros and cons of PowerPC architecture, benchmark tests] * Brad Burgess, et al., "The PowerPC 603 microprocessor", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 34-42. * Brad Burgess et al., "The PowerPC 603 Micrporocessor: A High Performance, Low Power, Superscalar RISC Microprocessor", Proc. COMPCON 1994, 300-306. * Dave Bursky, "RISC microcontrollers start with PowerPC roots but grow in different directions", Electronic Design, v42 n10, 38-39. [IBM's PowerPC 403GA embedded processor and Motorola's RMCU505 microcontroller.] * B. Dawson, "PowerPC hits the road", Byte v19 n7, 141-142. * K. Diefendorff, R. Oehler, R. Hochsprung, "Evolution of the PowerPC Architecture", IEEE Micro, Apr. 93, 34-49. [Although the authors intend this to be a guide to the changes from the earlier POWER to the PowerPC, they end up giving an introduction to the internal architecture of the PowerPC and instructions, plus the reasons why many things are as they are-for instance, why the PowerPC has some user mode cache instructions. -Hugh.Fisher@cs.anu.edu.au] * Keith Diefendorff, "History of the PowerPC architecture", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 28-33. * Mary Jo Foley, "IBM to push OS/2 for PowerPC over Windows NT, AIX ports", PC Week, v11 n24, 23. * Ric Ford, "Hacking PPC Enabler plus other updates", MacWEEK v8 n27, July 4, 1994, 28. * S. Glenn, et al., "Functional design verification for the PowerPC 601 microprocessor", Proc. of IEEE VLSI Test Symposium. * Linley Gwennap, "Prep Standardizes PowerPC Systems", Microprocessor Report, Dec. 27, 1993. * Ean Houts, "Lower priced Power Macs offer different strengths", InfoWorld, v16 n18, May 2, 1994, 128. * Wayne Huang, et al., "CBGA package design for C4 powerPC microprocessor chips: trade-off between substrate routability and performance", Proc. 1994 IEEE 44th Electronic Components & Technology Conference, 88-93. * Sara Humphrey, "Inside the PowerPC Revolution", PC Week, v11 n26, July 4, 1994. [book reviews] * E. M. Kass, "PowerPC Surprise", InformationWEEK, n474, 12-14. * Andrew Lawrence, "PowerPC - a new desktop standard?", IBM System User, v15 n5, May, 1994, 43-44. * J. Marris, "PowerPC - an analysis", Desktop Publishing Commentary v9 n9, 6-9. * Charles R. Moore, "The PowerPC 601 Microprocessor", Proc. COMPCON 1993, 109-116. * Charles R. Moore, et al., "The PowerPC Alliance", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 25-27. * Richard Nass, "VME boards combine PCI bus and PowerPC CPUs", Electronic Design, v42 n14, July 11, 1994, 129-131. * Ali Poursepanj, "The PowerPC; performance modeling methodology", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 47-55. * Chris Rose, "Abstracting the meat of the PowerPC Reference Platform beta version - part one", Computergram International, May 27, 1994. * Chris Rose, "Abstracting the meat of the PowerPC Reference Platform beta version - part two", Computergram International, June 6, 1994. * Ryan, Thompson, "PowerPC 604 Weighs In", Byte, June, 1994. * Larry J. Seltzer, "OS/2 for PowerPC: microkernel for the masses?", PC Week, v11 n22, June 6, 1994, 81-82. * Julie Shipnes, et al., "A modular approach to Motorola PowerPC compilers", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 56-63. * E. Silha, G. Paap, "PowerPC: A Performance Architecture", Proc. COMPCON 1993, 104-108. * Michael Slater, "Motorola and IBM Unveil PowerPC 603", Microprocessor Report, Oct. 25, 1993. * J. E. Smith, et al., "PowerPC 601 and Alpha 21064: a tale of two RISCs", Computer, v27 n6, 46-58. * Brad W. Suessmith, et al., "PowerPC 603 microprocessor; power management", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 43-36. * Nasr Ullah, et al., "The making of the PowerPC", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 22-23. * Michael Vizard, "The Tower of PowerPC; Untapped potential in search of a killer application", PC Week, v11 n24, 22-23. * "Apple and IBM demonstrate 120-MHz 601" Microprocessor Report, v8 n8, June 20, 1994, 4-5. * "Floating-point bottleneck", MacWEEK, v8 n21, 44. [comparing performance of Motorola PowerPC and Intel CPUs] * "The Making of the PowerPC" (special issue), Communications of the ACM, June, 1994. * "Parsytec produces TRAM module that combines PowerPC with T425 transputer for industrial applications", Computergram International, June 20, 1994. * PowerPC special issue, IEEE Micro, Oct., 1994. [1-7] Contributors. The following people have contributed to this FAQ. (Please do not contact them with questions about the FAQ.) * Alan Coopersmith (alanc@ocf.Berkeley.EDU) * Hugh Fisher (Hugh.Fisher@cs.anu.edu.au) * Chris Pepper (pepper@RockVAX.Rockefeller.edu) * Stuart Schechter (Schechter.1@osu.edu) * Robert Sprick (Arctcwlf@alaska.net) * Yoshio Turner (yoshio@CS.UCLA.EDU) ======================================================================== [2] Processor ======================================================================== [2-1] What is a PowerPC? A PowerPC is a microprocessor designed to meet a standard which was jointly designed by Motorola, IBM, and Apple. The PowerPC standard specifies a common instruction set architecture (ISA), allowing anyone to design and fabricate PowerPC processors, which will run the same code. The PowerPC architecture is based on the IBM POWER architecture, used in IBM's RS/6000 workstations. Currently IBM and Motorola are working on PowerPC chips. The PowerPC architecture specifies both 32-bit and 64-bit data paths. Early implementations will be 32-bit; future higher-performance implementations will be 64-bit. A PowerPC has 32 general purpose (integer) registers (32- or 64-bit) and 32 floating point (IEEE standard 64-bit) registers. NB: A PowerPC is *not* a computer, any more than an 80486 is a computer. [2-2] How does PowerPC relate to POWER and POWER2? As mentioned above, PowerPC is a direct descendant of POWER. POWER2 is also a descendant of POWER, developed by IBM for use in their workstations and other systems. POWER2 is an eight-chip multi-chip module, and was released at approximately the same time as the first PowerPC chip. While it is faster than the early PowerPC processors, it is not as fast as the 620 is projected to be. It is likely that IBM will combine the POWER family into the PowerPC family. [2-3] What processors have been announced? What are their specs? When will they be available? PowerPC 601 The very first PowerPC. It was designed as a bridge between the POWER architecture and the PowerPC architecture. For this reason, it incorporates the user-level POWER instructions which were eliminated from the PowerPC specification. PowerPC 601v This is a 601, implemented in a 0.5u CMOS 2.5V process. This effectively means that it runs faster and draws less power. (Originally called the "601+".) PowerPC 602 A processor aimed at consumer electronics (set-top boxes, game consoles, etc.), PDAs, and embedded controller applications. PowerPC 603 A low-power processor, intended for portable applications, e.g., notebook computers. Performance is roughly comparable to the 601 (see below for benchmarks). PowerPC 603e A higher-performance 603 with a faster clock and bigger caches. (Originally called the "603+".) PowerPC 603ev A lower-voltage, faster-clock version of the 603e. PowerPC 604 A higher-performance processor, intended for high-end desktop systems. PowerPC 604e A 604 with larger caches. PowerPC 620 An even higher-performance processor, aimed at high-end systems and multiprocessors. The 620 is the first 64-bit PowerPC implementation. G3 Series The "next generation" of PowerPC processors, expected to ship in 1997. G4 Series Expected in 1999. The 601 is manufactured by IBM and sold by both IBM and Motorola. The 603 and 603e are manufactured by both IBM and Motorola. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Processor Clk(MHz) Voltage(V) Power(W) Bus clock multipliers --------- -------- ---------- -------- --------------------- MPC601 50 5.6 ? 66 7 80 8 MPC601+ 100 4 ? 110 ? MPC602 66 1.2 ? MPC603 66 2.2 1-4 (+1) 80 2.5 MPC603e 100 3.3 3.2 1-4 (+0.5) 120 3.9 133 4.2 150 ? 160 ? 166 ? 180 ? 200 3.3 2-6 (+0.5) MPC603ev 160 2.5 2.9 2-6 (+0.5) 166 3.0 180 3.5 200 4.0 225 4.4 240 4.8 MPC604 100 14 1-2 (+0.5), 3 120 16.5 133 ? 150 20.5 166 23.0 180 26.5 MPC604e 166 14 1-3 (+0.5), 4 180 ? 200 ? 225 ? MPC620 133 30 ? Data Bus Func units Si Ship Proc width width (I/FP/BP/LS) Cache Trans Process date date -------- ----- ----- ------------ ------ ----- ----------- ------- ------ MPC601 32 64 1/1/1/0 32 2.8 0.6u CMOS Oct 92 Apr 93 MPC601+ 32 64 1/1/1/0 32 2.8 0.5u CMOS 2Q 94 Nov 94 MPC602 32 64 1/1/0/1 4/4 1.0 0.5u CMOS Feb 95 2H 95 MPC603 32 32/64 1/1/1/1 8/8 1.6 0.5u CMOS Oct 93 Nov 94 MPC603e 32 32/64 1/1/1/1 16/16 2.6 0.5u CMOS Feb 95 2H 95 MPC603ev 32 32/64 1/1/1/1 16/16 2.6 0.35u CMOS ? ? MPC604 32 64 3/1/1/1 16/16 3.6 0.5u CMOS Apr 94 Dec 94 MPC604e 32 64 3/1/1/1 32/32 5.1 0.5u CMOS ? ? MPC620 64 64/128 3/1/1/1 32/32 7 0.5u CMOS Apr 96 ? Notes: * Bus clock multipliers: the internal CPU clock runs at a multiple of the external bus clock; "1-4 (+0.5)" means the possible multipliers are 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4. * Data width: width of the general purpose (integer/address) registers and integer ALU(s), in bits * Bus width: external memory data bus width, in bits -- the memory bus can be, and often is, wider than the internal data path * Functional units: I = integer unit FP = floating point unit BP = branch processing unit LS = load/store unit * Cache: On-chip cache in kilobytes - two numbers means instruction/data; one number means unified * Price: in US dollars, for large quantities * Trans: number of transistors, in millions * Si date: first silicon date ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2-4] What processors have been announced by companies other than IBM and Motorola? Exponential Technology, Inc. has announced a new line of PowerPC processors. They will be fabricated in BiCMOS technology -- the logic is bipolar, and the memory (registers, cache, etc.) is CMOS. Their first processor, the X704, will run at 466, 500, and 533 MHz, and is expected to ship in volume in mid-1997. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Processor Clk(MHz) Voltage(V) Power(W) Bus clock multipliers --------- -------- ---------- -------- --------------------- X704 466 3.6 <85 4-17 (+1) 500 533 Data Bus Func units Si Ship Proc width width (I/FP/BP/LS) Cache Trans Process date date -------- ----- ----- ------------ ------ ----- ----------- ------- ------ X704 32 64 1/1/1/1 2/2+32 2.7 0.5u BiCMOS Oct 96 2Q 97? Notes: * Cache: on-chip L1 (instruction/data) + on-chip L2 (unified) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quantum Effect Designs has announced the 603q low-power PowerPC processor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Processor Clk(MHz) Voltage(V) Power(W) Bus clock multipliers --------- -------- ---------- -------- --------------------- 603q 120 3.3 1.2 ? 166 3.3 ? ? Data Bus Func units Si Ship Proc width width (I/FP/BP/LS) Cache Trans Process date date -------- ----- ----- ------------ ------ ----- ----------- ------- ------ 603q 32 ? I+FP 16/8 ? 0.5u CMOS Oct 96 ? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2-5] What embedded controllers will be available? IBM has announced the PowerPC 4xx embedded controller family. These will be available as general purpose microcontrollers, application-specific processors, and ASIC cores. The 4xx family will integrate caches and other system-level logic to facilitate simpler and cheaper designs. The available chips are the 403GA and 403GB, and the newer 401GF. The 401GF be available at speeds from 25 to 100 MHz. Motorola has announced the MPC500 family of microcontrollers. These microprocessors will be "100% compatible" with the MPC600 series. The first chip in this family, the MPC505, will run at 25 MHz. Samples of the 25 MHz chip are expected in 4Q 1994, with 40 MHz parts expected by 4Q 1995. The MPC505 consists of a PowerPC core, a 4 kB SRAM module, and a multi-functional system integration unit (SIU) (similar to the 68300 family). Motorola's PowerQUICC (Quad Integrated Communications Controller) family integrates a PowerPC core with a communications processor. These chips are aimed at telecommunications and networking applications. The first PowerQUICC chip, the MPC860, will come in 25 MHz and 40 MHz versions, and is expected to sample in 4Q1995 with volume shipping in 2Q1996. The Motorola MPC821 is similar to the MPC860, but is targeted at PDAs and other portable devices. The MPC821 incorporates a PowerPC core, a communications processor module (CPM) for signal processing, a PCMCIA controller, and an LCD controller. It will be available in 25 MHz and 40 MHz versions, with sampling in October 1995 and production quantities in January 1996. The list of Embedded PowerPC Internet Resources , has pointers to lots of useful information. [2-6] How fast is a PowerPC? This tables lists SPEC92 and SPEC95 results for PowerPC machines, as well as a few others, for comparison purposes. (SPEC is a benchmark suite designed to test system performance. The SPECint portion uses integer-only code, e.g., compilers; the SPECfp program uses floating point code, e.g., circuit simulation.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- SPEC92 -- Processor Clock Cache int fp System ------------ ------- ------------ ----- ----- --------------------- MPC601 50 MHz 0/32k 41.7 51.0 IBM RS/6000 N40 66 MHz 0/32k 62.6 72.2 IBM RS/6000 250 66 MHz 0/32k 63.7 67.8 IBM RS/6000 40P 66 MHz 256k/32k 75.1 77.0 IBM RS/6000 40P 80 MHz 0/32k 78.8 90.4 IBM RS/6000 250 80 Mhz 0.5M/32k 88.1 98.7 IBM RS/6000 41T & 41W 80 Mhz 1M/32k 90.5 100.8 IBM RS/6000 C10 MPC601+ 100 MHz ?/32k 105 125 ? estimate MPC602 66 MHz ?/4k/4k 40 ? Motorola/IBM estimate MPC603 66 MHz 1M/8k/8k 60 70 Motorola estimate 80 MHz 1M/8k/8k 75 85 Motorola estimate MPC603e 100 MHz ?/16k/16k 120 105 Motorola/IBM estimate MPC604 100 MHz 256k/16k/16k 128.1 120.2 IBM RS/6000 43P 100 MHz 512k/16k/16k 140.8 129.1 IBM RS/6000 43P 120 MHz 512k/16k/16k 157.9 139.2 IBM RS/6000 43P 133 MHz 512k/16k/16k 176.4 156.5 IBM RS/6000 43P MPC620 133 MHz ?/32k/32k 225 300 estimate i486DX2 66 MHz 256k/8k 32.2 16.0 Compaq Deskpro i486DX4 100 MHz 256k/16k 51.4 26.6 Micronics M4P PCI Pentium 66 MHz 256k/8k/8k 78.0 63.6 Intel Xpress Pentium 100 MHz 1M/8k/8k 121.9 93.2 Intel Xpress Pentium 120 MHz 1M/8k/8k 140.0 103.9 Intel Xpress 68040 33 MHz ? 18 13 Mac Q950 68040 33 MHz ? 20.3 ? Mac Q800 -- SPEC95 -- Processor Clock Cache int fp System ------------ ------- ------------ ----- ----- --------------------- MPC603e 150 MHz 1M/16k/16k 4.1 3.0 ? 160 MHz 1M/16k/16k 4.3 3.2 ? 166 MHz 1M/16k/16k 4.5 3.3 ? 180 MHz 1M/16k/16k 4.6 3.3 ? 200 MHz 1M/16k/16k 5.1 3.7 ? MPC604 120 MHz 1M/16k/16k 4.7 4.4 estimate 133 MHz 1M/16k/16k 5.2 4.8 estimate 150 MHz 1M/16k/16k 5.2 4.4 estimate 166 MHz 1M/16k/16k 5.7 4.9 estimate 180 MHz 1M/16k/16k 6.2 5.3 estimate MPC604e 166 MHz 1M/32k/32k 6.5 6.1 ? 180 MHz 1M/32k/32k 6.9 6.1 ? 200 MHz 1M/32k/32k 7.8 6.5 ? 225 MHz 1M/32k/32k 9.0 7.5 ? Pentium 133 MHz 1M/8k/8k 4.20 3.08 Intel XXpress 200 MHz 1M/8k/8k 5.47 3.68 Intel XXpress PentiumPro 166 MHz 1M/8k/8k 7.11 6.21 Intel Alder 200 MHz 256k/8k/8k 8.09 6.75 Intel Alder Notes: * SPEC does not allow estimated figures. The lines which are marked "estimate" are not officially SPEC numbers, and are likely to be proven inaccurate when real machines are released. * Cache numbers are in kB or MB: format is external/instruction/data or external/unified. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ # I'd like to list one or two more 040-based Macs in this table -- If # anyone has Mac SPEC data, please let me know. More information on the SPEC benchmarks, including numbers for other systems, is available in the newsgroup comp.benchmarks. [2-7] Is there special hardware for emulating 68k or x86 processors? All currently announced emulators are purely software. The PowerPC architecture has a group of byte-reversing load and store instructions which might be useful for emulating little-endian x86 processors on a big-endian PowerPC system (such as an RS/6000 or a Power Macintosh). There are no PowerPC processors with additional special hardware for translating instructions from other processor families (but see the next question). In addition, because software emulation has been reasonably successful, it seems very unlikely that there will ever be hardware of this type. There are several x86 boards available for the PowerMacs. These are effectively PC clones on a card, and allow you to run PC software (though not directly on the PowerPC processor, of course). [2-8] What is the PowerPC 615? There were a couple of conflicting rumors regarding the 615. The primary one suggested that the 615 was a PowerPC processor, being designed by IBM, which would have special x86 emulation hardware. Another rumor suggested that it would be pin-compatible with Intel OverDrive sockets. IBM has denied that the project even exists. This is substantiated by the lack of any mention of the 615 recently. [2-9] Does PowerPC have anything like Intel's MMX instructions or the SPARC VIS instructions? Motorola and IBM have not announced any multimedia instruction set extensions for the PowerPC. ======================================================================== [3] Hardware ======================================================================== [3-1] What PowerPC-based workstations are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? IBM offers a line of RS/6000 workstations and servers, based on PowerPC processors. These all run AIX (IBM's UNIX), and are binary compatible with all other RS/6000s, including POWER-based systems. SPEC benchmark figures for some of these are listed in the table above. The RS/6000 40P is PReP-compliant, which means that it can run Windows NT, as well as AIX. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- - Desktop 250 601 80 - 16-256 ? Aug 94 41W/T 601 80 0.5 16-256 ? Jun 94 40P 601 66 0.25 16-192 ? Oct 94 604 upgrd 43P-120 604 120 ? ? ? 43P-133 604 133 ? ? ? 43P-140 604 166 0.5-1 32-768 ? Oct 96 43P-140 604 200 0.5-1 32-768 ? Oct 96 43P-240 1-2 604 166 0.5 32-1024 ? Oct 96 - Notebook 860 603e 166 0.25 32-96 ? Oct 96 - X Terminal Xstation 160 603 66 - 8 4949 Feb 95 - Server C20 604 ? ? ? ? Jun 95 E20 604 100 0.5 16-512 10000 Oct 95 G30 2-4 601 75 0.5 32-512 40900 Oct 94 604 upgrd J30 2-4 601 75 1.0 64-2048 70500 Oct 94 604/620 up R30 2-4 601 75 1.0 64-2048 83900 Oct 94 604/620 up Notes: * proc: number and type of processors * clk: clock speed (MHz) * L2: standard and optional second-level cache (MB) * RAM: memory configuration (MB) * price: base price in US dollars * date: initial ship date ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Groupe Bull offers 601-based workstations and the ESCALA line of multiprocessors, all running AIX. The multiprocessors are also sold by IBM (as the G30, J30, and R30) and by Motorola (as the MP601-75). Groupe Bull also sells a number of the Motorola systems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- - Workstation ? 601 66 ? ? 5445 ? - Multiprocessor Minitower 2-4 601 75 0.5 32-512 ? ? 604 upgrd Deskside 2-8 601 75 1.0 64-2048 ? ? 604/620 up Rack 2-8 601 75 1.0 64-2048 ? ? 604/620 up ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Motorola Computer Group produces several lines of PowerPC-based workstations, servers, and motherboards. Most models provide PCI and ISA slots; the Series I and Series MP servers have MCA slots. Windows NT and AIX are available. Motorola will sell only to VARs, distributors, and system integrators -- individuals can buy systems from them. Contact the Motorola Computer Group at 1-800-759-1107 for brochures or more info on these systems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- - RISC PC Plus desktop computers DTP603e-100 603e 100 0.25 16-256 ? Dec 94 DTP604-100 604 100 0.5 16-256 ? Dec 94 DTP604-133 604 133 0.5 16-256 ? Dec 94 (available in DTPxx desktop or MTPxx minitower versions) - PowerStackII Pro 2000/3000 desktop computers DT31200 603ev 200 0.25-1 32-256 ? Oct 96 DT41200 604e 200 0.25-1 32-256 ? Oct 96 - PowerStackII Pro 4000/6000 workstations MT41166 604e 166 0.25-1 32-512 ? Oct 96 MT41200 604e 200 0.5-1 32-512 ? Oct 96 MT60166 604e 166 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 MT62166 2 604e 166 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 MT60200 604e 200 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 MT62200 2 604e 200 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 - PowerStackII Net 4000/6000 servers MT41166 604e 166 0.25-1 32-256 ? Oct 96 MT41200 604e 200 0.5-1 32-256 ? Oct 96 PRO60166 604e 166 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 PRO62166 2 604e 166 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 PRO60200 604e 200 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 PRO62200 2 604e 200 0.5 32-512 ? Oct 96 - Series EX servers ? 604 133 ?-1 32-512 ? ? ? 604e 166 ?-1 32-512 ? ? - Series I servers MB601-75 1-4 601 75 0.5 32-512 ? ? 604/620 SI604-112 1-4 604 112 1 32-512 ? ? upgrades - Series MP servers MP601-75 2-8 601 75 1 64-2048 ? Dec 94 604/620 MP604-112 2-8 604 112 1 64-2048 ? ? upgrades - Atlas embedded motherboards AB603-66 603 66 0-0.5 8-128 ? Dec 94 baby AT AB603E-100 603e 100 0-0.5 8-128 ? ? baby AT AB604-100 604 100 0-0.5 8-128 ? Dec 94 baby AT AB604-133 604 133 0-0.5 8-128 ? ? baby AT - MacOS motherboards MOR-3160MO 603e 160 0.25- 16-? ? Oct 96 MOR-3200MO 603e 200 0.5 16-? ? Oct 96 MOR-4160MO 604e 160 0.25- 16-? ? Oct 96 MOR-4200MO 604e 200 0.5 16-? ? Oct 96 - Ultra LPX motherboards UB603-66 603 66 0-0.5 8-256 ? Dec 94 UB603E-100 603e 100 0-0.5 8-256 ? ? UB604-100 604 100 0-0.5 8-256 ? Dec 94 UB604-133 604 133 0-0.5 8-256 ? ? - Ultra Plus LPX motherboards UBP603E-100 603e 100 0-0.5 8-256 ? ? UBP604-100 604 100 0-0.5 8-256 ? ? UBP604-133 604 133 0-0.5 8-256 ? ? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Micro Technology Services, Inc. (MTSI) sells the entire PowerStack line. Peacock, in Germany, will sell a Motorola-built PowerStack server with an 80 MHz 601, running AIX. Contact Peacock AG at ++49-295779-0 (tel) or ++49-295779-9067 (FAX). Zenith Data Systems sells the Z-POWER line of servers. These are available with AIX or Windows NT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- Z-POWER 604 100 0.25 16-256 ? ? Z-POWER 604 133 0.5 16-256 ? ? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3-2] What PowerPC-based PReP-compliant (IBM-compatible) personal computers are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? See also Question 3-7. IBM announced a line of PowerPC-based personal computers in June, 1995. The PC Power Series consists of two desktop models, both based on the 604. The ThinkPad Power Series consists of two notebook computers, based on the 603E. Windows NT and AIX are currently available for these systems. OS/2 for PowerPC is available by special order for the 830 and 850. Solaris will be available, but no date has been announced. More information on these systems is available on the WWW . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- - PC Power Series (desktop) 830 604 100 0.25 16-192 2795 Jun 95 PCI+ISA 850 604 100 0.25 16-192 ? Jun 95 PCI+ISA 604 120 0.25 16-192 ? Jul 95 PCI+ISA 604 133 0.5 16-192 ? Jul 95 PCI+ISA - ThinkPad Power Series (notebook) 820 603E 100 0.25 16-48 ? Jun 95 PCMCIA+ISA 850 603E 100 0.25 16-96 ? Jun 95 PCMCIA+ISA ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Firepower Systems, Inc. (formed as a partnership with Canon) offers the Powerized family of PReP 1.0 compliant systems. Currently available are 603, and 604-based uniprocessor sytems (the Powerized ES line) and a 604-based multiprocessor (the Powerized MX line). A 603e-based system (also in the ES line) is expected in 2Q95. Also available are designs and motherboards. All systems run Windows NT. FirePower sells only to OEMs. The systems were announced in November 1994. Contact: 415-462-3025. IPC Technologies Inc. is reselling FirePower machines through their Austin subsidiary. Contact: 1-800-752-1577. Canon is also reselling FirePower machines. Japan Computer Corporation (JCC) is reselling FirePower machines as the JP4 (604) and JP3e (603e) systems. These run a version of BSD 4.4 Lite. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- - FirePower OEM systems ES380 603 80 0.25 16-128 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA ES3100 603e 100 0.25 16-128 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA ES4100 604 100 0.25 16-128 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA MX4100/1 604 100 0.5 16-256 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA MX4120/1 604 120 0.5 16-256 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA MX4133/1 604 133 0.5 16-256 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA MX4100/2 2 604 100 0.5 16-256 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA MX4120/2 2 604 120 0.5 16-256 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA MX4133/2 2 604 133 0.5 16-256 ? ? 2PCI/2ISA - Austin PowerPLAY 604 100 0.25 16-128 ? ? PCI ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Taiwan New PC Consortium (TNPC) demonstrated a 601-based PReP-compliant personal computer, running OS/2 and Windows NT, at CeBIT in Germany (March 1994). Planned models will feature 50-80 MHz 601's and 75 MHz 603's. The expected release date for the first models was 3Q 1994, but this seems to have slipped. Canon has announced that it will work with IBM on the PReP specification. In particular, they plan to work on extensions to PReP for PDA's and office products. Tatung sells several PReP-compliant systems. 601-based systems were available in October 1994. 604-based systems are expected in 1Q95. DTK Computers (a Taiwanese company) sells an 80 MHz 601 system, which runs Windows NT, and will run OS/2 when available. [3-3] What PowerPC-based Apple (and compatible) personal computers are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? The first Apple Power Macintosh models were released on March 14, 1994. All PowerMacs run System 7, just like the 68k Macs. They come with an emulator which will allow them to run 68k Mac applications. Critical parts of the Toolbox ROM code have been ported and run natively; the remainder is emulated. Workgroup servers, the 6150, 8150, and 9150, are also available. These currently run AppleShare 4.2 (which is partially native for the PowerMacs). Novell's Processor Independent NetWare (PIN) 4, when available, may or may not run on these systems (according to rumors, PIN will only be available on CHRP systems). The first PowerPC-based PowerBooks were announced in August 1995. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- - desktop Performa 52xx 603 75 0.25 8-64 1700 Apr 95 PDS Performa 61xx 601 60 0-0.25 8-72 ? ? PDS Performa 62xx 603 75 0.25 8-72 ? ? PDS Performa 63xx 603e 100 0.25 16-64 ? ? PDS Perf 6400/180 603e 180 ? 16-136 ? Aug 96 2 PCI Perf 6400/200 603e 200 0.25 16-136 ? Aug 96 2 PCI 4400/200 603e 200 0.25 16-160 1700 Feb 97 2 PCI 5200/75 603 75 0.25 8-64 1700 Apr 95 PDS 6100/66 601 66 0.25 8-72 ? Jan 95 PDS 6200/75 603 75 0.25 8-64 ? ? PDS 7100/80 601 80 0.25 8-136 ? Jan 95 3 NuBus 7200/75 601 75 0-? 8-256 1700 Aug 95 3 PCI 7200/90 601 90 0-? 8-256 1900 Aug 95 3 PCI 7200/120 601 120 0.25 16-256 2299 Aug 96 3 PCI 7300/180 604e 180 0.25 16-512 2300 Feb 97 3 PCI 7300/200 604e 180 0.25 16-512 2700 Feb 97 3 PCI 7500/100 601 100 0-? 16 2700 Aug 95 3 PCI 7600/132 604 132 0.25 16-512 2999 Aug 96 3 PCI 8100/100 601+ 100 0.25 8-264 ? Jan 95 3 NuBus 8100/110 601+ 110 0.25 16-264 6400 Nov 94 3 NuBus 8500/120 604 120 0.25 16-512 4000 Aug 95 3 PCI 8500/150 604 150 0.25 16-512 3599 Aug 96 3 PCI 8500/180 604e 180 0.25 16-512 4499 Aug 96 3 PCI 8600/200 604e 200 0.25 32-512 3200 Feb 97 3 PCI 9500/133 604 133 0.5 16-768 ? Jun 94 6 PCI 9500/180MP 2 604e 180 0.5 32-768 5699 Aug 96 6 PCI 9500/200 604e 200 0.5 16-768 4899 Aug 96 6 PCI 9600/200 604e 200 0.5 32-768 3700 Feb 97 6 PCI 9600/200MP 2 604e 200 0.5 32-768 4700 Feb 97 6 PCI 9600/233 604e 240 0.5 32-768 4200 Feb 97 6 PCI - server AWS 6150/66 601 66 0.25 16-72 ? Apr 95 PDS AWS 8150/110 601+ 110 0.25-1 16-264 ? Apr 95 3 NuBus AWS 9150/120 601+ 120 1 16-264 ? ? 4 NuBus - notebook PB Duo 2300 603e 100 0 8-56 3500 Aug 95 PDS dock ? Jan 96 PB 5300/100 603e 100 0 8-64 2200 Aug 95 2 PC Card PB 5300c/100 603e 100 0 8-64 ? Aug 95 2 PC Card PB 5300cs/100 603e 100 0 8-64 ? Aug 95 2 PC Card PB 5300ce/117 603e 117 0 32-64 6500 Aug 95 2 PC Card PB 1400cs/117 603e 117 128k 12-64 ? Nov 96 2 PC Card PB 1400c/117 603e 117 128k 16-64 ? Nov 96 2 PC Card PB 1400c/133 603e 133 128k 16-64 ? Nov 96 2 PC Card PB 3400c/180 603e 180 0.25 16-144 4500 Feb 97 2 PC Card PB 3400c/200 603e 200 0.25 16-144 5500 Feb 97 2 PC Card PB 3400c/240 603e 240 0.25 16-144 6500 Apr 97 2 PC Card ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Configurations are available with different RAM and hard disk sizes. All configurations are bundled with a CD ROM drive and some include SoftWindows and/or various other software. Apple no longer sells PowerPC upgrades for desktop systems. This includes motherboards, PDS boards, and the 68040 replacement daughterboard. These products are now being sold by DayStar (see below), who co-developed them with Apple. Apple is currently selling PowerPC upgrades for the 8150 and 9150 workgroup servers (replacement logic boards) and the PowerBook 500 series (daughterboards), and has announced upgrades for PowerBook Duo 200 series (replacement logic boards). PowerComputing is the first company to get a license from Apple to produce Macintosh clones. PowerComputing started shipping systems on May 1, 1995. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- PowerWave 120 604 120 0.25-1 16-512 ? Oct 95 3 PCI/2 NB PowerWave 132 604 132 0.25-1 16-512 3200 Oct 95 3 PCI/2 NB PowerWave 150 604 150 0.5-1 16-512 4500 Oct 95 3 PCI/2 NB PowerBase 180 603e 180 0.25 16-160 ? ? 3 PCI PowerBase 200 603e 200 0.25 16-160 ? ? 3 PCI PowerBase 240 603e 240 0.25 16-160 ? ? 3 PCI PwrCenter 132 604 132 0.5 16-256 2500 Apr 96 3 PCI PwrCenter 150 604 150 0.5 16-256 3000 Apr 96 3 PCI PwrTower 166 604 166 0.5 16-256 3800 Apr 96 3 PCI PwrTower 180e 604e 180 1 16-256 ? ? 3 PCI PwrTower 200e 604e 200 1 16-256 ? ? 3 PCI PwrTwrPro 180 604e 180 1 16-1024 ? ? 6 PCI PwrTwrPro 200 604e 200 1 16-1024 ? ? 6 PCI PwrTwrPro 225 604e 225 1 16-1024 ? ? 6 PCI ------------------------------------------------------------------------ UMAX Computer Corporation sells the SuperMac line of Macintosh systems. (UMAX bought Radius's Mac clone business in January 1996.) Their ASPD (Advanced Scalable Processor Design) allows a second processor to be added to the system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- C500/160 603e 160 0.25-1 16-144 1199 ? 2 PCI C500/180 603e 180 0.25-1 16-144 1349 ? 2 PCI C600/180 603e 180 0.25-1 16-144 1499 ? 3 PCI C600/200 603e 200 0.25-1 16-144 1799 ? 3 PCI C600/240 603e 240 0.25-1 16-144 2099 ? 3 PCI J700/150 604 150 0.5 16-1024 2195 ? 4 PCI J700/180 604 150 0.5 24-1024 2499 ? 4 PCI S900/150 604 150 0.5 16-1024 2699 ? 6 PCI S900/180 604e 180 0.5 32-1024 3199 ? 6 PCI S900/200 604e 200 0.5 32-1024 3399 ? 6 PCI S900/225 604e 225 0.5 32-1024 3899 ? 6 PCI S900/233 604e 233 0.5 32-1024 4199 ? 6 PCI S900/250 604e 250 0.5 32-1024 4899 ? 6 PCI S900DP/180 2 604e 180 0.5 32-1024 3899 ? 6 PCI S900DP/200 2 604e 200 0.5 32-1024 4499 ? 6 PCI ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pioneer has licensed the MacOS and has announced a line of low-end systems aimed at the home entertainment market. The 66 MHz 601-based MPC-GX1 is expected to be demonstrated at the end of February 1995. The availability date is unknown. Daystar Digital sells the Genesis line of PCI bus PowerMac clones, which will support up to four processors. Daystar also sells various Macintosh upgrade options. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- Genesis 300 2 604 150 0.5 16-1.5G ? ? 6 PCI Genesis 528 4 604 132 0.5 16-1.5G ? Oct 95 6 PCI Genesis 600 4 604 150 0.5 16-1.5G ? ? 6 PCI ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Motorola Computer Group produces the StarMax line of MacOS personal computers. All models have PCI slots. Motorola and Be have signed an agreement where Motorola will distribute a BeOS CD-ROM with its Starmax systems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ model proc clk L2 RAM price date notes ------------- ------- --- ------ ------- ----- ------- ---------- 3000/160 603e 160 0.25 16-160 ? Oct 96 3000/180 603e 180 0.25 16-160 ? Oct 96 3000/200 603e 200 0.25 16-160 ? Oct 96 3000/240 603e 240 0.5 16-160 ? Oct 96 4000/160 604e 160 0.5 16-160 ? Oct 96 4000/200 604e 200 0.5 16-160 ? Oct 96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ German prices for PowerMacs and clones are available on the WWW . [3-4] What PowerPC-based controllers are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? CETIA (a subsidiary of Thomson-CSF) is selling PowerPC-based VME single-board computers, based on the 100 Mhz PowerPC 601, the 100/150Mhz PowerPC 604 and the 66Mhz PowerPC603. Two architectures are available: * The PowerEngine VMTR2x series (based on the 601 and 604) offers VME and VSB interfaces as well as SCSI, Ethernet, Serial and Parallel ports and can support up to 256MB DRAM. * The PowerEngine CVME60x series (based on the 603 and 604) offers VME and PCI/PMC interfaces as well as SCSI, Ethernet, Serial Audio, and Parallel ports and can support up to 128MB DRAM. This board offers the support of up to 4 PCI Mezzanine Cards (PMC format). The operating systems available are: AIX, LynxOS, VxWorks, Chorus, OSE, WindowsNT, Vads and Adaworld. Contact: 617-494-0987 (North America Sales) for more information. The Motorola Computer Group has announced a family of VME boards. The MVME1600/PM603 uses a 66 MHz 603; the MVME1600/PM604 uses a 100 MHz 604. Force Computers offers two families of PowerPC boards based on VME. The CPU-60xRT is a single board computer board optimized for real-time applications. The board is available with a 66MHz 603 or a 100MHz 604 with 512KByte L2 Cache. The IBC-60x is a dual PMC board equipped with a 66MHZ 603 or 100MHz 604. Both boards have a dedicated SIC (System Interrupt Controller) to provide real-time response to interrupts, linked-list DMA controller, FLASH memory and 8 - 128 MByte DRAM. Available operating system support includes VxWorks, pSOS+, LynxOS, Chorus and OSE Delta. For further information send email to info@force.de. [3-5] What PowerPC-based supercomputers and parallel processors are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? Parsytec has announced that it will be combining PowerPC processors and Transputer communication processors in its multiprocessor systems. These include: * the CC ("Cognitive Computer") System (100/120/133 MHz 604's, 160 SPECint92, 165 SPECfp92 per node) * the MPP supercomputer series GC/PowerPlus (32-1024 601's, 2.5-80 GFLOPS) * the desktop MPP series PowerXplorer (4-64 601's, 5 GFLOPS peak, under $70,000 per GFLOPS) * the modular real-time product series MC-3 For more information, contact: Carsten Rietbrock Parsytec GmbH Product Marketing Juelicherstrasse 338 52070 Aachen GERMANY Tel.: +49-241-166000; Fax: +49-241-16600-50 ISG Technologies has announced a line of parallel processor-based accelerators. The entry-level Pulsus uses 8 601's (clock speed unspecified). The expected ship date is 4Q 1994. Mercury Computer Systems has announced that is is developing 603e-based systems. Mercury sells high-performance computers targeted for embedded applications such as defense signal processing and medical imaging. Harris announced its Night Hawk line of PowerPC-based multprocessors in May 1995. Systems with up to 8 100 MHz 604s are expected to ship in September 1995. [3-6] What other PowerPC-based systems are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost? 3DO has announced that its second generation game machine will use a PowerPC processor. See Question 6-2. Apple has demonstrated an "internet appliance" (originally described as a "multimedia platform") called Pippin. It is based on a PowerPC 603 and runs a version of MacOS. The first Pippin system will be manufactured by Bandai, and will come with 8 MB of memory and a CD-ROM drive. It uses a telvision as its display. It is expected to be available in the U.S. in September 1996, with a suggested price of $600. Be, Inc. has announced a new operating system called BeOS. This OS initially on Be's own multiprocessor system. Be announced that they were leaving the hardware business in February, 1997. BeOS currently runs on PowerComputing, Apple, UMAX, Motorola, and DayStar systems -- see Be's web page for complete details. Motorola and Be have signed a deal where Motorola will distribute a BeOS CD-ROM with its StarMax systems. Contact info@be.com. ESCOM AG and Amiga Technologies GmbH are currently in bankruptcy. VIScorp originally offered to buy Amiga Technologies, but this deal has been put on hold for financial and legal reasons (as of late 1996). VIScorp is "developing a family of TV-based products that utilize the Amiga's unique functionalities". PIOS Computer AG is working on a PowerPC-based system called the PIOS ONE. They have teamed up with ProDAD who has developed an "AmigaOS-like OS" called pOS. pOS runs on 68k-based Amigas as well as the new PowerPC-based systems, and is "2/3 compatible" with AmigaOS. The PIOS ONE will also ship with BeOS and Linux. Systems are expected to be available in May/June 1997, with the entry model priced around $1000. There is a PIOS ONE mailing list called TeamONE; to subscribe send email to ListSERV@nostromo.gate.net with the body "add your@email.address". Phase 5 Digital Products has announced that their PowerPC-based Amiga system, called the A\BOX will be available in the first half of 1997. They have also announced a line of PowerPC-based accelerators for current Amigas. IBM uses a custom 64-bit PowerPC processor -- the PowerPC AS -- in their AS/400 business computing systems. [3-7] What is PReP and how can I get a copy? The PowerPC Reference Platform (PReP) is a system standard, designed by IBM, intended to ensure compatibility among PowerPC-based systems built by different companies. The PReP standard specifies the PCI bus, but will also support ISA, MicroChannel, and PCMCIA. According to IBM, PReP-compliant systems will be able to run OS/2, AIX, Solaris, Taligent, and Windows NT. IBM systems will (of course) be PReP-compliant. Apple's first PowerPC Macs are not compliant; future Macs will probably be CHRP-compliant (see below). The current version of the PReP spec is 1.1. Here are the instructions for obtaining a copy of the PReP specification (freely available to all requesters). For hardcopy: * In USA: 1-800-POWERPC (1-800-769-3772) 1-708-296-6767 if the above number cannot be reached or multilingual operator is needed * In Europe: (39)-39-600-4295 * Hardware system vendors may obtain IBM design kits which give further information on the reference implementation by contacting IBM at the numbers listed above or at one of the following numbers: * In Europe: (33)-6713-5757 (in French) (33)-6713-5756 (in Italian) (49)-511-516-3444 (in English) (49)-511-516-3555 (in German) * In Asia: (81)-755-87-4745 (in Japanese) For softcopy (PostScript files): * CompuServe PowerPC Forum, PowerPC Ref Platform library section * IBM Information Network/IIN IBMLink, PowerPC Bulletin Board Services * Internet anonymous ftp [3-8] What is the Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP)? The CHRP is an open platform agreed on by Apple, IBM, and Motorola. All CHRP systems will be able to run MacOS, OS/2-PPC, Windows NT, AIX, Solaris, Novell Netware, and possibly other operating systems. CHRP is a superset of PReP and the PowerMac platforms; thus you'll be able to run applications written for the PReP operating systems (OS/2-PPC, Windows NT, AIX) and the PowerMac (MacOS) on the new CHRP systems (under the same OS they're written for, of course). In addition, any CHRP software which doesn't require the Mac ROM, serial ports, or ADB ports should run on PReP machines. There is some confusion as to whether or not the CHRP standard will require a ROM socket (for MacOS ROMs). Apple has said that a future release of MacOS will not require the ROMs. The CHRP standard was finalized in November, 1995. The specifications are being published by Morgan Kaufmann Publishers as _PowerPC Microprocessor Common Hardware Reference Platform: A System Architecture_, ISBN 1-55860-394-8. It is also available on the WWW . Apple is referring to CHRP as the PowerPC Platform (PPCP). Apple has more information, including the above book in PDF format, on the WWW . In February 1996, the MacOS was demonstrated on an IBM prototype CHRP system. Motorola announced the Yellowknife PowerPC Reference Platform in November 1996. IBM also announced a reference design called Long Trail . These systems can run both MacOS and Windows NT. Full design documentation for both systems is available to developers. [3-9] Can PowerPC 601-based computers be upgraded to, e.g., a 604 when they become available? This depends on exactly which computer you have. Some of Apple's PowerMacs have their processors on replacable daughterboards. See also Question 3-3. IBM Power Personal Systems will have a 200-pin slot on the motherboard, apparently intended for a level-2 cache or processor upgrade. Motorola PowerStack systems provide a L2 cache socket which can also be used for PowerPC processor upgrades simply by plugging in a daughterboard. [3-10] Where can I get the specifications for the PCI bus? The following documents: * PCI Spec Rev 2.0 * PCI BIOS Spec Rev 2.0 * PCI Sys Design Guide 1.0 * PCI Local Bus Product Guide are available for $25 each or $50 for the first three from: PCI Special Interest Group M/S HF3-15A 5200 N.E. Elam Young Parkway Hillsboro, Oregon 97124-6497 Phone: 800-433-5177 FAX: 503-693-0920 [3-11] Can I used any PCI card in my PowerMac/PReP/etc.? In general, a driver for the particular computer is required to use a PCI card, i.e., to use a PCI video card in a PowerMac, that card would have to come with a PowerMac driver. A list of PCI cards which have PowerMac support is available on the WWW . [3-12] What is FireWire? FireWire is a joint Apple and TI implementation of the IEEE P1394 SerialBus standard. It is a high-speed (100 Mb/s) serial bus for peripheral devices; it is intended to replace Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) and SCSI, for example. FireWire supports automatic configuration ("plug-and-play") and hot-plugging. It is also isochronous, meaning that a fixed slice of bandwidth can be dedicated to a particular peripheral, e.g., for video. The draft standard can be obtained from IEEE Customer Service: 800-678-IEEE, 908-981-0060, fax: 908-981-9667. ======================================================================== [4] Software ======================================================================== [4-1] What operating systems will run on PowerPC-based computers? When will they be available? UNIX Several flavors of UNIX have been (or will be) ported to the PowerPC. IBM's AIX has been available since October 1993. AIX 4.1, available in August, 1994 is PowerOpen-compliant. There will also be a version called Personal AIX, which will come without certain utilities and development tools, for IBM's PC's. Apple will not ship A/UX for the PowerPC. Tenon Intersystems ' MachTen is a Mach-based UNIX for the Macintosh. Version 4.0, which shipped in August 1995, runs natively on PowerMacs. A PowerPC port of Linux is in progress. The currently targeted platforms are Motorola's 603 & 604-based PowerStack series, IBM's 604-based 8xx series, Be, Inc.'s BeBox, FirePower Systems ES Hardware, and Apple's NuBus and PCI PowerMacs and clones. For more information, see the Linux for PowerPC home page . There is another group also working on this project. The Linux-PMac project is porting Linux PPC to the PCI-based PowerMacs (Apple models 7200, 7500, 7600, 8500, and 9500, and also clones with a 601 or 604 processor). See their FAQ . The OSF Grenoble Research Institute and Apple have announced that they have ported OSF MK (a microkernel based on Mach 3.0) to the PowerMac. A Linux server runs on top of this microkernel. The package, called MkLinux (Microkernel Linux), is available for free. The second developer release (DR2) is now available (as of December, 1996) on CD-ROM and by ftp -- details are on the Apple web site. This version supports PCI-based as well as NuBus-based systems. BSDI has a port of their operating system (BSD/OS) available for the PowerPC. Contact Randy Brem (randyb@bsdi.com) for information on this port and its availability. SunSoft has ported Solaris to the PowerPC, and a beta version was demonstrated in August 1994. However, it looks like there are no plans to release it commercially, as of January 1997. Harris Computer Systems Corporation currently offers PowerSX (was Secure/PowerUNIX), a multi-level secure PowerOpen-compliant operating system for IBM RS/6000 workstations and Harris Night Hawk multiprocessors. PowerSX is the first standards-based B2-level environment available for the RS/6000. PowerUX (was PowerUnix) is also available. PowerUX and PowerSX are available through Harris Computer Systems Corp. and IBM Federal. Contact: Lisa Thornhill at 305-977-5615. MacOS Power Macintoshes ship with System 7, just like 68k Macs. Critical parts of the Toolbox (system code in ROM) have been ported to the PowerPC; the remainder is emulated. Apple analyzed existing code to determine the most frequently used Toolbox routines, and ported those first. Apple has ported the MacOS to other platforms. See the description of MAS and MAE in Question 4-6. With the CHRP announcement (see Question 3-8), Apple announced that it would start selling the MacOS independently of Apple hardware. This means that a user will be able to buy MacOS in a store, and install it on any CHRP system. Whether MacOS for CHRP systems will be entirely on disk or on ROMs is still up in the air. Apple has announced a new OS, codenamed Rhapsody, based on the OPENSTEP API. See Question 4-4. Windows NT Windows NT has been ported to the PowerPC. Version 3.5 has been shipping to developers since October 1994. Systems shipped with NT have been available since early 1995. The current version is 4.0, released in August 1996. IBM and Motorola announced in December 1996 that they will no longer sell systems with Windows NT. The current release of NT will be supported, but Microsoft will not release any future versions for the PowerPC. OS/2 (was WorkplaceOS) OS/2-PPC will be source code compatible with OS/2-x86 for 32-bit applications, i.e., 32-bit OS/2 applications will run natively after recompiling. 16-bit OS/2 applications will have to be ported to 32-bit before reompilation. OS/2-PPC will provide an emulator for MS-DOS and Windows code (see below), however it will not support OS/2-x86 code. The first alpha release of OS/2-PPC was sent to developers in Nov., 1994. A final version was released in January 1996, but is only available for IBM's desktop systems (the 830 and 850), and must be special ordered from IBM. (See also Question 4-5.) Others Taligent (see Question 4-3 below). LynxOS is a real-time UNIX-like operating system, which has been ported to the 601, 603, and 604. It is currently available for Cetia's VME boards (see above). It is expected to be available for IBM's PReP systems in 2Q95. Contact Lynx Real Time Systems at 408-354-7770 or sales@lynx.com. OS-9, a real-time UNIX-like operating system for embedded systems, is available for PowerPC-based systems. Contact Microware Systems Corporation . pSOS+ is a real time operating system for the PowerPC with networking support. It currently runs on the Motorola MVME1603 boards and on 403GA boards. Contact Integrated Systems, Inc. The Tao Operating System (Taos) is a multiprocessor operating system, aimed at embedded consumer electronics, which uses load-time translation to achieve binary compatibility across a range of processors, including the PowerPC, x86, and several others. Contact Tao Systems Ltd . OSE Delta , a real-time operating system intended for distributed and fault tolerant applications, will be available for the Power PC in 1Q96. The MPC versions for embedded and real-time applications will be supported. OSE Delta includes advanced capabilities such as run time configuration, debugging and program loading (hot updates). Contact info.ose@enea.se. CHORUS, a real time, componentized distributed microkernel, is available since 2Q96 on a wide variety of 601/603/604-based boards from CES, FORCE, Motorola and Thomson-Cetia. Contact Chorus Systems . Be, Inc. has announced a new operating system called BeOS. It runs on their own systems (see Question 3-6), and has also been demonstrated running on a PowerPC Mac. Amiga Technologies is porting AmigaOS to the PowerPC. See Question 3-6. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ name company base OS GUI endian avail ----------------- ----------- --------------- ------- ------ ------ - UNIX AIX 4.1 IBM SysVR3 X+Motif big Oct 93 Solaris 2.x SunSoft SysVR4 X+Motif little mid 95 PowerSX Harris SysVR4 X+Motif ? Jun 94 UnixWare Novell SysVR4 X+Motif ? ? MachTen Tenon Mach2 + BSD4.3 X+Motif big 1Q 95 Linux Gnu Pub Lic Linux X big ? Linux OSF/Apple Mach3 + Linux X ? mid 96 - Mac MacOS 7 Apple custom custom big Mar 94 Rhapsody Apple Next + custom custom ? ? - PC Windows NT Microsoft custom custom little 1Q 95 OS/2 - PPC IBM Mach3 + custom custom little 95 PIN Novell Netware ? ? ? - other Taligent Taligent custom custom? ? 95 LynxOS Lynx AT&T RTK X+Motif ? Jul 94 OS-9 Microware custom X, cust ? Dec 94 pSOS+ ISI custom X big Dec 93 Taos Tao Systems custom ? ? Mar 95 OSE Delta Enea Data custom ? ? 1Q 96 BeOS Be custom custom ? 1Q 96 AmigaOS Amiga Tech custom custom ? 4Q 96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4-2] What is PowerOpen? The PowerOpen Association defines and promotes the PowerOpen Environment (POE). The POE is a PowerPC-based standard for operating systems and applications. Most work so far has been with UNIX-like systems. The POE is not an operating system; it is a definition containing an application program interface (API) specification as well as an application binary interface (ABI) specification. The presence of the ABI specification in the POE is a factor distinguishing PowerOpen from other open systems (POSIX, XPG4, etc.) since it allows achievement of platform independent binary compatibility. Any POE-compliant operating system will be able to run all POE software. Other non-POE standards cannot provide binary compatibility over several hardware platforms, and usually limit a software version to a specific platform. The POE is an open standard, derived from AIX and conforming to industry open standards including POSIX, XPG4, Motif, etc. The POE specification is publicly available to anyone, and is especially of interest to those producing either applications or hardware platforms. The PowerOpen Association provides the necessary conformance testing and POE branding. The key features of the POE are: * Based on the PowerPC architecture * Hardware bus independence * System implementations can range from laptops to supercomputers * Requires a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system * Networking support * X windows extension * Macintosh Application Services extension * Motif * Conformance tested and certified by an independent party (PowerOpen Association) The PowerOpen Association has a WWW page . More information, including key white papers, resides there. Topics include: * PowerOpen Association Fact Sheet: about the organization and membership * PowerOpen Certification of Compliance: about POE compliance * PowerOpen Association Q & A (The above text was provided by the PowerOpen Association.) NB: PowerOpen is not itself an operating system -- it is only a *standard* for operating systems. The PowerOpen Association consists of IBM, Motorola, Apple, Bull, Thomson-CSF, Harris, Tadpole Technology, and others. The PowerOpen specification applies to UNIX-like operating systems. AIX 4.1, available in August, 1994 is PowerOpen-compliant. Apple's System 7 will not be PowerOpen-compliant. For more information contact Gordon Kass (g.kass@poweropen.org) or Chris Adams (c.adams@poweropen.org). [4-3] What is Taligent / Pink? Taligent was founded jointly by Apple and IBM in March 1992. It is now a subsidiary of IBM. They are working on object-oriented "framework technologies and products". Taligent was originally supposed to release their own OS. Pink is an older name for Taligent, dating back to work that Apple did before the formation of Taligent. [4-4] Will NeXTStep be ported to the PowerPC? In December 1996, Apple acquired NeXT Software, Inc. Steve Jobs will be responsible for a new OS for the Mac, codenamed Rhapsody, which will incorporate an OPENSTEP-based API, as well as a MacOS compatibility module. Apple plans to supply two operating systems -- MacOS and Rhapsody -- for the next few years. The first developers release of Rhapsody is planned for late 1997; the general customer release is expected in 1998. [4-5] What is WorkplaceOS? Will OS/2 be available on PowerPC-based computers? Workplace is a microkernel-based architecture (based on Mach 3) developed by IBM. According to the initial hype, Workplace was supposed to be used as the foundation for several different operating systems. OS/2 for PowerPC is currently available (see Question 4-1). Note that some confusion has been caused by the fact that the development name for OS/2-PPC was WorkplaceOS (WPOS) -- this name is no longer used. [4-6] Can IBM-PC / Macintosh software be run on PowerPC-based computers? Several emulators have been announced. Generally, these are intended to run Macintosh or MS-DOS/Windows applications under the various native operating systems. Macintosh Macintosh Application Services (MAS), supported by Apple, allows PowerOpen-compliant OS's to run Mac applications. MAS includes a 68040 emulator and a PowerPC port of the Mac toolbox, so it will run both 68k and PowerPC Mac binaries. It is unknown when (or if) MAS will be available. Apple, in cooperation with Sun and HP, has released the Macintosh Application Environment (MAE). MAE allows Mac applications to run under X Windows on Sun SPARCstations and HP 9000 series 700 workstations. MAE emulates a 68LC040, but critical parts of the Toolbox run natively. MAE is similar to MAS, but only runs 68k binaries. For more information, see the MAE WWW site . A demo version is available by ftp . Executor, produced by ARDI , is currently available for MS-DOS (including Windows and OS/2), Linux, and NEXTSTEP (Intel and 68k). Executor emulates a 68LC040 Macintosh running System 6.0.7, with most System 7 features available. Executor 2 should be ready for release in May 1996. ARDI uses reverse-engineered Toolbox code, i.e., it was written from scratch from the interface specs without using any code from Apple. A demo version is available from ARDI's WWW site. Power Macintoshes have the built-in capability to run 68k Mac software. The 68k application code will be emulated, but critical parts of the system code have been ported. The emulator emulates a 68LC040 (i.e., a 68040 without the FPU). Speed Doubler from Connectix includes a faster 68k emulator, among other things. Be, Inc. and fredlabs, inc. demoed VirtualMac, a Macintosh emulator for BeOS in January 1997. No release date has been announced yet. MS-DOS/Windows Wabi, produced by Sun, runs under UNIX/X. It emulates x86 code, and translates Windows calls to X calls. IBM is working on an 80386 translator. Support has been announced for Solaris and AIX. Wabi is based on the public specs for the Windows ABI. (Wabi originally stood for "Windows Application Binary Interface" -- it's written "Wabi", not "WABI", for trademark reasons.) This has been demonstrated on IBM's PowerPC personal systems. SoftPC and SoftWindows, produced by Insignia Solutions , run under several OS's: Mac OS, Windows NT, NeXTStep, and various other UNIX flavors. Version 2.0, released in August, 1995, emulates a 486DX and Windows calls. Insignia has licensed the Windows source code from Microsoft. OS/2 for the PowerPC (which was also known as WorkplaceOS) will run MS-DOS and Windows code via the Instruction Set Translator (IST), an instruction-caching x86 emulator. OS/2-PPC will not directly run OS/2-x86 code. [4-7] What PowerPC development tools are available? # This is a new question -- I'll be happy to take suggestions for things # to list here. PSIM is a free instruction-level simulator for the PowerPC. The GNU toolchain (GCC, GAS, GLD, GDB) supports the PowerPC. It's available from the main GNU ftp site and its mirrors. There is also a supported version from Cygnus Support . ======================================================================== [5] Comparisons ======================================================================== [5-1] Should I buy a PowerPC system rather than a Pentium or 68k system? Apple is committed to making their Power Macintoshes feel just like the 68k Macs, but faster. It looks like they will eventually switch the entire Mac line over to the PowerPC. If you plan to buy a new Mac, this is probably the way to go. Current Pentium systems run existing x86 code faster than current PowerPC systems can emulate it. This is not likely to change in the immediate future. If you need to run x86 code as fast as possible, buy a Pentium box. On the other hand, many x86 applications will probably be ported to the PowerPC. The extent of this porting will likely determine the success of the PowerPC in the personal computer market. In terms of pure performance (whatever that is), it looks like there will be a fairly close race between the PowerPC family and the Intel x86 family (among others). The Intel-HP agreement promises to make things even more interesting. Only the future will tell whose chips and whose systems will be the fastest. [5-2] What will be the differences between the various PowerPC-based personal computers? There are currently two major classes of PowerPC-based personal computers (not counting workstations): the Apple Macintosh line and the PReP-compliant machines. It now appears that these two groups are converging on the CHRP standard. In theory, any CHRP-compliant system will be able to run any CHRP operating system (MacOS, OS/2, Windows NT, etc.). Whether this will actually materialize remains to be seen. ======================================================================== [6] Miscellaneous ======================================================================== [6-1] What's the deal with Ford and the PowerPC? Ford and Motorola have signed an agreement resulting in a custom PowerPC to be used by Ford as a powertrain controller. Details on this chip are not available. [6-2] What's the deal with 3DO and the PowerPC? 3DO has developed M2, a 64-bit video game technology which uses the PowerPC 602. The M2 technology has been licensed Matsushita for use in game consoles. However, 3DO is moving away from game console hardware to focus on software.