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Sony PlayStation 3 'Cell' processor to support OS X

updated 12:15 pm EDT, Thu August 4, 2005

PS3 to support Tiger?

A new posting on Sony UK's website indicates that the Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) may be compatible with the Mac OS X. The article in Sony's magazine says that the company has not finalized an operating system for the PS3, which is expected next year, but may be . Sony's website says the PS3 is expected to offer optional hard drives of up to 80GB or 120GB, but that it "remains to be decided whether the standard version of the PS3 will come complete with a hard drive. 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)."

by MacNN Staff

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DannyMac
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2001

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08/04, 12:51pm | report spam | close Reply |
Hmmm...

PS3: expensive console or cheap Mac?

chrisutley
Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Mar 2003

0

08/04, 12:53pm | report spam | close Reply |
I don't get it...

Why is a game console going to support desktop operating systems? What does this mean? You can use your console as a PC too? Why would they support Mac with a PPC processor when Apple is moving to Intel? The purpose of all this is lost on me...

PrettyBoyClone
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Joined: Jul 2002

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08/04, 12:54pm | report spam | close Reply |
Odd

It strikes me as quite odd, that Sony even cares to mention which OS the PS3 will be running. Even more odd is the mention of Tiger as an option, since everybody knows OSX isn't available to anyone but Apple. Maybe they are considering Darwin? ..But still, why mention it? Weird...

Jonathan-Tanya
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Joined: Oct 2004

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08/04, 12:54pm | report spam | close Reply |
interesting

it is interesting if ps3 would support mac os x ppc, while apple sells mac os x intel...

no chance at all of running ps3 games on a mac...which is probably why sony is considering this...

what apple gets from it...not sure, maybe to sneak into the home, and build a customer base for future upgrades...dunno

fun speculation though.

Eug Wanker
Posting Junkie

Joined: Jun 2003

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08/04, 12:54pm | report spam | close Reply |
Not the first time...

Ken Kutagi said 2 months ago that the PS3 could be OS X compatible.

However, I'm still guessing that if it's a common OS that gets supported, it will likely be Linux.

PookJP
Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Jan 2001

0

08/04, 12:54pm | report spam | close Reply |
Powerbook Application?

Yarrgh, I don't know what I'm talking about!

furrylogic
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Joined: Jun 2005

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08/04, 01:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
No Apple comment?

Something that could have such a huge impact as this would usually come with a simultaneous press release from Apple. Note that the article said "Tiger" and not 10.5's "Leopard". It is fully possible that Apple won't eliminate the PPC from its lineup, but instead expand with Intel and keep all options open. One thing that I had been considering for a while now is that Apple would greatly benefit if they customers could add a "PS3 Card" into their G5/Intel Macs and run all of the PS3 games. That would be a great way to support Sony in getting ahead of Microsoft and it would also be a great way to build some game enthusiasm for the Mac. That is a big sore sport for Apple right now. This may be a way to get even greater acceptance of the Mac Mini and to get a major boost in their weak 3D capabilities.

DannyMac
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08/04, 01:59pm | report spam | close Reply |
re:No Apple comment?

furrylogic: Yeah, this could mean lots of things: - Apple is ready to give Mac OS licensing another try - Could eventually see Vaios running Mac OS X as an option - Macs will have the ability to play PS3 titles. (just to name a few)

Despite the speculation, there's an obvious friendship between Apple and Sony. Remember at the 2005 MacWorld Expo San Francisco, Steve had Sony's President Kunitake Ando there to show off their HD camcorder--the freaking president, not some unheard of engineer or salesman. I doubt the president of Sony just goes around the world peddling Sony's wares. There has to be something going on between the two companies. I'm sure we'll know by the PS3's launch.

AllenHuffman
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08/04, 02:11pm | report spam | close Reply |
Another shoe to drop?

I guess we wait for the other shoe to drop.

benhur
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08/04, 02:29pm | report spam | close Reply |
huge!

I can't remember which topic it was in this forumn but I forwarded an article a while back from ign.com that said the PS3 would run a version of Linux but it wasn't clear which one.

I think it would be a huge win for Apple and Sony to work together on this. MS and the Xbox 360 is going to be the home media center of the future otherwise. It is designed as a Trojan horse of sorts. It will tie into the MSN music store, Tivo like features, an online comunity, web browsing, basically everything that the pundits where hoping the Mac Mini or something similar would be from Apple by now. All this in addition to playing next gen high definintion games.

I think if Apple and Sony can put their differences and egos aside and do this, well it's honestly the only way either has a chance in the next big market. Wouldn't it be cool if the PS3 booted OS X? Apple would be in millions more living rooms, iTunes music and video store integration, etc.

Should stop dreaming, huh?

beb
Mac Elite

Joined: Jan 2002

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08/04, 02:35pm | report spam | close Reply |
It's all nutty...

With this scenario, I think that the Mac Minis days are probably numbered. I think that there will be a deal to support Mac OS X on the PSP3 at some point. I think Apple wants to expand both ways. The market dictates cost stuctures. Going with Intel allows Apple the abilty to compete with the rest of the world. By having a market that is expanding in both directions, it gives Apple more traction for growth.

kentuckyfried
Senior User

Joined: Jan 2002

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08/04, 02:40pm | report spam | close Reply |
the ps3....

...and the xbox live are not just going to be game consoles. They're meant to invade people's homes and become media stations, or at least that is the hope that both companies are developing for.

eddd
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Joined: Dec 2001

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08/04, 03:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
simply not gonna happen

This is interesting, yes, but not because it might eventually happen. If anything, I think this sheds more light on Apple's switch to Intel, and the DRM-on-a-chip issue.

Apple will not allow this, at least willingly. It is well known that they want to control the entire user experience, and that they make their money on hardware. They will not allow OS X to run on generic Intel boxes, so they will certainly try to stop this from happening as well. In order to stop it on the PC front, they will use a hardware key. In order to stop it on a PS3, they would have to rely on a software scheme (since the hardware is out of their hands), something that would certainly be easier to crack. Again, I see this as another (perhaps the primary?) reason for the Intel switch. How could they compete with a box that sells for less than their lowest-selling computer, and one that would probably blow away its performance?

Why has Sony revealed this? To gain popular support, hoping users will try to sway Apple (hah)? To take a swing at Apple for changing processors, much like IBM appeared to do?

It will be interesting to see if it does indeed work with Tiger when the PS3 ships, and to see Apple's reaction. Unfortunately, there may be little that Apple can do to stop early versions of OS X from working. Save those Panther and Tiger disks!

Eriamjh
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08/04, 04:06pm | report spam | close Reply |
With 256MB Ram?

Pfffttt!!

benhur
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08/04, 04:18pm | report spam | close Reply |
actually

it actually has 512 MB, check out the specs. Would make an interesting OSX media center, would it not?

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/636/636848p1.html

smoke-tetsu
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2003

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08/04, 04:32pm | report spam | close Reply |
Unlikely

Apple likes to control both hardware and software. Plus the PS3 doesn't come with open firmware does it? The only way I can see OS X running on PS3 is with Mac on Linux. But probably not with Apple's blessings. I also don't think Apple would let them kill their market for any Mac model.

Strange things have happened this is just Hype. I'm not ready to believe this until Apple makes an announcement.

smoke-tetsu
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2003

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08/04, 04:34pm | report spam | close Reply |
One more thing

If anything this probably means that the chip it'self can run OS X if put on the appropriate hardware. That's all.

Makki
Mac Elite

Joined: Jun 2003

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08/04, 04:36pm | report spam | close Reply |
Mac Mini days numbered?

Where tf you get such idea from man? this story has absolutely nothing to do with the Mac Mini.

"professing to be wise became fools LOL"

PrettyBoyClone
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Joined: Jul 2002

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08/04, 04:52pm | report spam | close Reply |
Connecting dots

Pure speculation: Sony allows Apple to take over the musicstore-market. Sony cancels own musicstore, Apple allows PS3 to runs OSX. PS3 runs iTunes. Sony get kickback for each song sold, Sony eventually licences FairPlay, and markets itunes music store compatible devices.

This could even scale to a iVideo store, playback devices, da works.

Maybe something *is* cooking

smoke-tetsu
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2003

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08/04, 05:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
Big question

Do you think that Apple would go to a lot of trouble to prevent other x86 PC makers from running OS X and turn around and let another company that uses a PPC in a device to run it on that?

As far as I know Apple isn't interested in that. Anything said now about OS X on PS3 should be taken with a huge grain of salt.

Kazrog
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Joined: Dec 2002

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08/04, 05:38pm | report spam | close Reply |
Cool!!!

I'd like to see Sony and Apple work together on this.

smoke-tetsu
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2003

0

08/04, 06:17pm | report spam | close Reply |
Also

Notice that Sony didn't say that OS X runs on PS3 just that the CUP is compaitble. That's like saying X-box has a Windows compatible CPU. Technically it does. But how many people are running XP on it.

Linux is a lot more likely.

JimWG
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Joined: Jul 2003

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08/04, 06:42pm | report spam | close Reply |
Why PS3? Why Not Newton?

Greetings:

Well, isn't OSX on a PS3 just a degree or so from of being a OSX Newton, Apple?

JimWG

smoke-tetsu
Forum Regular

Joined: Jan 2003

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08/04, 06:45pm | report spam | close Reply |
That's PSP, not PS3

There's a difference. PSS3 is a console, PSP is a handheld. So no, it wouldn't be like a OS X Newton.

chrisutley
Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Mar 2003

0

08/04, 07:50pm | report spam | close Reply |
If Apple ever...

Does any kind of video iPod, I bet they do it with Sony.

jhorvatic
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Joined: Apr 2005

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08/04, 08:00pm | report spam | close Reply |
SPS delayed 2007

Imagine that, IBM is supposed to provide the 3.2GHZ cell processors and now Sony faces the same problem as Apple has been having with IBM. Delay after delay and broken promises by IBM. Now you know why Apple made the switch. I'm sure Microsoft will announce shortly of delays as well since IBM is supposed to provide them with processors as well for there latest version of the XBox.

LouZer
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Joined: Nov 2000

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08/04, 11:10pm | report spam | close Reply |
Garbage speculation

Man, you people just love to make up stuff, don't you. Or you all just can't read and interpret. Here, let's try this statement from the above:

The PS3 gaming device will use a new multi-core 3.2GHz Cell processor developed jointly by IBM, Sony Group and Toshiba will support a variety of operating systems, such as Linux or Mac OS X Tiger.

Or, go to the page itself, and read the part at the bottom: The integrated Cell processor will be able to support a variety of operating systems (such as Linux or Apple's Tiger).

There is nothing in this statement that says the PS3 will support Linux or Tiger. Its saying that the chip will support these operating systems, which means that they're making sure it contains the instruction set of the current PPC processors. Sure, I can see how you can mis-interpret this, but why not actually wait until someone actually says "The PS3 will run OS X" before you jump half-cocked into saying the mini is dead because Sony's going to become a cloner. Or that this is somehow an indication that Apple and Sony are teaming up to build video iPods, or whatever else you people are making up.

As for the mention of Tiger, well, isn't that the current OS? How would they know if it would run 10.5, since its not been released to anyone? And if it were, it would be under NDA. And they wouldn't mention 10.2 or anything, because that'd be like saying "Hey, and it'll run Windows Me, not that you can buy that anywhere".

Oh, and don't hold your breath on this thing being out on time. As we've found out from IBM, on schedule doesn't actually mean the same things to them as it does to other people.

gorf66
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Dec 2001

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08/05, 12:30pm | report spam | close Reply |
RE: Garbage speculation

Thanks for that. Well said.

There *is* another rational person who visits this site.

grphxstud
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jul 2003

0

08/07, 08:12pm | report spam | close Reply |
blu-ray

Apple has come on board to support Sony's Blu-Ray DVD technology, so maybe they are putting something together.

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Sony PlayStation 3 'Cell' processor to support OS X

updated 12:15 pm EDT, Thu August 4, 2005

PS3 to support Tiger?

Related Articles

Recent Articles

Hmmm...

I don't get it...

Odd

interesting

Not the first time...

Powerbook Application?

No Apple comment?

re:No Apple comment?

Another shoe to drop?

huge!

It's all nutty...

the ps3....

simply not gonna happen

With 256MB Ram?

actually

Unlikely

One more thing

Mac Mini days numbered?

Connecting dots

Big question

Cool!!!

Also

Why PS3? Why Not Newton?

That's PSP, not PS3

If Apple ever...

SPS delayed 2007

Garbage speculation

RE: Garbage speculation

blu-ray

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