“The nifty clips of video games supporting Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 console are running on Apple machines, Microsoft confirmed on Friday,” Richard Shim reports for CNET News. “‘We purchased a number of Apple G5’s because very specific hardware components of the G5 allow developers to emulate some of the technology behind future Xbox products and services,’ an official Microsoft spokesperson said in a statement. ‘This is an interim development tool that will be replaced with a more powerful and comprehensive solution later.’
“The new console from Microsoft is based on a similar IBM PowerPC architecture used in Apple computers–the Xbox 360 uses three 3.2GHz symmetrical cores, according to the company. Apple has been using PowerPC chips since 1994 and Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has said the company is happy with IBM’s PowerPC family of chips,” Shim reports. “Microsoft recently switched processors from an Intel chip used in the first Xbox console to a custom Xbox processor based on Big Blue’s Power technology in its new Xbox 360.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Isn’t that “super?”
Related MacDailyNews articles:
RUMOR: Sony and Apple working together on PlayStation 3 – May 13, 2005
Microsoft Xbox 360 ‘inspired’ by many of Apple Computer’s ideas – May 13, 2005
Microsoft holds ‘Thought Thieves’ short film competition focusing on intellectual property theft – May 12, 2005
Bill Gates jokes about Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ and calls Apple ‘the super-small market share guy’ – May 03, 2005
Microsoft launches Windows XP campaign with ad made on Apple Mac – April 19, 2005
nuff said
Look at where it came from
The most expensive speakers around, Billy must own a set.
http://www.genesisloudspeakers.com/
thought thieves who?.
That pretty much sums it all up. Microshaft is using Apple’s CURRENT technology to emulate their FUTURE technology.
NEXT UP: Micro$oft’s preview of Longhorn runs on Tiger.
‘This is an interim development tool that will be replaced with a more powerful and comprehensive solution later.’ The more powerful and comprehensive solution they are talking about is the Applehigh end workstation class machine which wil use IBM Power 5 chips.
Don’t you just love it?
Where would Microsoft be without Apple
HAHAHAHAHA!!!
We don’t call Apple “R&D South” for nothing!
Excuse me, I’ve gotta go – I’m in a super rush – I’m laughing all the way to the bank on the backs of my pigeon… err, fool… umm, loyal customers.
Sign up for your Microsoft Windows Anti-Virus Subscription today!
Put that in your “Macs suck at gaming” pipe and smoke it!!!
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Longhorn!! That’s a good one!!
At least we now know what the X in Xbox is standing for.
Good for Microsoft! If they want to use Mac servers then I applaud them.
Microsoft guns for Sony, Apple with Xbox: http://www.financialexpress.com/latest_full_story.php?content_id=90767
Did Apple come out with a gaming console that I don’t know about? How is M$ gunning for Apple with the Xbox? Does it double as an iPod?
(In my best Peter Griffin voice) What the hell!!??
er, that should have said Mac’s for developers.
So how many G5 Mac systems will Microsoft sell when the first developer ships the Xbox enabler for G5 Macs? Who’ll need “Mac” games when any Mac can play Xbox games?
Hum, Super? I am not sure, the console looks like crap, and it looks like they are already overwhelmed by REVOLUTION, the NINTENDO console that will kick everyboady’s a$$…
Interesting. I wonder what the possibility of an Xbox version of Virtual Game Station is? Actually, I think MS even owns the IP with their purchase of all the emulation products from Connectix.
you can run those XBOX 360 games on your G5 if you are running the proprietary compiled for PowerPC special top secret Windows NT kernal SDK. Oh wait, you’re running OS X. dang.
Bastards.
Marcie88,
Here’s the really expensive speakers.
http://www.audioreview.com/speakers/main-speaker/Wilson Audio/PRD_120809_1594crx.aspx
Bet he owns these just to say he does, even if he may not appreciate them.
There is a very good chance we could see some kick ass Xbox 360 emulators coming out this year. Aww that would rock.
Thanks Rhomboid
I hear those monsters at CES in Vegas and although they cost more than the Genesis , I thought the Gens sounded more natural. Bill probably get them for free anyway
Basically Microsoft uses the dual 2.5 or 2.7 GHz PowerMacs running a new PPC version of Windows NT and a next-generation ATI graphics card that no-one can buy yet. There is propably a special version of Direct X on these development machines too.
I hope that when Open GL 2 and the new ATI graphics cards run on the next generation of G5 Macs we will have equally capable graphics capabilities.
An obvious question – how much is a new X Box really costing Microsoft to make? (sure, they’ll retail it for say $400)
Thus, they sell it for HUNDREDS, not, THOUSANDS, and this has 3 PowerPC CPU’s… so why are Apple dual G5’s 10 times the price????????????????????????
We are being scammed as Apple purchasers, regardless of the style and design aspect of their machines.
I vaguely recall the orginal mac having a 4 times cost (of $500) markup, then Sculley added another $500 to pay for the marketing so it became $2500. Since Apple doesn’t actually market G5’s, they could cut this out of current markup calcs… so I wonder what the real cost of dual G5 2.7Ghz really is.
ps I seem to also remember the BeBox having a good price/performance ratio too. Apple always overcharge. Scumbags.
anon, get the facts, the cpu’s are way different. it’s all good dude.
anon: Sculley wasn’t at Apple when the original 128 Macs were rolled out. Your “facts” are lacking.
Anon,
The XBox 360 runs on ONE PROCESSOR with THREE CORES that can run TWO THREADS EACH.
As for speed, the XBox will be good, but the RAM is 512. Try running Photoshop in 512 megs.
As for the Macs that Microsoft has seeded to developers running an old PowerPC version of NT to develop the games, how many of those developers have set them up to dual boot and are playing with Tiger and are thinking “Hmmm…maybe I shoudl develop some games for Macs.”
Someone has to come up with a software solution/hack for any dual processor Power Mac G5 (or at least Apple’s next gen 3 GHz desktops) to play XBox 360 games. And as for the XBox 360 itself, if Apple doesn’t come up with its own iHome server/device, then at the very least it should partner up with Sony on the latter’s PS3 (latest rumor), or release a “lite” version of Mac OS (Jaguar, perhaps?) to turn the XBox into a full-fledged home computer. That “lite” Apple OS could hopefully play a role similar to iTunes for Windows.
Hi,
Yea, thanks all. Didn’t mean to stir everyone too much.
I understand there are differences between CPU’s; but I still have to question how much it *really* costs to build a dual G5 box. That was my main point. I’m also surprised at the speed of the Xbox cpu’s… PowerPC’s – how much is “cut out” or “specialised” to allow them run that fast, compared to say the G4/G5??
Btw, Sculley was at Apple before the launch of the Mac. He was President & CEO in April 1983.
Ciao.
ps it would be good too if MS ported DirectX 9 to OS X… then maybe more games would be available for Macs. However, I don’t see it happening. Ironic how everyone wants OS X on Intel, yet miss this opportunity for getting more games on Macs.
This is an interim development tool that will be replaced with a more powerful and comprehensive solution later.
I love how they always dig at Apple products no matter what.
If I think it is absurd for common folk to banter about Apple’s marketing and advertising, what do you think I might say about the same folk yammering on about the differences between computer engineering differences?
A CPU unto itself does not a computer make.
Anon, spend a day reading Apple’s annual reports and financial statements. If you still have a point to make then, then we’ll be happy to listen to you.
Anon,
Microsoft has lost about $1.5 Billion on the original Xbox. They make a big pile of money in licensing fees on every Xbox game sold, even more on the games they make themselves. They still lost $ 1.5 Billion.
Could it be that they are selling the Xbox game console
AT A BIG FRIGGING LOSS?
Don’t bitch that a much more powerful Dual G5 is sold at a profit. Apple has to pay for their coders and their R&D somehow.
“This is an interim development tool that will be replaced with a more powerful and comprehensive solution later”, an official Microsoft spokesperson said.
Well, naturally, it’s running in emulation after all, and the Xbox is a machine with a very specific and limited range of capabilities, unlike a fully fledged computer. But MS isn’t missing an opportunity to muddy the waters by delivering this backhanded remark, the implication being that the Mac is weak and underpowered.
Playing devils advocate just for a second, if the Xbox 360 did indeed have a more powerful and comparable CPU than was available to Apple, then the shit would absolutely hit the fan. I doubt that this is the case, however. It’s just more MS BS.
Regardless, I seriously hope that Apple has kept its options open with PPC developments at Moto/Freescale so if there are any further snafus with IBM, they have something to bring to market to bridge the gap.
Both IBM and Moto have been full of promises in the past, but both have had problems delivering repeatedly. But with other companies joining the PPC bandwagon, it can only mean potentially more option for Apple in the long run.
The magic word is ‘power’, what a happy coincidence.
Poor Microsoft. They are forced to work on PowerMacs! That could mess with any hardcore PC user’s mind.
are you guys stupid or something?
the news post only says that the xbox is based off of powerpc hardware technology. I’m pretty sure that that doesn’t have anything to do with any of Apple’s operating systems. In fact the new xbox is a powerpc system running Microsoft software. There’s nothing uniquely Apple about the powerpc hardware infrastructure. Linux runs on intel hardware just fine.
MS knows, and everyone else does to, that the Power Series is Superior to anything x86. (besides the FX)
Remember, if it werent for Intels cheap chips, we’d all be using XP on Power or Some other RISC Variant.
Its too bad ya know, Windows would be a better platform if they would release it for Risc Based systems. I remember using NT 4 on Power and DEC Alpha, It was a fast and rock solid system.
Does this mean that if we could find out the correct tweaks & wat eva ms did to those machines, anyone who owns a G5 can potentially play Xbox games when they do that upgrade?