The Inq claims that Xbox 2 SDK now released... for Apple Power Mac G5s running custom Win NT ** CONFIRMED!!!!111one **

[Eug]

Sounds like bull to me, but here ya go:

Xbox 2 SDK released on cool Apple Power Mac G5s

WE'VE JUST got word that the Software Development Kit (SDK) for Microsoft?s forthcoming Xbox 2 has now been released to Developers.

As we reported earlier, IBM processors are indeed the Xbox 2 development platform of choice.

The big news to us is that the XBOX 2 SDK has been seeded to developers on dual Apple Power Mac G5 systems running a custom Windows NT Kernel.

The Apple Power Mac G5 is based upon two of IBM?s 64-bit Power PC processors and features ATi RADEON 9800 Pro (R350) graphics. However the R350 is believed to be an interim solution and will, in due course, be superseded by the forthcoming ATI R420.

Interestingly the SDK apparently also features an Apple logo on a side bar within the application.

What we don?t yet know is whether the custom Windows NT Kernel for the 64-bit capable IBM Power PC processors is 64-bit or 32-bit.

Though as ATI is so clearly behind with even its iAMD64 device drivers for both Intel and AMD x86-64 platforms, we suspect that it?s 32-bit.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Why the hell would it be BS? MS is using multiple PPC 970s and an NT-based kernel in the Xbox2.

- M4H

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Why the hell would it be BS? MS is using multiple PPC 970s and an NT-based kernel in the Xbox2.

Well, because the Inq says a lot of stuff which ends up to be false.

Anyways, wouldn't they want a custom box that more closely reflected the Xbox 2 architecture? Or are you suggesting it's basically just a Mac clone?

 

[SunnyD]

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Why the hell would it be BS? MS is using multiple PPC 970s and an NT-based kernel in the Xbox2.

Well, because the Inq says a lot of stuff which ends up to be false.

Anyways, wouldn't they want a custom box that more closely reflected the Xbox 2 architecture? Or are you suggesting it's basically just a Mac clone?

Wasn't the XBox 1 basically a PC clone?

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Wasn't the XBox 1 basically a PC clone?

Yeah, but the speculation has been that the Xbox 2 wouldn't just be a Mac desktop clone, but more of a custom design, built to be more appropriate for gaming and of course less expensive than a general purpose desktop. And why would the SDK have an Apple logo on it?

However, it would be ironic indeed if the basic Mac architecture turned out to be the future of Microsoft's gaming business.

 

[Eug]

Slashdotted

 

[XZeroII]

I stopped going to the Inquirer because they have such biased authors. They are especially anti-microsoft.

 

[SSP]

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Wasn't the XBox 1 basically a PC clone?

Yeah, but the speculation has been that the Xbox 2 wouldn't just be a Mac desktop clone, but more of a custom design, built to be more appropriate for gaming and of course less expensive than a general purpose desktop. And why would the SDK have an Apple logo on it?

However, it would be ironic indeed if the basic Mac architecture turned out to be the future of Microsoft's gaming business.

I think its probably because its the fastest was to emulate an early xbox 2 system, like the early xbox 1 sdk, which was basically a PC.

 

[AFB]

There is no fvkin way. Wth, why would it have a an apple logo on it, wouldn't that be copyright infringement?

Sorry about the pseudo profanity.

 

[EyeMWing]

NT has long had PPC functionality (But most of it never saw the light of day. NT4's PPC functionality was limited to a few machines). With Win2k, they actually started developing it for Apple's PPC implementations but never released (Because doing so would be pointless because if you own a mac, you obviously like MacOS)

For developers, I can see this. Especially since the xBox2 IS ESSENTIALLY A G5!

 

[Eug]

There's always the Momentum dual G5 970FX system. A little pricey though, at $6000... I guess the dual G5 Power Mac would make more sense...

However, I won't believe it until I see more than just The Inq article, and screengrabs.

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: amdfanboy
There is no fvkin way. Wth, why would it have a an apple logo on it, wouldn't that be copyright infringement?

Sorry about the pseudo profanity.

No. Understand, Microsoft wouldn't be making their own Apple computers, they would be buying them outright from Apple then installing their SDK onto it. No infringement would take place.

That would be akain to you saying I infringed Dell by selling you a computer that says Dell on the side of it, when it was in fact legally purchased from Dell.

 

[AFB]

No,thats like puting the dell logo on HP software on a dell.

 

[manly]

Originally posted by: XZeroII
I stopped going to the Inquirer because they have such biased authors. They are especially anti-microsoft.

I've stopped listening to you since you're biased against reason.

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: amdfanboy
No,thats like puting the dell logo on HP software on a dell.

As long as you buy the system from Dell, you think they care what software you install on it?

 

[Falloutboy]

ooo I hope a version is leaked that would be wicked sweet to have NT on PowerPC

 

[hahher]

so will xbox2 have a hdd?

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: Falloutboy525
ooo I hope a version is leaked that would be wicked sweet to have NT on PowerPC

Even better, a dual boot XP ("NT kernel") and OS X machine.

 

[0roo0roo]

Originally posted by: hahher
so will xbox2 have a hdd?

i bet a 2.5" one.

 

[AFB]

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: Falloutboy525
ooo I hope a version is leaked that would be wicked sweet to have NT on PowerPC

Even better, a dual boot XP ("NT kernel") and OS X machine.

That would rock! :beer:

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: SSP

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Wasn't the XBox 1 basically a PC clone?

Yeah, but the speculation has been that the Xbox 2 wouldn't just be a Mac desktop clone, but more of a custom design, built to be more appropriate for gaming and of course less expensive than a general purpose desktop. And why would the SDK have an Apple logo on it?

However, it would be ironic indeed if the basic Mac architecture turned out to be the future of Microsoft's gaming business.

I think its probably because its the fastest was to emulate an early xbox 2 system, like the early xbox 1 sdk, which was basically a PC.

My point was that some people had predicted that the Xbox 2 would not be anything like a Mac clone, but a much more custom design, sort of like how GameCube is a custom design but which also uses PowerPC. AFAIK, early GameCube development was not done on Macs.

Anyways, it this turns out to be true (and I'm skeptical) then it would suggest that Microsoft still prefers the desktop PC/Mac concept for consoles, as opposed to Sony or whatever. The PS2 is very different from desktops, and the PS3 will be a complete shift in design concepts.

Originally posted by: TerryMathews

Originally posted by: amdfanboy
No,thats like puting the dell logo on HP software on a dell.

As long as you buy the system from Dell, you think they care what software you install on it?

The point was that Apple doesn't make Xbox2 SDKs, so why would there be an Apple logo on Microsoft's software? Note the quote from the original article:

"Interestingly the SDK apparently also features an Apple logo on a side bar within the application."

Are they trying to suggest that Apple had a hand in developing this? Actually, if MS truly were using Power Macs, Apple probably would have to be involved in some way. It'd be pretty hard to re-jig NT 5 for Power Mac G5s without help from the manufacturer. There have been quite a few architectural changes going from the G3/G4 to the G5. The old NT PPC was coded for G3 architectures. The G5 wouldn't even exist until many years later. (BTW, Virtual PC which works on the G3 and G4, won't even run on the G5. They have to recode the app because of design differences with the chip.)

 

[TerryMathews]

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: SSP

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: SunnyD
Wasn't the XBox 1 basically a PC clone?

Yeah, but the speculation has been that the Xbox 2 wouldn't just be a Mac desktop clone, but more of a custom design, built to be more appropriate for gaming and of course less expensive than a general purpose desktop. And why would the SDK have an Apple logo on it?

However, it would be ironic indeed if the basic Mac architecture turned out to be the future of Microsoft's gaming business.

I think its probably because its the fastest was to emulate an early xbox 2 system, like the early xbox 1 sdk, which was basically a PC.

My point was that some people had predicted that the Xbox 2 would not be anything like a Mac clone, but a much more custom design, sort of like how GameCube is a custom design but which also uses PowerPC. AFAIK, early GameCube development was not done on Macs.

Anyways, it this turns out to be true (and I'm skeptical) then it would suggest that Microsoft still prefers the desktop PC/Mac concept for consoles, as opposed to Sony or whatever. The PS2 is very different from desktops, and the PS3 will be a complete shift in design concepts.

Originally posted by: TerryMathews

Originally posted by: amdfanboy
No,thats like puting the dell logo on HP software on a dell.

As long as you buy the system from Dell, you think they care what software you install on it?

The point was that Apple doesn't make Xbox2 SDKs, so why would there be an Apple logo on Microsoft's software? Note the quote from the original article:

"Interestingly the SDK apparently also features an Apple logo on a side bar within the application."

Are they trying to suggest that Apple had a hand in developing this? Actually, if MS truly were using Power Macs, Apple probably would have to be involved in some way. It'd be pretty hard to re-jig NT 5 for Power Mac G5s without help from the manufacturer. There have been quite a few architectural changes going from the G3/G4 to the G5. The old NT PPC was coded with the G3 in mind, IIRC.

Are you not realizing that the Xbox2 SDK will be a whole computer. It's not like in the computer world where the SDK is just a piece of software. When a game company sells you a SDK for their console, you get a complete computer with the software on it.

My guess would be that the apple on the top would be the apple menu in Panther...

And how is the PS2 less like a computer than the Xbox? After the HDD is released, it's going to have everything a computer does. Heck, you can run Linux on it.

 

[XZeroII]

Originally posted by: manly

Originally posted by: XZeroII
I stopped going to the Inquirer because they have such biased authors. They are especially anti-microsoft.

I've stopped listening to you since you're biased against reason.

Either provide more info so I can understand you comment, or put a to indicate that you are joking.

 

[Eug]

TerryMathews said:
Are you not realizing that the Xbox2 SDK will be a whole computer. It's not like in the computer world where the SDK is just a piece of software. When a game company sells you a SDK for their console, you get a complete computer with the software on it.

My guess would be that the apple on the top would be the apple menu in Panther...

Except that the article says the SDK is running a custom Windows NT.

It would not make sense for MS to create an SDK on Panther anyways. MS does not control Apple's OS, and DirectX doesn't exist for OS X either. It would have to be Windows or some derivative.

It would be nice for MS to write DirectX for OS X though. It'd be a helulot easier to port DirectX-based PC games to the Mac with DirectX OS X available, instead of having to convert everything to OpenGL.

 

[Eug]

Originally posted by: amdfanboy

Originally posted by: Eug

Originally posted by: Falloutboy525
ooo I hope a version is leaked that would be wicked sweet to have NT on PowerPC

Even better, a dual boot XP ("NT kernel") and OS X machine.

That would rock! :beer:

Now if someone could hack OS X (a la Linux) to run on an Xbox 2, and slap a keyboard onto it. $400 OS X machine with dual G5s.