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Sony Basically Designed the Xbox 360 Processor For Microsoft, Says New Book

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Jordan Lund
12/31/08

In reply to Sony Basically Designed the Xbox 360 Processor For Microsoft, Says New Book
I think whoever wrote the book is confused. The reason the Xbox 360 processor (Xenon) was delivered first is because it was based on known PowerPC architecture.

[en.wikipedia.org])

The Cell processor in the PS3 is a completely different beast.

[en.wikipedia.org]
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Monty
12/31/08

@Jordan Lund: As I understand it, both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 processors are based on PPC architecture. There have been some who have speculated for some time that someone was copying the other, and this is merely additional evidence that this was the case.

One huge question that was never fully answered was why Microsoft, which has been a thousand feet deep in X86 processors forever, would suddenly design a platform based on PPC architecture. For Sony, it was merely a continuation of the PS2 processor, but for Microsoft, it simply does not make sense.. But, now it makes more sense.
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ripfire
01/01/09

@Monty: "why Microsoft, which has been a thousand feet deep in X86 processors forever, would suddenly design a platform based on PPC architecture."

Why? Because Microsoft is a software company, not a hardware company.
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admoseremic
12/31/08

In reply to Sony Basically Designed the Xbox 360 Processor For Microsoft, Says New Book
That's not all they stole:

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Monty
12/31/08

@admoseremic: Outstanding. Those graphics could only have been done on an Xbox 360 / PS3 processor, I bet.
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Garrett Clay
12/31/08

In reply to Sony Basically Designed the Xbox 360 Processor For Microsoft, Says New Book
No this means that Microsoft was too lazy to design its own processor so it took design parts from another. In my book just another reason to not like Microsoft, although I do have to say Win. 7 looks really nice. Good job Sony for taking a bullet for Microsoft.
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syko21
12/31/08

@Garrett Clay: You can't fault a company for contracting another company for a part. You ask for chip in a certain timeframe and how the company gets you the product is their business.
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Monty
12/31/08

@syko21: You can bet that the contract Sony had with IBM has some words regarding sharing of trade secrets. That said, you are correct that Microsoft is not really at fault. IBM, on the other hand, has some 'splanin to do.
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Monty
12/31/08

In reply to Sony Basically Designed the Xbox 360 Processor For Microsoft, Says New Book
Take a good whiff, boys. That is the smell of Sony attorneys sweating with excitement.
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