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Re: OT: XBox 2, 3, and so on
Posted By: Cunbelin Soffish Loremaster	Date: 5/7/01 12:42 p.m.
In Response To: Re: OT: XBox 2, 3, and so on (katokop1) : IF Xbox 2/3/... were to use an architecture which used the same bytecode : (i.e., the continued to use x86), it would be beyond easy to maintain this : kind of backward compatability. : However, the real reason I chimed in here is to point out -- yet again (I : feel like I have to say this every 3 seconds, since no one gets it) -- : that the xbox is architecturally very different from a PC. It uses : PC-derrived hardware, but so, to a certain extent, does the Game Cube, : insofar as both use CPUs based on the same instruction sets as major PC : platforms. However, not only are the graphics chip and system architecture : *not* at all like those in any PC (the SGI VW320/540 series workstations : for 1999 were the most similar in the PC world, in most respects, based on : a unified memory architecture where the -graphics chip- was make the : center of the system by merging it with the central i/o paths/logic), with : the only relationship being the graphics core's architectural foundations : in the NV2x base design. What no one seems to realize is that the CPU : isn't even anything like an off-the-shelf PIII. It is a P6 core (which : even the PPro was, but who would claim the PPro and the PIII were the : 'same chip'?!?), and placing it even closer to the PIII, it does have : MMX/SSE. However, it has a TOTALLY different FSB (which is a very : significant aspect of the CPU, from an architectural standpoint), and much : more cache, and I believe even has a different cache configuration (which : is a HUGE difference). : As a whole, the xbox is derived from PC hardware architectures because they : are the most well understood and widespread -- and so have the largest : selection of, and best, development tools, which are the most familiar to : the largest number of existing developers. But does anyone claim the Game : Cube is an iMac or some bullshit, because it uses a PowerPC 750 derivative : for its CPU, and a future ATI chipset architecture for its graphics, which : will be rolled into the ATI retail market at some point? No. In both : respects -- the cpu and the graphics -- it is in a position identical to : the xbox, but because the xbox has the microsoft and intel (and nvidia) : names on it, everyone says it's just a PC. : Sorry, ;) I think that for me the similarities are not just the peices, but also the fact that there are API's for the Xbox, as well as an OS, to my knowledge the only console that had that was the Pippin. Of course your absolutely right about what TCB was saying, they are hardly stock parts, or I would have built my own Xbox by now (c=. As far as bacward compatability is concerned, well I think that is counting you chickens before you bought the eggs, the Xbox isn't even out, we don't know if there will even be an Xbox 2 or if the Xbox will even be worth getting, besides for Halo that is (c=, Beside that fact we don't know if Microsoft intends to keep the PC based tech, or if they will scrap it for a totally new system. Also Nvidia did add backwards compatability to its cards for DX7, but the Xbox version lacks this in favor of a second vector unit, so we can't really know what DX9 will break, or if Nvidia will support DX8 with its DX9 cards. -Cunbelin

Message Index

OT: XBox 2, 3, and so on	TCB	5/4/01 8:47 p.m.
Re: OT: XBox 2, 3, and so on	katokop1	5/6/01 5:32 a.m.
Re: OT: XBox 2, 3, and so on	TCB	5/6/01 3:08 p.m.
Re: OT: XBox 2, 3, and so on	TCB	5/6/01 5:57 p.m.
thank common sense.......	griffon	5/6/01 3:50 p.m.
Re: OT: XBox 2, 3, and so on	Cunbelin Soffish Loremaster	5/7/01 12:42 p.m.