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Hardware Archive
Interview: The Future in Grid Computing
Computing grids, or software engines that pool together and manage resources from isolated systems to form a new type of low-cost supercomputer, have finally come of age. BetaNews sat down with some of the world's leading grid guru's to discuss the significance of such distributed technologies and separate grid hype from grid reality.
Regarding that 99 USD Laptop
Slashdot posted yesterday a news item about some people which try to create a laptop that would sell for less than one hundred bucks. To me, an x86 such laptop this seems like a dream that can't come true with today's OEM prices. However, there might be a way to achieve this, if the "laptop" in question will not really be a laptop, but a handtop, a hybrid between a laptop and a PDA.
The Cranky User: Performance Anxiety
Computers are getting faster all the time, or so they tell us. But, in fact, the user experience of performance hasn't improved much over the past 15 years. This article takes a look at where all the precious processor time and memory are going.
More on Cell CPUs
Big iron lessons: FPU architecture, now and then
Floating point provides a convenient, approximate representation of real numbers that can greatly simplify scientific and engineering algorithms. This article gives an overview of two floating point formats used in the z990 architecture and discusses key FPU issues that system architects should consider in new designs.
A house divided: UWB’s double standards
What happens when two coalitions within a standard come into conflict, and it doesn't get resolved quickly? The ultrawideband technology standard shows you.
Cell “analysis” a mixed bag; Rebuttals Available
Hannibal of Arstechnica writes "Last week, OS News published an analysis of IBM's Cell-related patents. This article presents some of the information in the patents in an easily digestible format, but it has some serious flaws, as well. And I'm not talking about Cell-specific flaws, though there are those, but what appear to be problems with the author's understanding of basic computer architecture." Read On.. In the meantime, Nicholas Blachford explained a bit more his points on a sixth Cell article, and also wrote a rebuttal on Ars' article.
Cell Architecture Explained
Designed for the PlayStation 3, Sony, Toshiba and IBM's new "Cell processor" promises seemingly obscene computing capabilities for what will rapidly become a very low price. In this 5-part article you can look at what the Cell architecture is, look at the profound implications this new chip has, not for the games market, but for the entire computer industry. Has the PC finally met it's match?
A Take on the Workstation Market Today
Maybe you all know the old joke about the definition of a workstation: A trainstation is where a train stops, a bus station is where a bus stops, so a workstation ... In this article I will try to define the workstation market, the current models, what they are used for and some thoughts about their future.
Does the Mac Mini Stack Up?: A Comparison
I have been an omni-platform user, Windows, OS X and Linux user for some time now. I love different things about each platform and loathe just as much as I like about all three. The release of the Mac Mini at MacWorld really made me wonder if Apple made good move in jumping into the low range market. I decided the best way to see was to compare the Mini to my primary box, a similar system in specifications and price.
Hardware Today: HPC Server Snapshot
ServerWatch: Vast marketing budgets from the likes of Dell, Microsoft, and IBM ensure the behemoths take much of the server limelight, leaving high-performance computing (HPC) niche players, such as NEC and Bull, to receive scant coverage. Even a company like HP, which spends as much on marketing and public relations as a small country's GDP, hardly seems to give its AlphaServer line more than a mention. Yet, these platforms have a lot to offer and shouldn't be automatically bypassed. Read part one...
Programming the cache on the PowerPC
While many programs can obtain acceptable performance by simply letting the processor manage its own caching, programs with special requirements may obtain dramatically improved performance by giving the processor explicit instructions and manipulating the cache directly. More typically, boot firmware may need to flush and enable the cache.
The Year 2004 in Microprocessors
From spintronics to clockless CPUs, 2004 was a year of process and research in the microprocessor industry. As a way to transition into the new year, this article offers a month-by-month look at the highlights of the 2004 microprocessor timeline.
Great Moments in Microprocessor History
The microprocessor changed the world: how did we get from the first 4-bit models in the 1970s to today's 64-bit multicore monsters? This article covers the history of the micro from the vacuum tube to today's dual-core multithreaded madnes.
Implications for Power Architecture
Major electronics companies have come together to form a new standards body focused on Power Architecture technology. Power.org will create and promote a family of standards, reference designs, and more. Here's a developer's-eye view of the future and implications for Power Architecture standardization.
Interview with VIA Regarding the EPIA Platform
In the past months we came across a variety of issues that we wanted to discuss with the company that came up with the Mini-ITX form-factor and the EPIA boards. In the past weeks we also collected our readers’ questions and included them in this interview.
EpiaCenter.com features an interview with VIA's Werner du Plessis.
Recent HP-Intel Announcements About Itanium
Bob Gezelter writes: On December 16th, an article was posted on OSNews that stated, in effect, that HP was "Exiting Itanium". A careful review of the facts suggests that this press report was based upon an incomplete understanding of the HP-Intel arrangememnts. I have just published an article on OpenVMS.org, based directly on public published information, containing a more complete reprise of this week's announcements. Update: HP will be investing $3 billion on its Itanium-based server line.
InfoWorld Thinks Apple Will Use IBM’s Power5 Sometime in 2005
In a special report on IBM's Power5 Processor family, the bigger, badder cousin of the G5 PowerPC processor Apple uses in Power Mac and iMac models, InfoWorld predicts that some form of the Power5 will make its way to a Mac soon."PowerPC and Power form a continuum of compatible, and now open, processor designs," writes reported Tom Yaeger, "and our guess is that the Power5 design will arrive in some form in an Apple machine in 2005.
HP Exits Itanium Project
There have been several reports that HP has closed the door on Itanium. Officially, HP will no longer contribute to designs of the CPU and Intel will purchase HP's development team to end the joint project.