To: Sam Scrutchins who wrote (13777 ) 5/18/1998 8:41:00 PM From: RX4PROFIT Respond to
Apple, IBM, Motorola ready AltiVec for multimedia OSes
By Jeff Walsh
InfoWorld Electric
Posted at 6:15 AM PT, May 18, 1998
According to sources close to the company, by this time next year Apple Computer will deliver desktop and portable systems with advanced
multimedia capabilities based on AltiVec, a Motorola-developed extension to the PowerPC processor instruction set.
AltiVec technology adds a 128-bit vector execution unit, which operates concurrently with existing integer and floating point units.
IBM, which has a strategic PowerPC development alliance with Apple and
Motorola, has yet to announce any plans to support AltiVec. All three
companies did co-develop it, however, according to Bill O'Leary, manager of media relations at IBM Microelectronics.
"Our focus has been more on performance benefits through the processor
technologies," O'Leary said, noting IBM's development of a 400-MHz
copper-based PowerPC third-generation chip.
The lack of IBM's endorsement has led to some speculation that IBM and
Motorola are parting ways on the direction of PowerPC chip technologies, which could adversely affect Apple. O'Leary said there is absolutely no rift between the companies.
"If Apple says they want us to support [AltiVec], I'm sure we'd
entertain it," O'Leary said.
Apple interim CEO Steve Jobs said the company is behind both the
technology and its chip partners.
"Apple plans to use AltiVec in the future, and we believe we will be
buying such processors from both Motorola and IBM," Jobs stated in an
e-mail.
Kimball Brown, an analyst at Dataquest, in San Jose, Calif., said
Apple's support will make a major difference to AltiVec's success,
noting that Microsoft did not support Intel's similar-yet-different MMX
technology until Windows 98.
Motorola said AltiVec-enhanced PowerPC chips, which will be available to developers in the second half of this year, will use IBM's copper-based processor design.
Apple Computer Inc., in Cupertino, Calif., is at apple.com .
IBM Corp., in Armonk, N.Y., is at ibm.com . Motorola Inc., in Austin, Texas, is at mot.com .
Jeff Walsh is a reporter for InfoWorld
