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R.I.P. Linux on PS3 Nov 2007 - Aug 2009

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  • #1

    R.I.P. Linux on PS3 Nov 2007 - Aug 2009

    Well it looks like it was announced today that Sony's new slim version of PS3 will kill linux support. That and PS2 compatibility was also axed to help them bring down the cost of the unit. If you want to install linux on a PS3 then you might want to grab some of the older sku's while you still can. At this point it's puts into question if current distro's maintaining a PPC release should even bother with the added maintenance.

    Sony unveils slimmer PS3: $300, lands in September (updated!)
    http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/18/sony-debuts-slimmer-ps3/
    Hardly a surprise, but Sony got on stage today at GamesCom and confirmed what we've all known deep down in our hearts: the new, slimmer PS3 is really real. It'll be out in the first week of September (September 1 in North America and Europe, September 3 for Japan), and will retail for $300 (or 300 Euro, or 29,980 Yen). It's smaller and lighter, has a 120GB HDD, and packs "all the same features" of the regular PS3 while consuming 34 percent less power and taking up 32 percent less space. Existing PS3 SKUs have their prices dropped a hundie apiece tomorrow in anticipation, so be sure to grab a space heater while you've still got a shot -- though we're not sure why you'd pay $300 for an 80GB PS3 when you can wait a couple weeks and get 120GB in a cuter package. A couple pics of the unveil are after the break. The new 3.0 firmware will be released concurrently with the PS3 slim, which should provide a breath of fresh air for existing machines. Other new features of the PS3 slim include BRAVIA Sync, which allows you to control the PS3 XMB over HDMI through your BRAVIA TV remote, and System Standby to shut off the PS3 when the BRAVIA TV is off. Sony also claims this new machine will run more quietly than existing PS3 systems, which is good news for people who like to watch movies or have conversations in the general vicinity of their game console. There's also a Vertical Stand, which will retail for $24. Not so awesome is Sony's removal of the Install Other OS feature... farewell, Linux. We hardly knew thee. Update: We've got press shots! Check 'em all in the gallery below, and be sure to pore over that to-scale comparo pic up top. There's one from above as well, which reveals that the new model is actual "deeper" than the PS3 fat. Update 2: Video! Our main man Jack Tretton talks up and shows off his spanking new slim PS3 after the break. We've also got a full rundown of the specs for your perusal, and added some new information above.
    Last edited by deanjo; 18 August 2009, 05:15 PM.
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  • #2
    Well, that was dumb of them. I imagine the scientific computing community is a little displeased at the moment.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Wyatt View Post
      Well, that was dumb of them. I imagine the scientific computing community is a little displeased at the moment.
      Probably not. Most of the major projects are using GPGPU solutions which are far more efficient per watt anyways.

      An interesting comparison I ran across a while back.

      Page not found - Hardware Secrets
      http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/640/4

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      • #4
        Originally posted by deanjo View Post
        That and PS2 compatibility was also axed to help them bring down the cost of the unit.
        AFAIK they haven't actually made any PS2-compatible PS3s for about a year. I doubt that anyone other than naive fanboys was seriously expecting it in the Slim.

        Cutting Other OS is pretty obnoxious. It might end up coming back to bite them, though; Other OS was a major reason that the top homebrew hackers weren't trying to bust open PS3's security. I guess BD-J is now the only "legit" hope we have for unlicensed code that actually runs on all PS3s, and Sony's been hard at work making that a pain in the ass too (it used to be possible to run Java apps from USB/SD/Memory Stick via the AVCHD support, but they apparently "fixed" that).

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