Linux Begins To Support IBM's Next-Gen POWER8

[ldesnogu]

The PowerPC, direct descendant of the IBM mainframe, is now big in the embedded world.

POWER is NOT a descendant of IBM mainframe architecture. Go read about zArchitecture, ESA/390, etc.

(by embedded I mean a processor with no virtual memory manager and no operating system)

This is YOUR definition, and it certainly isn't the one used by MOST of the world.

OMG I caught your capslock disease

[frantaylor]

Isn't it funny?

Intel's first 8080 sale was for embedding into a calculator.

And yet x86 is now the "mainframe" of processor architectures, having completely forsaken the embedded market.

The PowerPC, direct descendant of the IBM mainframe, is now big in the embedded world.

So today we use mainframe architectures in our embedded systems and we use embedded architectures in our mainframes.

Odd, yes?

(by embedded I mean a processor with no virtual memory manager and no operating system)

[frantaylor]

Ever driven a Ford???

Why choose PowerPC over x86? anybody?

Because you can buy PowerPC chips hardened for automobile usage

Just about every Ford has at least one PowerPC under the hood

Because PowerPC is a simple architecture and mere mortals can actually write in assembly language for it

Because you can buy embedded versions for a couple of dollars

Because AIX handles some loads a lot better than Linux does

[uid313]

Why choose PowerPC over x86? anybody?

For your home PC, nobody.
For a TOP500 supercomputer, there are people who would chose POWER.
For gaming consoles, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, etc.

IBM Blue Gene, world's most powerful supercomputers run on the POWER architecture.

[hanglekuk]

enterprise

Well, IBM/AIX is the choice for proprietary Unix applications. If you want a single machine with LOTS of CPU and RAM - HIGH END - it is a pretty good choice.
Power7 machines are really fast. So fast, that I'd have my reservations in regards of "much faster than power7" part.

[Ericg]

Why choose PowerPC over x86? anybody?

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux Begins To Support IBM's Next-Gen POWER8

The PowerPC feature pull for the Linux 3.8 kernel is significant in that it's the first release beginning to introduce support for IBM's next-generation POWER8 processors...

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=MTI1MzE