
 about the PowerPC architecture and PowerPC-based computers.


Archive-name: powerpc-faq

========================================================================
                              PowerPC FAQ
                                    
                              13 May 1995
========================================================================

The PowerPC FAQ is maintained by Derek Noonburg (derekn@ece.cmu.edu).
Please send me any and all additions, corrections, clarfications, and
suggestions.

# An HTML version of this FAQ is now available on the World Wide Web
# <URL:http://www.mot.com/PowerPC/lib/ppc_faq.html>.

Changes since last version (14-April-95):

  * added:

  * changed: 2-3, 2-5, 2-6, 3-2, 3-3

  * moved:

This document uses uniform resource locators (URLs) to refer to net
resources. For more information, see the World Wide Web (WWW) FAQ. In
general, for a URL of the form:
    <URL:ftp://foo.bar.com/someDirectory/someFile>
you should anonymous ftp to foo.bar.com, cd into someDirectory, and get
someFile. For a URL of the form:
    <URL:gopher://foo.bar.com/path>
you should gopher to foo.bar.com, and follow the path. URLs of the form:
    <URL:http://foo.bar.com/path>
indicate a hypertext document, which require a WWW viewer (such as
Mosaic) to read.


========================================================================
                                 Index
========================================================================

[1] Introduction
    [1-1] Where can a current copy of this FAQ be obtained?
    [1-2] Can I convert this FAQ to a different format and/or
          redistribute it?
    [1-3] What newsgroups are appropriate for PowerPC discussions?
    [1-4] What other FAQs contain PowerPC information?
    [1-5] What other net sources (ftp, gopher, etc.) contain PowerPC
          information?
    [1-6] Bibliography: where can I get more information on the PowerPC?
    [1-7] Contributors.

[2] Processor
    [2-1] What is a PowerPC?
    [2-2] How does PowerPC relate to POWER and POWER2?
    [2-3] What processors have been announced? What are their specs?
          When will they be available?
    [2-4] What embedded controllers will be available?
    [2-5] How fast is a PowerPC?
    [2-6] Is there special hardware for emulating 68k or x86 processors?
    [2-7] What is the PowerPC 615?

[3] Hardware
    [3-1]  What PowerPC-based workstations are/will be available? When
           will they be available? How much will they cost?
    [3-2]  What PowerPC-based PReP-compliant (IBM-compatible) personal
           computers are/will be available? When will they be available?
           How much will they cost?
    [3-3]  What PowerPC-based Apple (and compatible) personal computers
           are/will be available? When will they be available? How much
           will they cost?
    [3-4]  What PowerPC-based controllers are/will be available? When
           will they be available? How much will they cost?
    [3-5]  What PowerPC-based supercomputers and parallel processors
           are/will be available? When will they be available? How much
           will they cost?
    [3-6]  What other PowerPC-based systems are/will be available? When
           will they be available? How much will they cost?
    [3-7]  What is PReP and how can I get a copy?
    [3-8]  What is the Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP)?
    [3-9]  Can PowerPC 601-based computers be upgraded to, e.g., a 604
           when they become available?
    [3-10] Where can I get the specifications for the PCI bus?
    [3-11] What is FireWire?

[4] Software
    [4-1] What operating systems will run on PowerPC-based computers?
          When will they be available?
    [4-2] What is PowerOpen?
    [4-3] What is Taligent / Pink?
    [4-4] Will NeXTStep be ported to the PowerPC?
    [4-5] What is WorkplaceOS? Will OS/2 be available on PowerPC-based
          computers?
    [4-6] Can IBM-PC / Macintosh software be run on PowerPC-based
          computers?

[5] Comparisons
    [5-1] Should I buy a PowerPC system rather than a Pentium or 68k
          system?
    [5-2] What will be the differences between the various PowerPC-based
          personal computers?

[6] Miscellaneous
    [6-1] What's the deal with Ford and the PowerPC?
    [6-2] What's the deal with 3DO and the PowerPC?


========================================================================
                            [1] Introduction
========================================================================

[1-1] Where can a current copy of this FAQ be obtained?

World Wide Web server <URL:http://www.mot.com/PowerPC/lib/ppc_faq.html>.
anonymous ftp


[1-2] Can I convert this FAQ to a different format and/or redistribute
it?

This FAQ may be redistributed as long as the following guidelines are
met:

  * You notify me by email that you are redistributing the FAQ.

  * The attribution notice ("The PowerPC FAQ is maintained by ...") is
    left intact.

  * The instructions for obtaining current copies of the FAQ (Question
    1-1) are left intact.

  * You use the latest version of the FAQ you can get.

  * Any modifications (other than formatting) that you make are clearly
    marked as such.

If you convert the FAQ to a different format, please email me a copy. If
it is impossible to email it, contact me for other arrangements.

If you are redistributing the FAQ and would like to get an up-to-date
copy each month via email, let me know, and I will add you to my mailing
list. Please specify text, HTML, or both.


[1-3] What newsgroups are appropriate for PowerPC discussions?

Comp.sys.powerpc is the primary newsgroup for PowerPC discussion. From
the charter: "comp.sys.powerpc (unmoderated) will be a newsgroup which
will provide a common forum to users and developers of products based on
the PowerPC architecture."

The comp.sys.mac.* groups are appropriate for discussions of
PowerPC-based Macintoshes.


[1-4] What other FAQs contain PowerPC information?

The Macintosh PowerPC FAQ has been discontinued.

Robert Boys maintains two FAQs of interest to comp.sys.powerpc readers.
The comp.sys.m68k FAQ contains some information on the PowerPC,
including the PowerPC embedded controllers. It is posted to
and on the web
<URL:http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu:/text/faq/usenet/motorola/68k-chips-
faq/faq
.html>.
The comp.arch.bus.vmebus FAQ, posted to comp.arch.bus.vmebus, contains
information on PowerPC-based VME cards.

The Linux/PowerPC FAQ is available via ftp
<URL:ftp://liber.stanford.edu/pub/linuxppc/linux-ppc-FAQ> and on the web
<URL:http://liber.stanford.edu/linuxppc/linux-ppc-FAQ.html>.


[1-5] What other net sources (ftp, gopher, etc.) contain PowerPC
information?

Apple:

  * Apple Computer home page. <URL:http://www.apple.com/>

  * The Apple Support and Information Web.
    <URL:http://www.info.apple.com/>

  * Macintosh Application Environment. <URL:http://www.mae.apple.com/>

  * Press releases and product information.
    <URL:gopher://info.hed.apple.com/>

  * A list of companies and products
   
<URL:gopher://ocf.berkeley.edu/hh/gopherspace/Computer/Systems/Macintosh
/Power
Mac_Products>
    supporting the Power Macintosh. (This is currently out of date --
    anyone interested in taking over should contact Alan Coopersmith
    (alanc@ocf.berkeley.edu).)

IBM:

  * IBM home page <URL:http://www.ibm.com/>: Press releases and product
    information (with lots of flashy graphics).

  * Austin WWW server <URL:http://www.austin.ibm.com/>: Technical and
    product information on the PowerPC and the RS/6000 line.

  * PowerPC page <URL:http://www.chips.ibm.com:80/products/ppc/>:
    PowerPC info from IBM Microelectronics; includes a complete list of
    PowerPC manuals and other documentation.

  * The IBM POWER Parallel Systems WWW server
    <URL:http://ibm.tc.cornell.edu/>.

  * IBM gopher <URL:gopher://top.gopher.ibm.com/>

  * Another gopher <URL:gopher://gopher.ibmlink.ibm.com/>: Press
    releases and the "IBM Announces" newsletter.

  * Another gopher <URL:gopher://ike.engr.washington.edu/>: Press
    releases and product information.

Motorola:

  * Motorola PowerPC Customer Support and Information
    <URL:http://www.mot.com/PowerPC>.

  * Motorola home page <URL:http://www.mot.com/>.

Taligent:

  * Taligent home page <URL:http://www.taligent.com/>: Overview of
    company objectives, products, etc.

Other companies:

  * The PowerOpen Association's mail server (library@poweropen.org). For
    information, send email with the word "help" in the body.

  * Power Computing <URL:http://www.powercc.com/> is the first company
    to obtain a license to build Macintosh clones.

  * Parsytec home page. <URL:http://www.parsytec.de/>

Miscellaneous:

  * The PowerPC News <URL:http://power.globalnews.com/> is an
    Internet-based free magazine, publishing news for both users and
    developers of PowerPC systems. To subscribe, send email to
    add@power.globalnews.com (no subject or body necessary). A table of
    contents will be sent to you for each issue; you can request
    specific articles via a mail server. Current and back issues are
    also available at the WWW site.

  * There are two PowerPC roundtables on GEnie: PowerPC (PPC) on page
    1435 and PowerPC programmers' on page 1440.

  * There is a PowerPC forum on Compuserve.

  * There is a Power Macintosh Forum on America Online (part of the Mac
    Hardware Forum).

  * There is a PowerPC echo (Area: POWERPC) on Fidonet for discussions
    about "PowerPC hardware, software issues, availablity, RISC
    technology, developers, and more. Covers both PC and Mac versions."


[1-6] Bibliography: where can I get more information on the PowerPC?

Manuals and databooks:

  * Motorola publishes several brochures and manuals (free unless prices
    is specified):

      * PowerPC Brochure (BR1135/D)

      * PowerPC Software Overview (compilers, assemblers, simulators,
        loaders & debuggers) (SDP/D)

      * PowerPC C Compiler System, Product Review (CCOMPSTM/D)

      * PowerPC Fortran compilation System, Product Review
        (FTRANCOMPSTM/D)

      * PowerPC Architectural Simulator, Product Review (PPCARCH32/D)

      * PowerPC Microprocessor Family: The Programming Environments
        (MPCFPE/AD) -- $3.70

      * PowerPC 601 RISC Microprocessor Technical Summary (MPC601/D)

      * PowerPC 601, User's Manual (MPC601UM/AD) -- $6.50

      * PowerPC 601 Hardware Specification (MPC601EC/D)

      * PowerPC 601 Programmer's Reference Guide (MPC601PRG/D) (I've
        heard reports that this is no longer available.)

      * PowerPC Development Tools Catalog (MPCTOOLBK/AD) -- $4.50

      * PowerPC 603 RISC Microprocessor Technical Summary (MPC603/D)

      * PowerPC 603 RISC Microprocessor User's Manual (MPC603UM/AD)

      * PowerPC 604 RISC Microprocessor Technical Summary (MPC604/D)

    All are available from Motorola's Literature Distribution Centers:

    USA

        Motorola Literature Distribution
        P.O. Box 20912
        Phoenix, AZ, 85036
        1-800-441-2447

    Europe

        Motorola Ltd.
        European Literature Center
        88 Tanners Drive
        Blakelands, Milton Keynes, MK14 5BP, England

    Japan

        Nippon Motorola Ltd.
        4-32-1, Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku
        Tokyo 141 Japan

    Asia-Pacific

        Motorola Semiconductors H.K. Ltd.
        Silicon Harbour Center
        No. 2 Dai King Street
        Tai Po Industrial Estate
        Tai Po, N.T., Hong Kong

  * PowerPC manuals and databooks are also available from IBM by calling
    1-800-POWERPC.

  * A PowerMac-specific manual is available from APDA:

      * Programmer's Introduction to RISC and PowerPC (R0172LL/A) --
        $150

Books:

# Most of this info has been culled from the net. I haven't actually
# read all of these books. If you've read one of them and are willing to
# write a very short review (5-6 lines), let me know. - Derek
# (derekn@ece.cmu.edu)

  * Jeff Duntemann and Ron Pronk, _Inside the PowerPC Revolution_;
    Coriolis Group Books; April 30, 1994; ISBN 1-883577-04-7; $24.95.
    [Not very technical, but lots of "gossipy insider information".
    (IEEE Micro, Oct. 1994)]

  * Steve Heath, _NEWNES Power PC Programming Pocket Book_;
    Butterworth-Heinemann; Nov. 1994; ISBN 0-7506-2111-7; $22.95.
    [Similar information to the 601 user's manual.]

  * Jim Hoskins, _The Power PC Revolution!_; MaxFacts Special Report
    (Maximum Press); Aug., 1994; ISBN 0-9633214-9-8; $26.95.
    [Concentrates on the effects the PowerPC will have on business.]

  * IBM, _IBM RISC System/6000 Technology_. [Describes the POWER
    architecture and the POWER-based RS/6000 workstations.]

  * IBM, _PowerPC and POWER2: Technical Aspects of the New IBM Risc
    System/6000_; Apr., 1994; IBM book number SA23-2737-00. [Describes
    the PowerPC and POWER2 architectures and the workstations based on
    these processors, including I/O, graphics, and system software.
    (This was _RS/6000 Tech Vol. II_.) Available for around $40 from
    IBM: 1-800-879-2755. Selected papers from this book are available
    via the WWW <URL:http://www.austin.ibm.com/tech>.]

_
                                                                 


  * IBM, _PowerPC Architecture_; Oct., 1993; IBM book number
    SR28-5124-00. [The official manual for the PowerPC architecture.
    Three parts: instruction set architecture, virtual environment
    architecture, and operating environment architecture.]

  * IBM, _The PowerPC Architecture -- A Specification for a New Family
    of RISC Processors_; Morgan Kaufmann Publishers; Aug. 1994; ISBN
    1-55860-316-6; $54.95. ["This is the official technical description
    of the PowerPC architecture and its hardware conventions." Errata
    are available via ftp
    <URL:ftp://ftp.austin.ibm.com/pub/technology/errata.ps.Z>.]

  * Gary Kacmarcik, _Optimizing PowerPC Code: Programming the PowerPC
    Chip in Assembly Language_; Addison-Wesley; ISBN 0-201-40839-2. [Not
    PowerMac or IBM-specific.]

  * Ron Rahmel and Dan Rahmel, _Interfacing to the PowerPC
    Microprocessor_; SAMS Publishing; 1995. [Includes info on FireWire,
    along with several other buses and interfaces.]

  * Stephan Somogyi, _The PowerPC Macintosh Book_; Addison-Wesley;
    August 1994; ISBN 0-201-62650-0; $19.95. ["could equally be called
    'The story of the Macintoshes RISCy new Insides' ... It manages to
    cover the history of the PowerPC alliance, looking at Power Mac
    hardware and software, and includes sections on the internals of the
    chip itself." -PowerPC News]

  * Dan Sydow, _Programming the Power PC_; M&T Books; Aug. 1994; ISBN
    1-55851-400-7; $34.94. [Covers 601, 603, 604, as well as x86-to-PPC
    migration.]

  * Shlomo Weiss and James E Smith, _IBM Power and PowerPC: Architecture
    and Implementation_; Morgan Kaufmann Publishers; May 1994; ISBN
    1-55860-279-8; $54.95. ["Writtten from the perspective of developers
    and teachers of high performance computing, this book provides a
    wealth of information about IBM's important contributions to the
    development and evolution of RISC technology."]

  * Jerry Young, _Insider's Guide to PowerPC Computing_; QUE
    Corporation; May 1994; ISBN 1-56529-625-7; $29.99. [Provides
    detailed information on the new architecture and its history, from
    the early IBM RISC designs. Describes the relationship between the
    PowerPC architecture and IBM's POWER architecture, from which it was
    developed. Provides description of the characteristics and
    advantages of RISC architecture and the special features of the
    PowerPC architecture. Includes in-depth descriptions of the 601 and
    603 microprocessors and offers an overview of early PowerPC-based
    systems.]

  * ???, _PowerPC Concepts, Architecture, and Design_; McGraw-Hill;
    1994; ISBN 0-07-011192-8; $34.95.

Papers, articles, etc.:

  * Michael S. Allen, Michael C. Becker, "Multiprocessing Aspects of the
    PowerPC 601 Microprocessor", Proc. COMPCON 1993, 117-126.

  * J. Alvarez, et al., "A wide-bandwidth low-voltage PLL for PowerPC
    microprocessors", Proc. 1994 IEEE Symposium on VLSI Circuits, 37-38.

  * William Anderson, "An overview of Motorola's PowerPC simulator
    family", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, 64-69.

  * Michael C. Becker et al., "The PowerPC 601 Microprocessor", IEEE
    Micro, Oct. 1993, 54-68.

  * J. Bertsch, et al., "Experimental 2.0 V power/performance
    optimization of a 3.6 V-design CMOS microprocessor-PowerPC 601",
    Proc. 1994 VLSI Technology Symposium, 83-84.

  * David Biedny, "PowerPC: the era of RISC begins", Windows Sources, v2
    n6 p140(7). [includes related articles on the PowerPC family,
    glossary, pros and cons of PowerPC architecture, benchmark tests]

  * Brad Burgess, et al., "The PowerPC 603 microprocessor",
    Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 34-42.

  * Brad Burgess et al., "The PowerPC 603 Micrporocessor: A High
    Performance, Low Power, Superscalar RISC Microprocessor", Proc.
    COMPCON 1994, 300-306.

  * Dave Bursky, "RISC microcontrollers start with PowerPC roots but
    grow in different directions", Electronic Design, v42 n10, 38-39.
    [IBM's PowerPC 403GA embedded processor and Motorola's RMCU505
    microcontroller.]

  * B. Dawson, "PowerPC hits the road", Byte v19 n7, 141-142.

  * Keith Diefendorff, "History of the PowerPC architecture",
    Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 28-33.

  * Mary Jo Foley, "IBM to push OS/2 for PowerPC over Windows NT, AIX
    ports", PC Week, v11 n24, 23.

  * Ric Ford, "Hacking PPC Enabler plus other updates", MacWEEK v8 n27,
    July 4, 1994, 28.

  * S. Glenn, et al., "Functional design verification for the PowerPC
    601 microprocessor", Proc. of IEEE VLSI Test Symposium.

  * Linley Gwennap, "Prep Standardizes PowerPC Systems", Microprocessor
    Report, Dec. 27, 1993.

  * Ean Houts, "Lower priced Power Macs offer different strengths",
    InfoWorld, v16 n18, May 2, 1994, 128.

  * Wayne Huang, et al., "CBGA package design for C4 powerPC
    microprocessor chips: trade-off between substrate routability and
    performance", Proc. 1994 IEEE 44th Electronic Components &
    Technology Conference, 88-93.

  * Sara Humphrey, "Inside the PowerPC Revolution", PC Week, v11 n26,
    July 4, 1994. [book reviews]

  * E. M. Kass, "PowerPC Surprise", InformationWEEK, n474, 12-14.

  * Andrew Lawrence, "PowerPC - a new desktop standard?", IBM System
    User, v15 n5, May, 1994, 43-44.

  * J. Marris, "PowerPC - an analysis", Desktop Publishing Commentary v9
    n9, 6-9.

  * Charles R. Moore, "The PowerPC 601 Microprocessor", Proc. COMPCON
    1993, 109-116.

  * Charles R. Moore, et al., "The PowerPC Alliance", Communications of
    the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 25-27.

  * Richard Nass, "VME boards combine PCI bus and PowerPC CPUs",
    Electronic Design, v42 n14, July 11, 1994, 129-131.

  * Ali Poursepanj, "The PowerPC; performance modeling methodology",
    Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 47-55.

  * Chris Rose, "Abstracting the meat of the PowerPC Reference Platform
    beta version - part one", Computergram International, May 27, 1994.

  * Chris Rose, "Abstracting the meat of the PowerPC Reference Platform
    beta version - part two", Computergram International, June 6, 1994.

  * Ryan, Thompson, "PowerPC 604 Weighs In", Byte, June, 1994.

  * Larry J. Seltzer, "OS/2 for PowerPC: microkernel for the masses?",
    PC Week, v11 n22, June 6, 1994, 81-82.

  * Julie Shipnes, et al., "A modular approach to Motorola PowerPC
    compilers", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 56-63.

  * E. Silha, G. Paap, "PowerPC: A Performance Architecture", Proc.
    COMPCON 1993, 104-108.

  * Michael Slater, "Motorola and IBM Unveil PowerPC 603",
    Microprocessor Report, Oct. 25, 1993.

  * J. E. Smith, et al., "PowerPC 601 and Alpha 21064: a tale of two
    RISCs", Computer, v27 n6, 46-58.

  * Brad W. Suessmith, et al., "PowerPC 603 microprocessor; power
    management", Communications of the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 43-36.

  * Nasr Ullah, et al., "The making of the PowerPC", Communications of
    the ACM, v37 n6, June, 1994, 22-23.

  * Michael Vizard, "The Tower of PowerPC; Untapped potential in search
    of a killer application", PC Week, v11 n24, 22-23.

  * "Apple and IBM demonstrate 120-MHz 601" Microprocessor Report, v8
    n8, June 20, 1994, 4-5.

  * "Floating-point bottleneck", MacWEEK, v8 n21, 44. [comparing
    performance of Motorola PowerPC and Intel CPUs]

  * "The Making of the PowerPC" (special issue), Communications of the
    ACM, June, 1994.

  * "Parsytec produces TRAM module that combines PowerPC with T425
    transputer for industrial applications", Computergram International,
    June 20, 1994.

  * PowerPC special issue, IEEE Micro, Oct., 1994.


[1-7] Contributors.

The following people have contributed to this FAQ. (Please do not
contact them with questions about the FAQ.)

  * Alan Coopersmith (alanc@ocf.Berkeley.EDU)

  * Stuart Schechter (Schechter.1@osu.edu)

  * Robert Sprick (asrs@acad2.alaska.edu)

  * Yoshio Turner (yoshio@CS.UCLA.EDU)


========================================================================
                             [2] Processor
========================================================================

[2-1] What is a PowerPC?

A PowerPC is a microprocessor designed to meet a standard which was
jointly designed by Motorola, IBM, and Apple. The PowerPC standard
specifies a common instruction set architecture (ISA), allowing anyone
to design and fabricate PowerPC processors, which will run the same
code. The PowerPC architecture is based on the IBM POWER architecture,
used in IBM's RS/6000 workstations. Currently IBM and Motorola are
working on PowerPC chips.

The PowerPC architecture specifies both 32-bit and 64-bit data paths.
Early implementations will be 32-bit; future higher-performance
implementations will be 64-bit. A PowerPC has 32 general purpose
(integer) registers (32- or 64-bit) and 32 floating point (IEEE standard
64-bit) registers.

NB: A PowerPC is *not* a computer, any more than an 80486 is a computer.


[2-2] How does PowerPC relate to POWER and POWER2?

As mentioned above, PowerPC is a direct descendant of POWER. POWER2 is
also a descendant of POWER, developed by IBM for use in their
workstations and other systems. POWER2 is an eight-chip multi-chip
module, and was released at approximately the same time as the first
PowerPC chip. While it is faster than the early PowerPC processors, it
is not as fast as the 620 is projected to be. It is likely that IBM will
combine the POWER family into the PowerPC family.


[2-3] What processors have been announced? What are their specs? When
will they be available?

PowerPC 601

    The very first PowerPC. It was designed as bridge between the POWER
    architecture and the PowerPC architecture. For this reason, it
    incorporates the user-level POWER instructions which were eliminated
    from the PowerPC specification.

PowerPC 601+

    This is a 601, implemented in a 0.5u CMOS 2.5V process. This
    effectively means that it runs faster and draws less power.

PowerPC 602

    A processor aimed at consumer electronics (set-top boxes, game
    consoles, etc.), PDAs, and embedded controller applications.

PowerPC 603

    A low-power processor, intended for portable applications, e.g.,
    notebook computers. Performance is roughly comparable to the 601
    (see below for benchmarks).

PowerPC 603e

    A higher-performance 603 with a faster clock and bigger caches.
    (Originally called the "603+".)

PowerPC 604

    A higher-performance processor, intended for high-end desktop
    systems.

PowerPC 620

    An even higher-performance processor, aimed at high-end systems and
    multiprocessors. The 620 is the first 64-bit PowerPC implementation.

PowerPC 630

    No details available on this chip yet. (Previously referred to as
    the POWER 3 architecture.)

The 601 is manufactured by IBM and sold by both IBM and Motorola. The
603 and 603e are manufactured by both IBM and Motorola.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Processor  Clk(MHz)  Power(W)  Price(US$)
---------  --------  --------  ----------
MPC601        50        5.6        165
              66        7          165
              80        8          249
MPC601+      100        4          399
             110        ?            ?
MPC602        66        1.2          ?
MPC603        66        2.5        165
              80        3          195
MPC603e      100        3            ?
MPC604       100       13          549
MPC620       133       30

        Data  Bus    Func units                          Si      Ship
Proc    width width  (I/FP/BP/LS) Cache Trans Process    date    date
------- ----- -----  ------------ ----- ----- ---------- ------- ------
MPC601    32  64     1/1/1/0      32      2.8 0.6u CMOS  Oct 92  Apr 93
MPC601+   32  64     1/1/1/0      32      2.8 0.5u CMOS  2Q  94  Nov 94
MPC602    32  64     1/1/0/1      4/4     1.0 0.5u CMOS  Feb 95  2H  95
MPC603    32  32/64  1/1/1/1      8/8     1.6 0.5u CMOS  Oct 93  Nov 94
MPC603e   32  32/64  1/1/1/1      16/16   2.6 0.5u CMOS  Feb 95  2H  95
MPC604    32  64     3/1/1/1      16/16   3.6 0.5u CMOS  Apr 94  Dec 94
MPC620    64  64/128 3/1/1/1      32/32   7   0.5u CMOS  Oct 94  2H  95

Notes:
* Data width: width of the general purpose (integer/address)
  registers and integer ALU(s), in bits
* Bus width: external memory data bus width, in bits -- the memory
  bus can be, and often is, wider than the internal data path
* Functional units: I =  integer unit
                    FP = floating point unit
                    BP = branch processing unit
                    LS = load/store unit
* Cache: On-chip cache in kilobytes - two numbers means
  instruction/data; one number means unified
* Price: in US dollars, for large quantities
* Trans: number of transistors, in millions
* Si date: first silicon date
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[2-4] What embedded controllers will be available?

IBM has announced the PowerPC 4xx embedded controller family. These will
be available as general purpose microcontrollers, application- specific
processors, and ASIC cores. The 4xx family will integrate caches and
other system-level logic to facilitate simpler and cheaper designs.
Performance or cost information is not yet available. One chip, the PPC
403GA, has been announced.

Motorola has announced the MPC500 family of microcontrollers. These
microprocessors will be "100% compatible" with the MPC600 series. The
first chip in this family, the MPC505, will run at 25 MHz. Samples of
the 25 MHz chip are expected in 4Q 1994, with 40 MHz parts expected by
4Q 1995. The MPC505 consists of a PowerPC core, a 4 kB SRAM module, and
a multi-functional system integration unit (SIU) (similar to the 68300
family).


[2-5] How fast is a PowerPC?

This table lists SPEC results for PowerPC machines, as well as a few
others, for comparison purposes. (SPEC is a benchmark suite designed to
test system performance. The SPECint portion uses integer-only code,
e.g., compilers; the SPECfp program uses floating point code, e.g.,
circuit simulation.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     -- SPEC92 --  
Processor      Clock   Cache         int    fp     System
------------  -------  ------------  -----  -----  ---------------------
MPC601         50 MHz  0/32k          41.7   51.0  IBM RS/6000 N40
               66 MHz  0/32k          62.6   72.2  IBM RS/6000 250
               66 MHz  0/32k          63.7   67.8  IBM RS/6000 40P
               66 MHz  256k/32k       75.1   77.0  IBM RS/6000 40P
               80 MHz  0/32k          78.8   90.4  IBM RS/6000 250
               80 Mhz  0.5M/32k       88.1   98.7  IBM RS/6000 41T & 41W
               80 Mhz  1M/32k         90.5  100.8  IBM RS/6000 C10
MPC601+       100 MHz  ?/32k         105    125    ? estimate
MPC602         66 MHz  ?/4k/4k        40     ?     Motorola/IBM estimate
MPC603         66 MHz  1M/8k/8k       60     70    Motorola estimate
               80 MHz  1M/8k/8k       75     85    Motorola estimate
MPC603e       100 MHz  ?/16k/16k     120    105    Motorola/IBM estimate
MPC604        100 MHz  1M/16k/16k    160    165    Motorola estimate
MPC620        133 MHz  ?/32k/32k     225    300    estimate
i486DX2        66 MHz  256k/8k        32.2   16.0  Compaq Deskpro
i486DX4       100 MHz  256k/16k       51.4   26.6  Micronics M4P PCI
Pentium        66 MHz  256k/8k/8k     78.0   63.6  Intel Xpress
Pentium       100 MHz  1M/8k/8k      121.9   93.2  Intel Xpress
Pentium       120 MHz  1M/8k/8k      140.0  103.9  Intel Xpress
68040          33 MHz  ?              18     13    Mac Q950
68040          33 MHz  ?              20.3   ?     Mac Q800

Notes:
* SPEC does not allow estimated figures.  The lines which are marked
  "estimate" are not officially SPEC numbers, and are likely to be
  proven inaccurate when real machines are released.
* Cache numbers are in kB or MB: format is external/instruction/data or
  external/unified.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

# I'd like to list one or two more 040-based Macs in this table -- If
# anyone has Mac SPEC data, please let me know.

More information on the SPEC benchmark, including numbers for other
systems, is available in the newsgroup comp.benchmarks.


[2-6] Is there special hardware for emulating 68k or x86 processors?

All currently announced emulators are purely software. The PowerPC
architecture has a group of byte-reversing load and store instructions
which might be useful for emulating little-endian x86 processors on a
big-endian PowerPC system (such as an RS/6000 or a Power Macintosh).
There are no PowerPC processors with additional special hardware for
translating instructions from other processor families (but see the next
question). In addition, because software emulation has been reasonably
successful, it seems very unlikely that there will ever be hardware of
this type.

_
                                                            


There are several x86 boards available for the PowerMacs. These are
effectively PC clones on a card, and allow you to run PC software
(though not directly on the PowerPC processor, of course).


[2-7] What is the PowerPC 615?

There are a couple of conflicting rumors regarding the 615. IBM has
denied that the project even exists.

The dominant rumor suggests that the 615 is a PowerPC processor, being
designed by IBM, which will contain special Intel x86 emulation
hardware. The latest version of the rumor claims that first silicon is
expected in March 1995.

Another rumor has the 615 as a PowerPC processor which will fit into
Intel OverDrive sockets, instantly turning an x86 system into a PowerPC
system. One problem with this is that the BIOS ROMs on PC motherboards
contain x86 code.


========================================================================
                              [3] Hardware
========================================================================

[3-1] What PowerPC-based workstations are/will be available? When will
they be available? How much will they cost?

IBM offers a line of RS/6000 workstations and servers, based on PowerPC
processors. These all run AIX (IBM's UNIX), and are binary compatible
with all other RS/6000s, including POWER-based systems. SPEC benchmark
figures for some of these are listed in the table above.

The RS/6000 40P is PReP-compliant, which means that it can run Windows
NT, as well as AIX.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
model          proc     clk  L2      RAM      price  date     notes
-------------  -------  ---  ------  -------  -----  -------  ----------
- Desktop    
250            601       66  -       16-256   5445   Oct  93  obsolete
250            601       80  -       16-256   ?      Aug  94
41W/T          601       80  0.5     16-256   10895  Jun  94
40P            601       66  0.25    16-192   3995   Oct  94
- Notebook   
N40            601       50  -       16-64    11995  Mar  94
- X Terminal
Xstation 160   603       66  -       8         4949  Feb  95
- Server     
C10            601       80  1.0     16-256   11500  Jun  94
G30            2-4 601   75  0.5     32-512   40900  Oct  94  604 upgrd
J30            2-4 601   75  1.0     64-2048  70500  Oct  94  604/620 up
R30            2-4 601   75  1.0     64-2048  83900  Oct  94  604/620 up

Notes:
* proc: number and type of processors
* clk: clock speed (MHz)
* L2: standard and optional second-level cache (MB)
* RAM: memory configuration (MB)
* price: base price in US dollars
* date: initial ship date
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Groupe Bull offers 601-based workstations and the ESCALA line of
multiprocessors, all running AIX. The multiprocessors are also sold by
IBM (as the G30, J30, and R30) and by Motorola (as the MP601-75). Groupe
Bull also sells a number of the Motorola systems.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
model          proc     clk  L2      RAM      price  date     notes
-------------  -------  ---  ------  -------  -----  -------  ----------
- Workstation
?              601       66  ?       ?         5445  ?
- Multiprocessor
Minitower      2-4 601   75  0.5     32-512       ?  ?        604 upgrd
Deskside       2-8 601   75  1.0     64-2048      ?  ?        604/620 up
Rack           2-8 601   75  1.0     64-2048      ?  ?        604/620 up
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Motorola has announced its PowerStack line of workstations and servers.
Motherboards will also be available. All are based on the PCI bus and
will ship with AIX or Windows NT (when available). The multiprocessor is
built by Bull; all other systems are built by Motorola. Motorola will
sell only to OEMs, not to individuals.

The following brochures are available:

  * PowerStack Series Family (POWERSTACK/B)

  * PowerStack RISC PC DT603-66 (DT603-66/DS)

  * PowerStack RISC PC DT604-100 (DT604-100/DS)

  * PowerStack RISC PC MT603-66 (MT603-66/DS)

  * PowerStack RISC PC MT604-100 (MT604-100/DS)

  * PowerStack Series E603-66P (E603-66P/DS2)

  * PowerStack Series E604-100P (E604-100P/DS2)

  * PowerStack Series MP601-75 (MP601/DS1)

Contact the Motorola Computer Group at 1-800-759-1107 for brochures or
more info on these systems.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
model          proc     clk  L2      RAM      price  date     notes
-------------  -------  ---  ------  -------  -----  -------  ----------
- Desktop
DT603-66       603       66  0-1     16-128    3295  Dec  94  desktop
MT603-66       603       66  0-1     16-128       ?  Dec  94  mini-tower
DT604-100      604      100  0-1     16-128       ?  Dec  94  desktop
MT604-100      604      100  0-1     16-128       ?  Dec  94  mini-tower
- Server
E603-66P       603       66  0.25-1  16-128    5995  Dec  94  stackable
E604-100P      601      100  0.25-1  16-128    7995  Dec  94  stackable
- Multiprocessor
MP601-75       2-8 601   75  1       64-2048      ?  Dec 94   604 upgrd
- Motherboards
Atlas 603      603       66  0-1     ?         1505  Dec 94
Atlas 604      604      100  0-1     ?         2105  Dec 94
Ultra 603      603       66  0-1     2-128     2255  Dec 94
Ultra 604      604      100  0-1     2-128     2405  Dec 94
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peacock, in Germany, will sell a Motorola-built PowerStack server with
an 80 MHz 601, running AIX. Contact Peacock AG at ++49-295779-0 (tel) or
++49-295779-9067 (FAX).


[3-2] What PowerPC-based PReP-compliant (IBM-compatible) personal
computers are/will be available? When will they be available? How much
will they cost?

See also Question 3-7.

IBM has announced a line of Power Personal Systems (PPS). Intially,
three models were planned (a 601 desktop, a 603 desktop, and a 603
laptop). These were supposed to be released in the second half on 1994,
but in September, 1994, IBM announced that they were waiting for more
native software to be ready, and the systems wouldn't ship until
sometime in 1995. Current rumors suggest that systems (possibly using
the 604) may ship in May or June, 1995. Windows NT is expected to be
available when these machines are released; OS/2 will probably be
available shortly thereafter. They will also run Solaris and Taligent
when available. No prices have been announced, but IBM has said that
they will be comparable to Pentium system prices. Machines are available
to developers through the IBM Power Personal Developer's Toolbox Program
(call 1-800-627-8363).

FirePower Systems (formed as a partnership with Canon) offers the
Powerized family of PReP 1.0 compliant systems. Currently available are
603, and 604-based uniprocessor sytems (the Powerized ES line) and a
604-based multiprocessor (the Powerized MX line). A 603e-based system
(also in the ES line) is expected in 2Q95. Also available are designs
and motherboards. All systems run Windows NT. FirePower sells only to
OEMs. The systems were announced in November 1994 and are currently
being sold by Canon and IPC Technologies Inc. Contact: 415-462-3025.

The Taiwan New PC Consortium (TNPC) demonstrated a 601-based
PReP-compliant personal computer, running OS/2 and Windows NT, at CeBIT
in Germany (March 1994). Planned models will feature 50-80 MHz 601's and
75 MHz 603's. The expected release date for the first models was 3Q
1994, but this seems to have slipped.

Canon has announced that it will work with IBM on the PReP
specification. In particular, they plan to work on extensions to PReP
for PDA's and office products.

Tatung sells several PReP-compliant systems. 601-based systems were
available in October 1994. 604-based systems are expected in 1Q95.

DTK Computers (a Taiwanese company) sells an 80 MHz 601 system, which
runs Windows NT, and will run OS/2 when available.


[3-3] What PowerPC-based Apple (and compatible) personal computers
are/will be available? When will they be available? How much will they
cost?

The first Apple Power Macintosh models were released on March 14, 1994.
All PowerMacs run System 7, just like the 68k Macs. They come with an
emulator which will allow them to run 68k Mac applications. Critical
parts of the Toolbox ROM code have been ported and run natively; the
remainder is emulated.

Workgroup servers, the 6150, 8150, and 9150, are also available. These
currently run AppleShare 4.1 (which is not native, but is tuned for the
PowerMacs). They will be able to run Novell's Processor Independent
NetWare (PIN) 4 when it becomes available.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
model          proc     clk  L2      RAM      price  date     notes
-------------  -------  ---  ------  -------  -----  -------  ----------
5200/75        603       75  0.25    8-?       1700  Apr  95  ?
6100/60        601       60  0-0.25  8-72      1800  Mar  94  1 NB slot
6100/66        601       66  0.25    8-72         ?  Jan  95  1 NB slot
6150           601       60  0.25    8-72         ?  Apr  94  1 NB slot
6150/66        601       66  0.25    8-72         ?  Apr  95  1 NB slot
Performa 61xx  601       60  0-0.25  8-72      2600  Oct  94  1 NB slot
7100/66        601       66  0-0.25  8-136     2900  Mar  94  3 NB slots
7100/80        601       80  0.25    8-136        ?  Jan  95  3 NB slots
8100/80        601       80  0.25    8-264     4200  Mar  94  3 NB slots
8100/100       601+     100  0.25    8-264        ?  Jan  95  3 NB slots
8100/110       601+     110  0.25    16-264    6400  Nov  94  3 NB slots
8150           601       80  0.25    16-264       ?  Apr  94  3 NB slots
8150/110       601+     110  0.25    16-264       ?  Apr  95  3 NB slots
8150/120       601+     120  0.25    16-264       ?  Apr  95  3 NB slots
9150           601       80  0.5     16-264       ?  Apr  94  4 NB slots

Notes:
* NB slot = NuBus slot
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Configurations are available with different RAM and hard disk sizes.
Some configurations are bundled with a CD ROM drive and/or SoftWindows
and/or various other software.

Three types of upgrade from 68k Macs to the 601 are available from
Apple: a replacement logic board at 60, 66, or 80 MHz (prices range from
approximately $1500 to $2000); a PDS board at double the clock speed of
the original 68040 (for around $600); and a daughterboard which replaces
the 68040 in low-end Macs with a double-speed (50 or 66 Mhz) 601 ($659).
The daughterboard plugs into the CPU socket and the 68040 plugs into the
board. With either the PDS board or the daughterboard, the system can be
booted using either processor.

Daystar Digital also offers various upgrade options.

Portable Power Macs are expected in mid 1995.

Power Computing is the first company to get a license from Apple to
produce Macintosh clones. The computers will be manufactured by CompuAdd
Computer Corporations. Desktop systems were available May 1, 1995 and
tower systems are expected to start shipping June 15, 1995. More details
are available on the WWW <URL:http://www.powercc.com/>.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
model          proc     clk  L2      RAM      price  date     notes
-------------  -------  ---  ------  -------  -----  -------  ----------
Power 80       601       80  0.25-1  8-200     2300  May 95   3 NB slots
Power 100      601+     100  0.25-1  8-200     2600  May 95   3 NB slots
Power 110      601+     110  0.25-1  8-200     5650  May 95   3 NB slots
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Radius has also announced that it will make Mac clones. Radius intends
to target color publishing and video users. The Radius System 100, with
a 110 MHz 601, is expected to ship in June 1995. In addition, three
Splash Power Series color servers were announced in April 1995.

Pioneer has licensed the MacOS and has announced a line of low-end
systems aimed at the home entertainment market. The 66 MHz 601-based
MPC-GX1 is expected to be demonstrated at the end of February 1995. The
availability date is unknown.

Daystar Digital has announced a line of PCI bus PowerMac clones, which
will support up to four 120 MHz 604s. The first one and two-processor
Genesis MP systems are expected in August 1995; four-processor systems
are expected in 1996.


[3-4] What PowerPC-based controllers are/will be available? When will
they be available? How much will they cost?

CETIA (a subsidiary of Thomson-CSF) is selling PowerPC-based VME
single-board computers. Currently available are 66 and 100 MHz 601-based
boards and the PowerEngine CVME 603, a PReP compliant 66 MHz 603-based
board. Available OS's are UNI/XT (AIX) and UNI/RT 5.0 (LynxOS). VxWorks
(from Wind River Systems) is currently in beta. The 66 MHz 601 board
with 16 MB of memory sells for $7100. Contact: 617-494-0987 (North
America).

The Motorola Computer Group has announced a family of VME boards. The
MVME1600/PM603 uses a 66 MHz 603; the MVME1600/PM604 uses a 100 MHz 604.


[3-5] What PowerPC-based supercomputers and parallel processors are/will
be available? When will they be available? How much will they cost?

Parsytec has announced that it will be combining PowerPC processors and
Transputer communication processors in its multiprocessor systems. These
include:

  * the MPP supercomputer series GC/PowerPlus (32-1024 601's, 2.5-80
    GFLOPS)

  * the desktop MPP series PowerXplorer (4-64 601's, 5 GFLOPS peak,
    under $70,000 per GFLOPS)

  * the modular real-time product series MC-3

For more information, contact:
    Carsten Rietbrock
    Parsytec GmbH
    Product Marketing
    Juelicherstrasse 338
    52070 Aachen GERMANY
    Tel.: +49-241-166000; Fax: +49-241-16600-50

ISG Technologies has announced a line of parallel processor-based
accelerators. The entry-level Pulsus uses 8 601's (clock speed
unspecified). The expected ship date is 4Q 1994.

Mercury Computer Systems has announced that is is developing 603e-based
systems. Mercury sells high-performance computers targeted for embedded
applications such as defense signal processing and medical imaging.


[3-6] What other PowerPC-based systems are/will be available? When will
they be available? How much will they cost?

3DO has announced that its second generation game machine will use a
PowerPC processor. See Question 6-2.

Apple has announced a "multimedia platform" called Pippin, which will be
based on MacOS and the PowerPC 603. Pippin is intended to compete with
Sega, Nintendo, and 3DO, but is supposed to run other multimedia
applications in addition to games. The first Pippin system will be
designed by Apple and manufactured by Bandai, a Japanese company, and is
expected to be available for Christmas 1995 for around $500.


[3-7] What is PReP and how can I get a copy?

The PowerPC Reference Platform (PReP) is a system standard, designed by
IBM, intended to ensure compatibility among PowerPC-based systems built
by different companies. The PReP standard specifies the PCI bus, but
will also support ISA, MicroChannel, and PCMCIA.

According to IBM, PReP-compliant systems will be able to run OS/2 AIX,
Solaris, Taligent, and Windows NT. IBM systems will (of course) be
PReP-compliant. Apple's first PowerPC Macs are not compliant; future
Macs will probably be CHRP-compliant (see below).

The current version of the PReP spec is 1.1.

Here are the instructions for obtaining a copy of PReP specification
(freely available to all requesters).

For hardcopy:

  * In USA:
        1-800-POWERPC (1-800-769-3772)
        1-708-296-6767 if the above number cannot be reached or
        multilingual operator is needed

  * In Europe:
        (39)-39-600-4295

  * Hardware system vendors may obtain IBM design kits which give
    further information on the reference implementation by contacting
    IBM at the numbers listed above or at one of the following numbers:

      * In Europe:
            (33)-6713-5757 (in French)
            (33)-6713-5756 (in Italian)
            (49)-511-516-3444 (in English)
            (49)-511-516-3555 (in German)

      * In Asia:
            (81)-755-87-4745 (in Japanese)

For softcopy (PostScript files):

  * CompuServe PowerPC Forum, PowerPC Ref Platform library section

  * IBM Information Network/IIN IBMLink, PowerPC Bulletin Board Services

  * Internet anonymous ftp
    <URL:ftp://ftp.austin.ibm.com/pub/technology/spec>


[3-8] What is the Common Hardware Reference Platform (CHRP)?

The CHRP is an open platform agreed on by Apple, IBM, and Motorola. All
CHRP systems will be able to run MacOS, OS/2-PPC, Windows NT, AIX, and
possibly others. CHRP machines will be compatible with PReP machines and
PowerMacs; this is, you'll be able to run applications written for the
PReP OS's (OS/2-PPC, Windows NT, AIX) and the PowerMac (MacOS) on the
new CHRP systems (under the same OS, of course). In addition, any CHRP
software which doesn't require the Mac ROM, serial ports, or ADB ports
should run on PReP machines. More technical information will be
available in early 1995.

Prototype systems are supposed to arrive in 1995, and the first real
machines in late 1995 or early 1996.


[3-9] Can PowerPC 601-based computers be upgraded to, e.g., a 604 when
they become available?

The currently available 601-based systems (IBM RS/6000-250, Apple
PowerMac) are apparently not upgradeable. According to rumors, the
processors in some future PowerMacs may be on a replacable
daughterboard. Of course, motherboard upgrades will likely be available
for many of these machines.

IBM Power Personal Systems will have a 200-pin slot on the motherboard,
apparently intended for a level-2 cache or a processor upgrade.

_
                                                                            


Motorola PowerStack systems provide a L2 cache socket which can also be
used for PowerPC processor upgrades simply by plugging in a daughter
board.


[3-10] Where can I get the specifications for the PCI bus?

The following documents:

  * PCI Spec Rev 2.0

  * PCI BIOS Spec Rev 2.0

  * PCI Sys Design Guide 1.0

  * PCI Local Bus Product Guide

are available for $25 each or $50 for the first three from:
    PCI Special Interest Group
    M/S HF3-15A
    5200 N.E. Elam Young Parkway
    Hillsboro, Oregon 97124-6497
    Phone: 800-433-5177
    FAX: 503-693-0920


[3-11] What is FireWire?

FireWire is a joint Apple and TI implementation of the ANSI P1394
SerialBus standard. It is a high-speed (100 Mb/s) serial bus for
peripheral devices; it is intended to replace Apple Desktop Bus (ADB)
and SCSI, for example. FireWire supports automatic configuration
("plug-and-play") and hot-plugging. It is also isochronous, meaning that
a fixed slice of bandwidth can be dedicated to a particular peripheral,
e.g., for video.


========================================================================
                              [4] Software
========================================================================

[4-1] What operating systems will run on PowerPC-based computers? When
will they be available?

UNIX

    Several flavors of UNIX have been (or will be) ported to the
    PowerPC.

    IBM's AIX has been available since October 1993. AIX 4.1, available
    in August, 1994 is PowerOpen-compliant. There will also be a version
    called Personal AIX, which will come without certain utilities and
    development tools, for IBM's PC's.

    Apple will not ship A/UX for the PowerPC.

    Tenon Intersystems' MachTen is a Mach-based UNIX for the Macintosh.
    The current version is for 68k Macs, but will run (slowly) in
    emulation on the PowerMacs. A native PowerPC version is expected in
    1Q95.

    There are people working on a PowerPC port of Linux. Target
    platforms are the Apple PowerMacs and the Motorola PowerStack
    systems. For more information, see the Linux/PowerPC FAQ
    <URL:http://liber.stanford.edu/linuxppc/linux-ppc-FAQ.html>.

    IBM and SunSoft have signed an agreement which says that SunSoft
    will port Solaris for PReP-compliant systems and IBM will distribute
    it. A beta release was demonstrated at the Sydney Solaris Forum in
    August 1994. The PowerPC version of Solaris will have the same API
    as the SPARC and x86 versions; most applications will run on the
    PowerPC with only a recompile. SunSoft expects to release Solaris
    for PowerPC, x86, and SPARC platforms before mid-1995.

    Harris Computer Systems Corporation currently offers Secure/Power
    UNIX, a multi-level secure PowerOpen-compliant operating system for
    IBM RS/6000 workstations and Harris Night Hawk multiprocessors.
    Secure/Power UNIX is the first standards-based B2-level environment
    available for the RS/6000. Harris will release Real-Time/Power UNIX
    and PowerUNIX in 1995. Secure/Power UNIX is available through Harris
    Computer Systems Corp. and IBM Federal. Contact: Lisa Thornhill at
    305-977-5615.

    Ports of NeXTStep and Novell UnixWare are rumored to be underway.

MacOS

    Power Macintoshes ship with System 7, just like 68k Macs. Critical
    parts of the Toolbox (system code in ROM) have been ported to the
    PowerPC; the remainder is emulated. Apple analyzed existing code to
    determine the most frequently used Toolbox routines, and ported
    those first.

    Apple has ported the MacOS to other platforms. See the description
    of MAS and MAE in Question 4-6.

    With the CHRP announcement (see Question 3-8), Apple announced that
    it would start selling the MacOS independently of Apple hardware.
    This means that a user will be able to buy MacOS in a store, and
    install it in any CHRP system. Whether MacOS for CHRP systems will
    be on disk or on ROMs is still up in the air.

Windows

    Windows NT has been ported to the PowerPC. Version 3.5 has been
    shipping to developers since October 1994. Systems shipped with NT
    have been available since early 1995.

OS/2 (was WorkplaceOS)

    OS/2-PPC will be source code compatible with OS/2-x86 for 32-bit
    applications, i.e., 32-bit OS/2 applications will run natively after
    recompiling. 16-bit OS/2 applications will have to be ported to
    32-bit before reompilation. OS/2-PPC will provide an emulator for
    MS-DOS and Windows code (see below), however it will not support
    OS/2-x86 code. The first alpha release of OS/2-PPC was sent to
    developers in Nov., 1994. In Dec. 1994, IBM sent the first beta
    release, which includes features of OS/2 Warp, to 150 software
    developers. The second beta release is expected by the end of 1Q95.
    The release version is expected in late summer 1995 (according to
    IBM).

    "If you're an IHV or OEM, and plan to support OS/2 For PowerPC, do
    we have a deal for you. You can fill out an application for the OS/2
    For PowerPC beta program, and if you qualify, we will train you and
    send you your own free PowerPC loaner (for one year) preloaded with
    OS/2 For PowerPC. You can fill out an application at Comdex, or
    download it from the DUDE, at (407) 982-3217, N81. Stop by and see
    us at Comdex for more information on the IHV/OEM OS/2 For PowerPC
    loaner program. --Steve, OS/2 For PowerPC IHV/OEM Support, Boca
    Raton" [from CompuServe]

    (See also Question 4-5.)

Others

    Taligent (see Question 4-3 below).

    LynxOS is a real-time UNIX-like operating system, which has been
    ported to the 601, 603, and 604. It is currently available for
    Cetia's VME boards (see above). It is expected to be available for
    IBM's PReP systems in 2Q95. Contact Lynx Real Time Systems at
    408-354-7770 or sales@lynx.com.

    OS/9, a real-time UNIX-like operating system for embedded systems,
    is available for PowerPC-based systems. Contact Microware.

    pSOS+ is a real time operating system for the PowerPC with
    networking support. It currently runs on the Motorola MVME1603
    boards and on 403GA boards. Contact Integrated Systems, Inc.

    Taos is a distributed operating system, which achieves processor
    independence through the use of a "virtual machine". Ports are
    currently available for several processors, including the PowerPC
    601 and 603. The developer claims a PowerMac version will be
    available by the end of 1995. Contact Tao Systems Ltd (in London).

------------------------------------------------------------------------
name               company      base OS          GUI      endian  avail 
-----------------  -----------  ---------------  -------  ------  ------
AIX 4.1            IBM          SysVR3           X+Motif  big     Oct 93
NeXTStep           NeXT         Mach2 + BSD4.3   DPS      ?       ?
Solaris 2.x        SunSoft      SysVR4           X+Motif  little  mid 95
Secure/Power UNIX  Harris       SysVR4           X+Motif  ?       Jun 94
UnixWare           Novell       SysVR4           X+Motif  ?       ?
MachTen            Tenon        Mach2 + BSD4.3   X+Motif  big     1Q  95
MacOS 7            Apple        custom           custom   big     Mar 94
Windows NT         Microsoft    custom           custom   little  1Q  95
OS/2 - PPC         IBM          Mach3 + custom   custom   little      95
PIN                Novell       Netware          ?        ?       ?
Taligent           Taligent     custom           custom?  ?           95
Linux              Gnu Pub Lic  ?                X        big     ?
LynxOS             Lynx         AT&T RTK         X+Motif  ?       Jul 94
OS/9               Microware    custom           X, cust  ?       Dec 94
pSOS+              ISI          custom           X        big     Dec 93
Taos               Tao Systems  custom           ?        ?       Mar 95
------------------------------------------------------------------------


[4-2] What is PowerOpen?

The PowerOpen Association defines and promotes the PowerOpen Environment
(POE). The POE is a standard for UNIX-like operating systems running on
PowerPC processors. The POE is not an operating system, it is a
definition containing an application program interface (API)
specification as well as an application binary interface (ABI)
specification. The presence of the ABI specification in the POE is a
factor distinguishing PowerOpen from other open systems (POSIX, XPG4,
etc.) since it allows achievement of platform independent binary
compatibility. Any POE-compliant operating system will be able to run
all POE software. Outside of the POE, binary compatibility is typically
limited to a particular hardware platform.

The POE is an open standard, derived from AIX and conforming to industry
open standards including POSIX, XPG4, Motif, etc. The POE specification
will be publicly available to anyone wishing to produce either
applications or hardware platforms. The PowerOpen Association will
provide the necessary conformance testing and POE branding.

The key features of the POE are:

  * Based on the PowerPC architecture

  * Hardware bus independence

  * System implementations can range from laptops to supercomputers

  * Requires a multi-user, multi-tasking operating system

  * Networking support

  * X windows extension

  * Macintosh Application Services extension

  * Motif

  * Conformance tested and certified by an independent party (PowerOpen
    Association)

The POE specification is targeted for availability in the first quarter
of 1994. The PowerOpen association has some information available
online, including membership information; for retrieval instructions,
send mail containing the word "help" to library@poweropen.org.

NB: PowerOpen is not itself an operating system -- it is only a
*standard* for operating systems.

The PowerOpen Association consists of IBM, Motorola, Apple, Bull,
Thomson-CSF, Harris, TadPole Technology, and others.

The PowerOpen specification applies to UNIX-like operating systems. AIX
4.1, available in August, 1994 is PowerOpen-compliant. Apple's System 7
will not be PowerOpen-compliant.

For more information contact Gordon Kass (g.kass@poweropen.org) or Chris
Adams (c.adams@poweropen.org).


[4-3] What is Taligent / Pink?

Taligent is a company founded jointly by Apple and IBM in March 1992. HP
announced in January, 1994 that it would buy a 15% stake in Taligent.
They are working on an "object-oriented operating system", due to be
finished sometime in 1995.

The first software due to be released by taligent is CommonPoint
(previously called the Taligent Application Environment). CommonPoint is
"a portable application system consisting of a comprehensive set of
reusable object-oriented software frameworks". A beta version was
released to developers in March, 1995. According to reports, CommonPoint
will be available for HP-UX, AIX, OS/2, and later versions of System 7.

Pink is an older name for Taligent, dating back to work that Apple did
before the formation of Taligent.


[4-4] Will NeXTStep be ported to the PowerPC?

NeXTStep has been ported to the RS/6000 (POWER architecture), but is not
commercially available. According to rumors, NeXTStep has been seen
running on PowerPC machines. No official announcement has been made by
NeXT as to availability.

Sun has announced that it will incorporate OpenStep, a version of
NeXTStep, in Solaris. SunSoft has announced that they are porting
Solaris to PReP-compliant systems, so OpenStep will presumably be
available. The OpenStep API specification is available by ftp
<URL:ftp://ftp.next.com/pub/OpenStepSpec>.


[4-5] What is WorkplaceOS? Will OS/2 be available on PowerPC-based
computers?

Workplace is a microkernel-based architecture (based on Mach 3)
developed by IBM. Workplace will be used as the foundation for several
different operating systems. The first of these will be OS/2 for the
PowerPC (see above). Note that some confusion has been caused by the
fact that the development name for OS/2-PPC was WorkplaceOS (WPOS) --
this name is no longer used.


[4-6] Can IBM-PC / Macintosh software be run on PowerPC-based computers?

Several emulators have been announced. Generally, these are intended to
run Macintosh or MS-DOS/Windows applications under the various native
operating systems.

Macintosh

    Macintosh Application Services (MAS), supported by Apple, allows
    PowerOpen-compliant OS's to run Mac applications. MAS includes a
    68040 emulator and a PowerPC port of the Mac toolbox, so it will run
    both 68k and PowerPC Mac binaries. MAS has been demonstrated on
    IBM's PowerPC personal systems.

    Apple, in cooperation with Sun and HP, has released the Macintosh
    Application Environment (MAE). MAE allows Mac applications to run
    under X Windows on Sun SPARCstations and HP 9000 series 700
    workstations. MAE emulates a 68LC040, but critical parts of the
    Toolbox run natively. MAE is similar to MAS, but only runs 68k
    binaries. For more information, see the MAE WWW site
    <URL:http://www.mae.apple.com/>. A demo version is available by ftp
    <URL:ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/mae/product-trial/>.

    Executor, produced by ARDI, is currently available for NeXTStep and
    NeXTStep/Intel, and will soon be available for MS-DOS, and Sun and
    Alpha workstations. Executor emulates a 68040-based monochrome
    Macintosh running System 6. Version 2.0 is supposed to offer 8-bit
    color and some System 7 features. ARDI uses reverse-engineered
    Toolbox code, i.e., it was written from scratch from the interface
    specs. For this reason, it it easily portable -- expect to see it
    ported to other platforms (including the PowerPC) in the near
    future.

    Power Macintoshes have the built-in capability to run 68k Mac
    software. The 68k application code will be emulated, but critical
    parts of the system code have been ported. The emulator emulates a
    68LC040 without the FPU.

MS-DOS/Windows

    Wabi, produced by Sun, runs under UNIX/X. It emulates x86 code, and
    translates Windows calls to X calls. IBM is working on an 80386
    translator. Support has been announced for Solaris and AIX. Wabi is
    based on the public specs for the Windows ABI. (Wabi originally
    stood for "Windows Application Binary Interface" -- it's spelled
    "Wabi", not "WABI", for trademark reasons.) This has been
    demonstrated on IBM's PowerPC personal systems.

    SoftPC and SoftWindows, produced by Insignia, run under several
    OS's: Mac OS, Windows NT, NeXTStep, and various other UNIX flavors.
    It emulates 80286/80287 code and Windows calls. Insignia has
    licensed the Windows source code from Microsoft. SoftWindows 2.0,
    which will provide 486 emulation, is expected some time in 1995.

    OS/2 for the PowerPC (which was also known as WorkplaceOS) will run
    MS-DOS and Windows code via the Instruction Set Translator (IST), an
    instruction-caching x86 emulator. OS/2-PPC will not directly run
    OS/2-x86 code.


========================================================================
                            [5] Comparisons
========================================================================

[5-1] Should I buy a PowerPC system rather than a Pentium or 68k system?

Apple is committed to making their Power Macintoshes feel just like the
68k Macs, but faster. It looks like they will eventually switch the
entire Mac line over to the PowerPC. If you plan to buy a new Mac, this
is probably the way to go.

A Pentium system will run existing x86 code faster than a 601 will
emulate it. If you need to run x86 code as fast as possible, buy a
Pentium box.

On the other hand, many x86 applications will probably be ported to the
PowerPC. The extent of this porting will likely determine the success of
the PowerPC in the personal computer market.

In terms of pure performance (whatever that is), it looks like there
will be a fairly close race between the PowerPC family and the Intel x86
family. The Intel-HP agreement promises to make things even more
interesting. Only the future will tell whose chips and whose systems
will be the fastest.


[5-2] What will be the differences between the various PowerPC-based
personal computers?

It looks like there will be two major types of PowerPC-based personal
computers (note, this is not counting workstations): the Apple Macintosh
line, and PReP-compliant machines. The basic hardware will not be
fundamentally different -- the real difference will be in the supported
operating systems for each class.

It is still unclear whether Apple is going to produce Macs which will
conform to the PReP standard, and whether the Mac OS will run on PReP
machines. The potential exists for a standard which would allow any
PowerPC-based machine to run any PowerPC operating system; whether this
will happen remains to be seen.


========================================================================
                           [6] Miscellaneous
========================================================================

[6-1] What's the deal with Ford and the PowerPC?

Ford and Motorola have signed an agreement resulting in a custom PowerPC
to be used by Ford as a powertrain controller. Details on this chip are
not available.


[6-2] What's the deal with 3DO and the PowerPC?

3DO, the video game company, is planning to use the PowerPC 602 in its
next generation game machine. An upgrade board, the M2 accelerator,
using this new processor, will be avaiable some time in 1995.

_
                         




     
