Yes, Linux PPC on commonplace Apple hardware is over…
So, the venerable Steve Jobs said Apple is switching to Intel from PowerPC, which he summed up nicely: “Remember, you all develop on this platform not because of the underlying architecture, but because OS X is just so good”. Okay, that might’ve just been a little paraphrased, but the audience in general were all very gusto.
He confirmed that OS X has always been running on x86 without any issue. It was designed to be cross platform from the start (this can more or less be viewed as the case thanks to Darwin x86). But of core importance is that folk need to use XCode if they want to get their OS X working on both PPC and Intel; otherwise this wonderful Universal Binary support will not exist. And then, for apps that still require PPC to run (and are not Universal Binaries), there’s Rosetta, which will translate the PPC instructions to x86, on the fly without performance drop.
Reasoning is units for performance per watt, for the future roadmap. In 2006, Intel is poised to give 70 units/watt, while PowerPC will give only 15 units/watt. Turns out he mentions nothing about cooling, the use of fans, etc. What about Altivec? Or even how the ads and performance benchmarks constantly used to berate similar software running on x86 (Photoshop performance comes to mind – at least 50% faster on a Mac and what not). A lot remain unanswered currently, but I guess more will unfold over the week.
Where does this leave Linux PPC? Besides IBM or Pegasos hardware, Apple wants the transition to happen by 2007; it however should launch its first Intel-based computer by next year. Does this also mean that I can buy the next version of OS X and run it on any run-off-the-mill x86? Mmrm
Don’t forget that the latest G5s ship with liquid cooling systems. Also gcc had fat binary support back in NeXT days, I can even rustle up the source if required. But so long Power, x86 eats another architecture.