TMO Reports - Power Mac G5s run Microsoft's XBox 360 Demos at E3
by , 8:50 PM EDT, May 19th, 2005
LOS ANGELES -- As first reported by Anandtech, The Mac Observer has confirmed that Microsoft is running its Xbox 360 demos for the E3 Expo on Power Mac G5s from Apple Computer.
"It's an alpha kit, it has the Power PC processor. It's the closes thing to what's in the console. It's the best source," Mario Rodriguez, a Microsoft employee on hand at Microsoft's Xbox 360 booth at E3, told TMO.
The Xbox 360 has long been known to use a special version of the G5 processor, as has the fact that temporary Xbox development systems were modified Power Mac G5 units. The demonstration at E3, however, are the first time that Power Macs have been used to show Xbox 360 games to the public
E3 attendees playing playing Xbox 360 demos on a Mac
The Power Mac G5s that make it all possible
Photos by Chris Barylick
(Click the thumbnails for larger images)
Remember that contractor who got fired for posting to his blog a picture of a pallet load of G5s that Microsoft had purchased? I think it's all coming together now.
How much do you want to bet that all those G5s were acquired for the XBox 360 project? How much do you also want to bet that Microsoft fired the guy because they feared this would leak word of the next XBox specs? Granted, I don't actually think it did give any hint about their next-gen game system; I mean, who ever thought, "You know what! I'll bet those are gonna be used by the XBox guys!" at the time. But it wouldn't surprise me if this is all connected in some way.
Microsoft's logo-designed on a Mac, PC magazine-published on Macs, Bill Gate's next big thing-developed and deployed on Macs. The look on RC's pimply face...priceless.
Who would have thought it? The entire console fanboy community immediately latched onto this.
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jimothy wrote: Remember that contractor who got fired for posting to his blog a picture of a pallet load of G5s that Microsoft had purchased? I think it's all coming together now.
How much do you want to bet that all those G5s were acquired for the XBox 360 project? How much do you also want to bet that Microsoft fired the guy because they feared this would leak word of the next XBox specs? Granted, I don't actually think it did give any hint about their next-gen game system; I mean, who ever thought, "You know what! I'll bet those are gonna be used by the XBox guys!" at the time. But it wouldn't surprise me if this is all connected in some way.
Anonymous wrote: This is really old, old news. It was reported quite some time ago that they had seeded key developers with Macs.
Thank you for adding such a meaningful contribution to this thread
My cuz works at MS. I have to see if he can nab me one of those G5s once they finally get their own hardware together ... wait, that won't be till .... ever?
Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
Dude like I was totally gonna buy a Powermac, but I figured instead I'll just buy an XBox 360! Cause like it can connect to a media center PC (which I also must own) and can play pictures and movies and stuff and that pretty is the exact same thing as running a personal computer with OS X, so why would I need to buy a Mac?!?
Wait I've got it! I'll buy a PowerMac AND an XBox 360!
Lets see now... M$, Sony and Nintendo using power-based CPU's from IBM. Hm... lots of money from other industries coming back into IBM's CPU business. Yeah gee nothing to be excited about there. That could only serve to hurt Apple with such things as improved technology and increased manufacturing capabilities! Man, us dumb Mac-heads and our crazy being happy about good stuff!
This shows how important Macs and the PowerPC architecture are to the cutting edge of computer technology. The G5 PowerMac is easy to cluster and easy to mod allowing MS to do just this very thing. The fact that they had to buy Apples to do this speaks volumes. And they're not proud of it.
I can't get over the powerful statement this makes to someone who feels that they can't ditch MS and Wintel. Why feel you need to hang onto XP when MS embraces Macs to develop their next big thing? Don't you think the MacOS must be a least as cool as the box it runs on? It may be a tipping point for many to see something like this. A great true story that I'm sure will be retold for the next 24 months.
Oh, and good luck getting a older Windows XP box (pre loooooooonghorn) to talk to the 360. Here's MS again forcing people to buy new hardware make things work as advertised.
Watch the Apple idolators say it's not Apple's fault, they don't make the batteries. Earth to iLemmings, Apple doesn't make a single item in a Mac, Apple doesn't even assemble the Macs. Everything has been farmed out to underpaid chinese peasants. It's Apple's choice to use low quality parts and charge premium prices.
(from second link): "Forrester senior analyst Simon Yates told MacNewsWorld that Apple is not alone among PC makers in experiencing the pain of recalls, as other high-profile technology manufacturers have faced more widespread product coverage."
RealityCheck wrote: Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
You really see things in black and white don't you.
It looks like you're the praising the PowerPC specs with your latest comment. The Mac fans here are just pointing out that Microsoft knows a freakin' awesome processor when they see one. The Xbox 360 will not blow Apple away because there is no level of competition between the two, but the Sony PS3 is going to blow the Xbox 360 right out of the water!
Guest wrote: It looks like you're the praising the PowerPC specs with your latest comment. The Mac fans here are just pointing out that Microsoft knows a freakin' awesome processor when they see one. The Xbox 360 will not blow Apple away because there is no level of competition between the two, but the Sony PS3 is going to blow the Xbox 360 right out of the water!
You don't have to argue him any more. You can tell when RC is beaten because he comes back and posts about something totally unrelated to the article.
A second post about battery fires from RC = "Oops, I really CAN'T say anything bad about this article!"
Lol I remeber it was the small guys that destroyed the Death Star. . . lol TWICE! hehe
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RealityCheck wrote: Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
btw the Death Star wasnt stealthy. . . whats your point?
CloseViewName:Guest Fri May 20, 2005 11:41 amSubject: PPC?
I see a new breeding ground for porting any successfull XBOX game to Macs in the near future. I don't care for games, but i think that speaks a lot about what Apples future will look like.
RealityCheck wrote: Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
Well, lets look at how it all will really happen:
I go buy an XBox 360 from Mr. Gates. Since Billy sells this hardware at a loss (because their business plan is to make their profit on the games), I cause Microsoft financial pain.
Next, I then turn around and for $100 buy a copy of Tiger from Apple. Ka-Ching! A modest profit for Apple.
Then, I have to figure out where to get a set of Apple hardware ROM's. Gosh, look at that business opportunity for Apple. Yeah, they'll probably charge around $300 for them, since that's close to what their usual profit would be on a Mac...so Apple still makes a profit.
Finally, what's in it for me? Well, let me add up my expenses:
$200 for the X-Box
$100 for Tiger
$300 for OEM ROM's.
----
$600 for a pretty good Macintosh...better than a mini
And in the big balance sheet, it works out as follows:
Apple "wins" because they make money (probably around $300)
Microsoft "loses" because I'm not buying XBox games, and the console cost them more than they sold it to me for (probably around $300)
I "win" because get a better Mac system than what $600 currently buys with a mini.
Apple will be just fine and with us for a long, long time.
God you're an idiot...
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RealityCheck wrote: Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
"Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business."
...then you wake up on the sidewalk in a pool of cum...azzclown!
RealityCheck wrote: Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
the fact that there was this big ass thing that could destroy a planet with one big blast doesnt make it stealthy. powerful, but not necessarily stealthy.
CloseViewName:Guest Sat May 21, 2005 7:56 amSubject:
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RealityCheck wrote:
Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
1) Apple is getting richer and richer
2) those processors are apples future but those versions are only faster at gaming
3) why aren`t they using x86 Processors - seems that intel and AMD CPU`s are too slow
-so buy a Wintel machine -slow machine for slow users
CloseViewName:Guest Tue May 24, 2005 6:38 pmSubject:
"Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business."
Sorry, Reality Check, but you've been lying for a long time that Macs are underpowered. Isn't it ironic that Microsoft itself, the company that you worship, has proven you wrong about that by using them to demo software for their next-generation console? You lose.
Also, Sony and Sega's failings with the PS2 and Dreamcast as media-hubs prove that consumers aren't interested in the concecpt. Sorry.
CloseViewName:Guest Tue May 24, 2005 6:46 pmSubject:
Oh, and by the way, Reality Check, Apple's recalling about 128,000 batteries because they had six reports from people that they were overheating?
I think that's a bit better than Microsoft and its recall of about 14 MILLION Xbox power cords because they were extreme fire hazards, and the fact that they sat on the information for over a year.
A smallscale recall of just 128,000 batteries versus a widescale recall of 14,000,000 faulty power cords that Microsoft didn't notify consumers about for well over a year? Yeah. Apple clearly doesn't have any class.
RealityCheck wrote: Sorry Apple worshipers, but the production MS XBox 360 won't be using anything from Apple. It will be using 3 core 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPCs. The XBox 360 is Apple's Death Star, a stealth digital hub that will crush what's left of Apple's consumer business.
the fact that there was this big ass thing that could destroy a planet with one big blast doesnt make it stealthy. powerful, but not necessarily stealthy.
LOL!
First of all, it should be Microsoft's Death Star, not Apple's (as in Microsoft owns it), or Microsoft's Death Star to Apple's Alderan. Second...ummmmm, the Death Star "blowed up real good." If I remember the movie correctly it only fired one shot before it was destroyed.
So I guess that RC is saying that the XBox 360 is only good for one shot!
Yeah if you Mac guys really want to play games you better buy an Xbox 360 because there isn't crap for games on the Mac. You can have lots of fun playing 2 yr old PC games on your glorified MP3 players. While us Microsoft guys will have the best of both worlds Xbox 360 games and PC games.....
Intruder wrote: That's right. Macs are toys because they can't play all the greatest games.
Errr.....or something.
We were talking about games weren't we? Actually if you wanna get some work done or listen to some mp3's then a MAc is definitely the way to go. If you wanna get some work done and play some cool games then buy a PC. I know theres no winning this discussion with "Mac guys" but let's face it the Mac's just don't get any support when it comes to games even if they are the superior hardware. If you look at consoles the more powerful isn't always the winner. The Sega Saturn was more powerful than the Playstation by leaps and bounds. Did it help? Nope.
Nuff said!
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