Comments on: Why PS3 Lost that Linux Feeling?

By: fdsdsfsdf

fdsdsfsdf — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:03:59 +0000

@Jordan Lund Linux on the PS3 isn’t for web browsing or playing silly games, its for serious research processing for scientists and stuff.

By: David

David — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:47:55 +0000

@Jordan Lund, Mainly programmers wanting to experiment with the Cell for parallel programming. You use it in conjunction with a PC and have full access to the Cell itself. But like you said, Sony also restricts access to many other parts of the system so it’s not nearly as useful as it could have been. (or will be someday if ever cracked) Good for you for getting it installed in the first place. You’re 1/2 way there already!

By: David

David — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:42:47 +0000

@WWWolf, Interesting. Seems like in 2005 Microsoft was making a big deal not to support keyboards and mice for the 360 to prevent them from being classified as a computers.

By: David

David — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:38:56 +0000

@Mike, Thanks for the correction… much appreciated.

By: WWWWolf

WWWWolf — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:05:37 +0000

How about “We used to support installing Linux in order to have PS3s taxed as computer hardware instead of game consoles in certain jurisdictions. The the taxmen have stopped laughing now.”

By: Mimor

Mimor — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:49:14 +0000

It’s a nice deal for programmers indeed… but I don’t think that there will be a lot of people creating apps for this, as they cant be run on the newer machines.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:23:49 +0000

qualm?

By: Jordan Lund

Jordan Lund — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:31:57 +0000

The other main issue is that Linux on the PS3 never worked that well. I installed Gutsy Gibbon on mine and found it to be far slower than an equivalent PC and it was locked out of full access to the graphics card. So what’s the point then?

By: Grant Erismo

Grant Erismo — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Wow, what a difference 4 years makes. Shame that they couldn’t figure out how to keep the original design and lower costs to the $200 range.

PS3 is Linux ‘supercomputer’, 14 June, 2005

Sony Computer Entertainment boss Ken Kutaragi has claimed that the PlayStation 3 is being positioned as a supercomputer capable of running multiple operating systems, with the Linux system to be pre-installed on the machine’s hard drive.

Interviewed by Japanese website PC Impress Watch, Kutaragi lashed out at Nintendo and Microsoft for defining their systems purely as toys or game consoles, and said that PS3 will be sold as a “supercomputer”.

In order to accomplish that, the system will ship with the Linux operating system on its hard drive – although it’s not yet clear whether that drive will actually ship with the system as part of the default configuration, or as an optional extra.

Kutaragi claims that the PS3 will be capable of running multiple operating systems, and could in theory run Linux, Windows and Mac OS X together. He also mentioned Lindows, a variety of Linux designed to emulate the ease of use of Windows, and alluded to a “new OS” which could be the Linux-based system which Sony is rumoured to be working on with a number of other Japanese companies as a potential competitor to Windows, especially in the media space.