[业界]IBM正式放弃对CELL的后续投入研发！ - 2DJGAME! NOVO

[业界]IBM正式放弃对CELL的后续投入研发！

"It has been confirmed that IBM will be pulling out of Cell development, with their current PowerXCell 8i to be the company's last entrance in the technology.

The Cell Processor was originally the brain child of 'The Father of PlayStation' Ken Kutaragi. It was later co-developed by Sony, IBM and Toshiba; making it's way into the PlayStation 3, TV's and super computers.

Featuring a central general-purpose processor, the Cell includes a number of co-processing units with internal memory, known as SPUs. Greatly increasing performance, the Cell's SPUs have been notoriously difficult to develop for, with a number of developers, such as Naughty Dog, making significant breakthroughs of late.

IBM's most recent development in the Cell Processor's design is the PoweXCell 8i, which is featured in the second most powerful supercomputer in the world; Roadrunner.

However, this is where Cell will end for IBM."
http://www.n4g.com/tech/News-431744.aspx

本来在久多时代按计划SONY应该还要继续对CELL投入巨资研发的，但是久多下台后SONY就把CELL完全卖给IBM了！

联动下，SONY官网当年对CELL的期待

CELL--Sony的下一张王牌
Sony而言，CELL不仅是下一代PS的核心引擎，更将成为Sony在未来高清宽带网络时代的基础计算平台。CELL将作为一颗关键的棋子被应用在广泛的领域中。

CELL——目前对大部分用户来说还只是“细胞”的意思，但在未来几年内，它可能会成为一个像Pentium（奔腾）一样家喻户晓的词汇。不过，对于Sony fans而言，CELL已经是值得热切期盼的技术了，在很多ＰＳ发烧友的心目中，它基本上已经成了传说中下一代ＰＳ产品的代名词。但实际上，CELL代表的是Sony更为广阔的未来。

PS2在发布时便凭借其远远超越当时ＰＣ处理能力的计算和图形核心而著称，这一点至今仍然让索尼集团执行副总裁久多良木健先生感到自豪，而CELL更是一个将超级计算能力带到用户桌面上的技术。

根据目前我们得到的信息，单片CELL（多核）就具备了１ teraflop（每秒１万亿次）的计算能力，超过了名噪一时的“深蓝”超级计算机，是PS2运算能力的1000倍，是当前2.5 GHz 奔腾4 CPU的100倍。这是一种很难想象的计算能力，仿佛应该在戒备森严的核心实验室中从事太空或核能仿真，但Sony即将把它带到我们的客厅中。

CELL一直是个相当神秘的技术，从2001年Sony、IBM和东芝宣布合作开始开发后，其开发基地美国奥斯汀的一举一动都会受到人们的紧密关注。在2001年３家公司开始合作时CELL的目标就瞄准了“片上超级计算机”，而且已经注定会与宽带网络结下不解之缘。虽然外界的猜测从来没有停止过，但这３家厂商透露的信息却非常有限。

对于Sony而言，CELL的目的非常明确，它不仅是下一代PS的核心引擎，更将成为Sony在未来高清宽带网络时代的基础计算平台。在面向未来的企业布局中，CELL是一颗非常关键的棋子，它会被应用于游戏机、家庭网络服务器、图像工作者、服务器甚至超级计算机中，体现出Sony独有的价值。CELL的影响力将远远地超越游戏的范畴。例如，在一个机顶盒中。

http://www.sony.com.cn/2092_2163.htm

IBM have not stopped Cell processor development

The cell processor has been a very successful part of the Playstation 3, able to munch through folding@home as well as the latest HD game demands. There have been many rumours around the net today that the followup to the CPU in the PS3 has been basically 'canned'. The story was that the new Cell Processor which featured two PowerPC processors and 32 SPEs will not be released and that possibly the whole range was going to be discontinued.
We managed to get hold of an IBM spokesperson an hour ago and they said that only one CPU development cycle is being 'halted' which is the successor to the current PowerXCell-8i cpu. IBM have said they are planning to work on other CPU's in the Cell Processor 'family' and we would assume that by the time the Playstation 4 hits market that they could very well be involved on some level.