PS3 running... Windows?
By Ryan Block 
posted Nov 25th 2006 1:29PM
posted Nov 25th 2006 1:29PM
[Thanks, Stafford]
posted Nov 25th 2006 1:29PM
Now that we've thrown 'em off the trail, use the form below to get in touch with the people at Engadget. Please fill in all of the required fields because they're required.
The windows part, yes. But that would probably be independant from the PS3 OS, so it won't affect games.
I would prefer to see OS X running on the PS3... if it does, and runs very fine and fast... mhh... might get a PS3 then too... :D
The PS3 can, but the system files would be affected. Since it isn't an install and just a VM, it won't affect your PS3 saves. It might corrupt the HD partition, but that can easily be formatted.
The PS3 can, but the system files would be affected. Since it isn't an install and just a VM, it won't affect your PS3 saves. It might corrupt the HD partition, but that can easily be formatted.
"What's up with that last sentence? You people at Engadget are consistently bad at sentence structure."
Should be - What's up with that last sentence? You people at Engadget are consistently bad at structuring sentences...
I had to mention it...
Other than all the "we did it" exitement, it's really rediculous to do this. "Emulators" are really slow on fast computers. It would be better to run a virtualizer like VBox or VMware.
The PS3 has a 1/4 gig of ram and a good processor. Just not good for linux. This is like comparing an Intel CPU to an ATI graphics card. There's not really anything to compare.
If you really want to see "windows" on the ps3, you should download one of the PPC ports of ReactOS (which don't actually exist yet...soon...)
That's what I love to see.
Now, it would make more sense to run Windows 98 in a virtual enviornment. Or run a native PPC OS. That's what I'd love to see. Look into ReactOS, with an otheros.bld, it could be even more important than Linux - the best PC games on your ps3, at decent speeds.
Although, the non-native OS on a PS3, for whatever reason, doesn't get to use hardware-accelerated graphics, so games would actually suck. That's the little hint of MS in Sony. They want you to game with their OS, not yours ;)
The best solution for gaming is...use the ps3 normally. That's what the whole point of the console is, right?
Is there another OS that will run on PS3 like Mac OS for example? One that will allow speed and visuals to remain un hampered and not compromise the integrity of the game settings on the PS3??
Any help really appreciated.thanks.
Joe.
Another system joins the Windows masses.
Another system soon succumbs to spyware and worms.
I've never had spyware, worms, viruses or anything like that on my PC.
You missed out saying "first post", Otherwise that is exactly what i expected to read in the first post about this article! So predictable.
Windows NT 4.0 Runs great on my PS3, Its alot like windows 95 but made to run on the PowerPC.
Cool, halo on the ps3. When is the black friday winners going to be announced?
There's hardly reason to be skeptical. This is just QEMU, an emulator, running Windows XP. Now if someone can just steal the Windows source and compile it for the Cell, THAT would be a gas. :p
It won't happen anyway, they'd have to re-write the kernel to work with the Cell (Power-PC, aka non-x86) architecture, and even then, you'd have to clean up the craptastic code to make it better. You'd be better off writing your own OS to play Window's EXEs, but Microsoft would never allow that.
OS X on PS3 would be the PS3's killer app.
Are you nuts? What games? Solitare maybe? It`s sooo freaking slow!
what, you mean like ReactOS (http://reactos.org) ?
There is a PPC version of ROS in the works. Should be fun.
Very interesting Karl...thanks for that link.
WOW THE PS3 ITS AMAZING!!!
Yes, i would rather see OS X hacked onto the PS3. That MUST happen soon. Windows, it's believable as there are emulators for linux.
Some people live their whole lives without realizing that they do.
;)
Can anyone tell me if the PS3 really boots up linux that slow?? It seemed to take forever. My AthonXP 2800+ boots into linux quite briskly. I can understand that Qemu needs to emulate an x86 system, so it makes sense that windows would be slow, but I thought these version's of Linux that were availiable to install were somewhat compiled for the PS3. I would only call shenanegans for that reason only. It appeared like it was running on a Pentium 3 or something.
Dude, my bad. I'll remember to next time. :)
Running qemu and xp is just about as ignorany and stupid as running linux on the ps3... the damn ps3 runs the cell a crappy inefficient processor when it comes to general computing... so why the hell even do it ...
i mean beyond the "we did it" motif... i mean this is about as generally useful as say... ipod linux
as a note the ps3's processor when compared to a pentium would probably compair to that of a p3... but the fact its a in order executive processor actually places it in the runnings feature wise with a pentium 1 actually... sorry but its true. The ps3 is designed for stream based computing to the spe's not for general processing end of story.
Chris, a few companies are building multi-processor HPC systems for commercial and military use. Research has been completed on the viability of the Cell as a processor for general purpose HPC work, either as part of a hybrid system or even as a cell only system. That research found that the Cell was nearly ideal for HPC because of its expected low cost and high computing speed for HPC style work. With a few changes to the processor to speed up 64 bit floating point it would be ideal. If it was as inefficient as you claim there wouldn't be any point. Frankly I'm more likely to believe people who have independently researched the processor and worked with it for several months.
Steve:
My impression is that these are just PPC builds of linux in which case they are only using the PPE which is not built for doing much processing but rather managing the SPE's and the base OS. Running a fully featured OS on it really isn't a very good idea.
This whole linux on the PS3 will only be interesting if people manage to take advantage of the SPE's. Though frankly the amount of changes needed makes me skeptical.
Take it with some NaCl.
Ha, OS X? Vista? WTF!!! Install XGL on Fedora Core or whichever distro you take into the ps3's HDD and pwn them all!
I used to have a 486 that would boot linux faster than that!
awesome. too bad it is slow as sony's shipments of new PS3s...
This will be the demise of Sony's domination of the console market, mark my words.
Mate how will this be sonys demise? normal ppl buy it to play PS3 games and your complaining bout it no having other OS's?? buy a PC mate
Can PS3 really run Windows? Does the PS3 come Windows Pre-Installed? and; Is it compatible to install the new Windows Vista on PS3?
the ps3 DOES not come with linux or windows so u have to install both . Yes , if u make a linux swap partition big enough u can install winxp , but vista is a different story ( although it MIGHT work).The reason fedora is slow on the ps3 is becuase fedora core is REALLY ram hungry , 512+ ram is ideal to run fedora core especially if u use gnome or kde . By the way , making a large swap partition would r-e-a-l-l-y help increase proformance of any linux system .