US Air Force seeking 300 PS3s for "technology assessment"

We've already seen the PlayStation 3 put to use for some non-gaming tasks (other than playing Blu-ray movies), and it now looks like the U.S. Air Force is aiming to get in on the act as well, with it recently putting out a so-called Request for Proposal that is seeking 300 PS3s for a "technology assessment." Needless to say, their primary interest is in the console's powerful Cell processor, which they say is the "only brand on the market that utilizes the specific cell processor characteristics needed for this program at an acceptable cost." Exactly what that program entails is unsurprisingly being kept under wraps, with the RFP only going so far to state that the Air Force Research Laboratory is "conducting a technology assessment of certain cell processors." Whatever it is, the Air Force certainly seems to be trying to keep costs as low as possible, with them apparently only interested in the 40GB model.

[Via Switched]

[Taylor @ Mar 5th 2008 5:58PM]

ohnoes, skynet!

[Flashpoint @ Mar 5th 2008 7:19PM]

DOD ordinance is having a RESISTANCE LAN PARTY.

[rv @ Mar 5th 2008 11:52PM]

My cpu is a cell processor, a pwning computer!

[Mr Cool @ Mar 6th 2008 3:17PM]

Lol, I can see it now. Judgement Day is a-coming boys! Prepare to meet AHNOLD!

[Dillon @ Mar 5th 2008 6:01PM]

I bet they've been watching that terminator TV show and want to build their own "Turk". So yes, skynet!

[keepevets @ Mar 5th 2008 6:03PM]

this isnt news, they've been buying ps3's for the cell since the ps3 was launched, now that they're cheaper there buying some more, i'm sure they have already bought way more than 300, because they can't buy the cell individually they have to buy the ps3's and take the chip out, ive seen almost 100 empty ps3's in storage areas in an air force research lab where i worked, it has nothing to do with military, its research, i hope you know the laser disc was invented in an air force research lab

[keepevets @ Mar 5th 2008 6:07PM]

actually i think it was that they are available but cheaper to buy ps3's than individual cell processors

[PeterF @ Mar 5th 2008 6:12PM]

They take the individual chip out or the whole motherboard? How do they make them work? What do they put them on?

[E71 @ Mar 5th 2008 7:05PM]

Wouldn't it just be cheaper to make a deal with Sony/IBM to provide the chips directly?

[NovaLand @ Mar 6th 2008 1:21AM]

No, they would have to ask Toshiba nowdays, but toshiba works for "the other side". (U know, the asian guys.. they are the new world dominators last thing I heard)

[demetrius @ Mar 6th 2008 4:24AM]

can they just sell me the blue ray drives then? my hd dvd just got strangled by toshiba. you know, if they just want the cell processor, can they at least sell me the drives or something? maybe work out a deal because it'd be such a waste to take out the cell, and just throw away the rest. what a pity. what a pity. please have pity on those that have seen the wrongs they have commited in buying hd-dvd...

[phanbouy @ Mar 5th 2008 6:04PM]

No, it wasn't "needless to say". Sorry to be a stick in the mud, but I'm not the first person to point out the trend for unnecessary use of this phrase here.

[ja$on @ Mar 5th 2008 6:37PM]

Needless to say, you are a douche...

[Fred @ Mar 5th 2008 6:41PM]

You have needlessly said that it is needless to say, needless to say.

Needlessly Yours...Fred

[Andrew @ Mar 5th 2008 6:05PM]

Hmm I think the AirForce may be missing something here - isnt the cell chip considered 'at an acceptable cost' because Sony is actually loosing money on each console just so they can gain video game market share?

Why would Sony subsidize the cost of the cell chip in a bulk sale to the Airforce? Sony would have nothing to gain except economies of scale - oh and isnt the blu-Ray laser in these things in short supply as well??

[chilicoke @ Mar 5th 2008 7:25PM]

where have you been for the past 6 months?

[Andrew @ Mar 5th 2008 8:19PM]

"where have you been for the past 6 months?"

yes becuase the whole world has been focused on what the airforce is doing with PS3s for the last 6 months

[Mutant @ Mar 6th 2008 12:31PM]

You asked "Why would Sony subsidize the cost of the cell chip in a bulk sale to the Airforce? "

Because it is good free publicity. 300 consoles are a drop in the bucket but being able to point out the supercomputer power of the PS3 can help sell consoles.

[roman.kim @ Mar 5th 2008 6:06PM]

Yeah, "technology assessment" of mgs4 I bet...

[L8on @ Mar 5th 2008 6:12PM]

lmao

[josh @ Mar 5th 2008 6:16PM]

That, or they are trying to branch out to COD4 for new battle techniques.

[bob @ Mar 5th 2008 9:52PM]

Actually, they are improving their reaction times/agility/weight using DDR.

[michas_pi @ Mar 5th 2008 10:19PM]

Just like Otakon said, this will allow the Air Force to win the Console War.

[james @ Mar 5th 2008 6:08PM]

What's the point. I'm sure the military has much more powerful computers to use. I know they always seem to be researching what China is able to do with game consoles but I highly doubt a PS3 will be used to launch missiles.

[andres @ Mar 5th 2008 7:15PM]

obviously you havent heard of the new ps3 missle launcher attachment thats coming out

[derX @ Mar 5th 2008 10:58PM]

The appropriate moment for Engadget has finally come.

One word: DOOM.

[John @ Mar 5th 2008 6:09PM]

I was wondering why people keep buying PS3s for the cell processor when you only have access to 6 of the 8 SPEs, and then I finally checked the price of a cell blade (which has 2 cell processors in it); 19 grand.

[B3astofthe3ast @ Mar 5th 2008 7:30PM]

Actually, they have access to 7; Your not running the PS3 OS anymore on that one SPE if the Cell is out of the PS3.

[John @ Mar 5th 2008 7:42PM]

....no, you only have access to 6. Whether or not you're running the PS3's OS, you cannot access the reserved SPE.

[matthewlikestoburn @ Mar 6th 2008 2:45PM]

the cell actually has 9 cores, can't remember how many work, i think it might be 8.

Oh, and before you reply saying it has only 8, please try researching actual facts such as this:

http://cag.csail.mit.edu/ps3/lectures/

[Jon Graft @ Mar 5th 2008 6:09PM]

Why aren't they using the XBOX 360 core? Oh wait...I forgot...would probably burn Nellis air force base down! :-D That and the fact that they are no where near as strong as the PS3s! ;-)

[Fred @ Mar 5th 2008 6:43PM]

Maybe they're using our military might to try to finally bring some good games to that hopped up blu-ray player? The only way they can get any decent exclusives is at gunpoint, maybe?

[Jon Graft @ Mar 5th 2008 7:00PM]

Is that the only come back XBOTs use anymore? You do realize after 2008, you guys are going to have to come up with a better insult, by then the PS3 will have better games than the 360! :-P

[ethana2 @ Mar 5th 2008 7:28PM]

the same reason i wouldn't touch a 360 with a 10 meter pole.

Fascist code signing. Worthless for anything even nearly productive.

[Jordan @ Mar 5th 2008 7:45PM]

I hate you all. Take the fanboyism and shove it up your ass.

[Jonathan Keim @ Mar 5th 2008 6:10PM]

Nice to know that the Troops love the PS3 the most ;-)

You know they just want to game.... just kidding.

[ethana2 @ Mar 5th 2008 7:31PM]

It's hilarious to me that our own government put that much money into saying 'Give us homebrew.'

...perhaps Sony will realize that unlocking the RSX could put a ps3 into every house as an ubuntu desktop machine.. They could compete with Dell or something..

[fischju @ Mar 5th 2008 6:11PM]

They saw "Stealth", saw that Sony also made that, and now they want a piece of the action.

[DP @ Mar 5th 2008 7:03PM]

Off topic, I know, but that movie sucked balls.

[ReggieXuk @ Mar 5th 2008 6:14PM]

PS3 in the long run is a winner

MS better make a quad core console if it wants to outlast the PS3, even then, when the PS3 is in full swing there could be trouble

[Fred @ Mar 5th 2008 6:46PM]

Seriously doubt it dude. Sony has almost completely screwed the pooch on the current gen console "war". If they weren't so freaking expensive and Sony wasn't so dismissive of their fan base I'd have bought one. Not only that until Sony can build their own "Xbox-live" style network for games, they're boned.

[engadgetier @ Mar 5th 2008 6:16PM]

who makes the ps3's chip set???

[Ayle @ Mar 5th 2008 6:20PM]

ibm

[engadgetier @ Mar 5th 2008 6:22PM]

which one is it???

[yoyodude64 @ Mar 5th 2008 6:26PM]

actually the cell chip itself used to be made by sony but the division is being sold to toshiba. idk who makes the rest besides the actual processor tho

[alexmueller @ Mar 5th 2008 6:27PM]

"The PlayStation 3 uses the IBM-designed Cell microprocessor as its CPU, utilizing seven of the eight "synergistic processing elements" (often shortened to SPE). The eighth SPE is disabled to improve chip yields i.e. chips do not have to be discarded if one of the SPEs is defective. Only six of the seven SPEs are accessible to developers as one is reserved by the OS. Graphics processing is handled by the NVIDIA RSX, which can output resolutions from 480i/576i SD up to 1080p HD. The PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of XDR main memory and 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX."

Wikipedia can be your friend.

[engadgetier @ Mar 5th 2008 6:28PM]

WOW...thanks

[alexmueller @ Mar 5th 2008 6:28PM]

as a follow-up

Cell is a microprocessor architecture jointly developed by Sony Computer Entertainment, Toshiba, and IBM, an alliance known as "STI". The architectural design and first implementation were carried out at the STI Design Center in Austin, Texas over a four-year period beginning March 2001 on a budget reported by IBM as approaching US$400 million.

[Robert @ Mar 5th 2008 7:00PM]

So does this mean even at full capacity 6/8 the ps3 isnt using all its potential, could a firmware update change this to 7/8 similar to the psp? or do i not know what im going on about?

[IndiaTech @ Mar 5th 2008 6:23PM]

Our tax dollars hard at work, I see.