US Air Force orders up 2,200 more PS3s -- for thinking, not gaming
By Vlad Savov 
posted November 25th 2009 5:39AM
posted November 25th 2009 5:39AM
We were as surprised as anyone when the USAF threw down the cash for 300-odd PlayStation 3s back in March of last year, but what's more shocking is that it's now back for more -- seven times more, in fact. Already employing its PS3 cluster for research into high-def video processing, the Air Force Research Lab wants to expand its capabilities significantly and it seems that Sony's Cell processor is still its weapon of choice. We would use this opportunity to make a few jibes about lazy engineers upgrading their setups in time for Modern Warfare 2, but we're better than that. We'll also totally avoid noting that the US government's skimping on costs now is leading it to commit to an instruction set tailored specifically to the Cell processor, which contrary to the latest Xeons -- pricier though they may be -- is not guaranteed to keep updating in pace with the USAF's needs. Those are things we'll leave for someone who isn't afraid of death lasers and autonomous attack drones to say.
It only does everything.
@Willen
Except fight our battles overseas.
@Willen I'm a 360 owner and I never liked the PS3, but the "It only does everything" ads are almost awesome enough to get me to buy one.
@Willen
everything (n): All actions possible by machines or living organisms with the exception of PlayStation 2 software.
Well, i think the soldiers deserve some fun.
@(Unverified)
They went the wrong way. 360s are they way to go when having some fun.
Not to mention our own U.S. Air Force just admitted that Japanese technology is better than good ol' American technology.
@shadowj0
360 = Xbox = Microsoft = American company = manufactured in China and other countries excluding Japan
If Japanese tech is superior, that would explain why they went with a Sony machine, no?
@Maccadude33
Both the PS3 and the Xbox 360 use IBM developed processor technology.
@Maccadude33
Yeah, I just said that, you idiot. Sony designed it in Japan, prototyped it, before it was mass produced. So was the 360, in America.
Idiot.
@(Unverified)
Soldiers indicates they work for the army. Airmen is the correct term for anyone serving in the US Air Force, even janitors are called Airmen.
So how are they getting the OTHER OS on if Sony no longer supports it on the new PS3. Are they buying up all the phat PS3s?
That's what I was thinking. Hope they got a good discount.
@SmokemeaKipper
The solicitation specifically is for the 160GB version (that was generally bundled with Uncharted). So yes, they are buying up the remaining 'fat' PS3s.
@SmokemeaKipper Umm its called big government contract. look at this article http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/01/air-force-now-using-super-secure-version-of-windows-xp/ and I am sure they have some deal with sony and technical help on using another OS.
@arsshaw
I Doubt it, It's been a long time since XP ran on the PowerPC CPU. Most likely they are using a PPC linux distro.
@SmokemeaKipper Dude, arsshaw wasn't saying they were using windows xp, he was just making the point that they make contracts with big consumer companies, Microsoft, so they probably did the same with sony; assuming sony would be happy to take a boat load of money, i'm pretty sure they would be fine with making a modified firmware for the slims which includes the "Other OS" feature.
@SmokemeaKipper
The specified model is CECHP01 which is the older non-slim PS3.
UPC Number 711719803805
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=bac60f8808fa1e221597573901a7cd6b&tab=core&_cview=1&cck=1&au=&ck=
Wow - that was a nearly incomprehensible post. Poorly written, superfluous adjectives ("totally") - I had to read it three times to make any sense of it.
@(Unverified) I bet the author russian surname made that post incomprehensible for u
@(Unverified)
"Totally" is an adverb.
This kind of reminds me of those Cops who got caught going on a Wii playing binge during a drug raid. I bet those Air Force Generals need a PS3 to put in their expensive private jets.
They'll have Snake On a Plane.
adverb
@(Unverified)
adjective
noun
That case would rock.
errr and why don't they just buy the powercell x8i variant of the cell? oh wait production stopped on those not because there wasn't enough demand! but ibm just didn't see a road ahead for that chip
@(Unverified)
PS3 is way cheaper than buying IBMs... it's mass-produced and Sony has been selling PS3 at loss for since its launch. Make sense that our government entity is at least trying to cut down the cost while maximizing utility. What's wrong with that?
Didn't IBM just announce they were not going to continue developping the CELL architecture ?
If the USAF is locked in with CELLs, that must be a fun meeting : "uuhm sir, they don't make those anymore ...."
".... quick order as many as you can before they dissapear"
"yes sir!"
@iErik
It was the successor to the Powercell x8i that got scrapped, not the Cell in general.
I contracted with the USAF once and it's a bit different there. As part of policy, officers were allowed (required) to take several hours a week to stay fit, so they left in the middle of the workday to go on a bike ride or something cool.
On the shady side, however, you definitely had your share of folks who left by 2:30 every day and sometimes used a good portion of the day to raid the beer fridge and shoot the breeze.
The PS3 purchase for pleasure's sake wouldn't surprise me much.
They're probably researching war crimes using the PS3s.
US Air Force orders up 2,200 more PS3s... and 2,200 copies of Modern Warfare 2.
They're running the Stargate dialer app on them.
@TheSpleen "Rodney, dial up the gate!"
"I am! Circle, Triangle, Square, Square..."
@Vanillacide That's what I thought too - especially with Fermi around the corner, and Larrabee coming down the pipeline soon.
Why not just buy the Cell processors from IBM instead of the consoles from Sony?
@exenter
And do what with them exactly? It's not like you can just drop it into any old motherboard. The thing about the PS3 is that it is relatively inexpensive, readily available (at least for a little while longer since they are buying the 160GB version), and has a fixed design (i.e. the core hardware is functionally identical from revision to revision) so that replacements units or additional units can just be plugged in or swapped out.
The IBM supercomputers using their Cell variant are orders of magnitude more expensive and are not necessarily upgradeable as easily as a PS3 cluster.
I'm talking about buying the CELL blade servers. Much cheaper when it comes to power to price ratio.
@exenter
Processors =/= blade servers.
But anyways, I suspect that part of the reason why they are doing this is to evaluate the performance of a larger scale cluster of PS3s. Seeing as not many people or organizations (or governments) can obtain IBM Cell blade servers but everyone with enough money and access to the internet can get PS3s, this may be a good way of figuring out how a similar setup could be used by an ambitious entity for an off-the-shelf supercomputer.
Or, as others have suggested, the USAF is intending to use them for a simulated war on the Playstation Network.
Or may be they are trying to collect coltan (aka black gold).
While is way more expensive to buy a ps3 instead to buy coltan, but it is more easy to ask for 2.200 ps3 instead of buy directly this material.
and u wonder why there is no progress on "war of terror " thingy ...Those loser spend taxpayers time and money of idiotic toys.
go watch Rambo for christ sake
Aren't PS3s still sold below cost? Sony bets on getting that money back via game sales, but here the USAF is buying the hardware and only the hardware. Probably won't be enough to negatively affect Sony's bottom line, but still funny. It would also explain why the USAF isn't just going with the same processor in actual computers.
@Ned Scott
It's kinda in Sony's best interest to pretend PS3s cost $800 to make and are a huge loss leader. Makes you feel like you're getting an awesome deal and adds to the mystique. but I'd be shocked if they haven't drastically, drastically reduced costs. I assume this was the entire point of the new PS3... to make a console that is profitable to sell. These AF PS3s are the old fat bodies, though. But there were many reports that that was not a loss leader anymore. It's really hard to say for sure, but this is Sony. Making electronic hardware is all they do, and they are very good at doing it for profit.
@Ned Scott
Agreed. I doubt any losses on that size purchase would add up to much in the grand scheme.
@Ned Scott
Also, isn't there a PR boon to the PS3 being used for real supercomputing by one of the world's most advanced and technologically uncompromising organizations?
Let's say Sony loses $115 per console. That's $250,000... a very cheap ad campaign for Sony. But I again sincerely doubt the PS3 is really still a loss leader. Blu ray players, in particular, just aren't that expensive to make anymore. Things have scaled way out.
A classic case of spending money to justify a budget. You gotta prove you can use all your money so your budget wont get cut. Hopefully the solders get to benefit from it though :-)
This is tragic news! They could have gotten a better deal dispatching a highly organized set of troops at 0400 hours, Black Friday morning. Think of the savings...
@(Unverified)
Riot Shields: Check
Body Armor: Check
MP5: Optional
From what I hear, the Air Force also orders up about 150,000 whores a year, to "help it relax".