>> Cell processor designs (haven't heard anything in this direction for a long time)
> "In November 2009, an IBM representative said that it has discontinued > the development of a Cell processor with 32 SPUs but they have not > halted development of other future products in the Cell family." > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_(microprocessor)#History
IBM's Systems and Technology Group CTO says:
"Development around the original Cell processor hasn't stalled and IBM will continue to develop chips and supply hardware for future gaming consoles, a company executive said. IBM is working with gaming machine vendors including Nintendo and Sony, said Jai Menon, CTO of IBM's Systems and Technology Group, during an interview Thursday. "We want to stay in the business, we intend to stay in the business," he said. [...] IBM also will continue to invest in Cell as part of its hybrid and multicore chip strategy, Menon said. "I think you'll see [Cell] integrated into our future Power road map. That's the way to think about it as opposed to a separate line -- it'll just get integrated into the next line of things that we do," Menon said. "But certainly, we're working with all of the game folks to provide our capabilities into those next-generation machines." Menon [...] said its Power processors have capabilities that are similar to those of the Cell chips. "The kinds of things you used to be able to do with the Cell you can do in ... [the] Power line," Menon said." http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/363760/cell_processor_development_hasn_t_stalled_ibm_cto_says/
To me that sounds like the Cell and POWER lines will merge into a single line, i.e. POWER8 will sport Cell SPE (like) units.
