> there is something like the e5500 a 64 bit core derived from e500 for QorIQ in
> the pipeline, but no e700 (which would AFAIK a 64 bit derivate from the e600) .

Seems some Wikipedia editor's opinion differs from yours:

"Freescale have used the e700 and NG-64 monikers to refer to this core since 2004. [...] PowerPC e700 - The former codename for what probably was to be this product."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerPC_e5500

"The PowerPC e700 or NG-64 (Next Generation 64-bit) [...] was eventually revealed as the e5500 core."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerPC_e700

"The e700 is not based on e600."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:PowerPC_e700

I was extremely surprised to actually find a Freescale PDF file (dating September 2005) supporting his view:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060623094707/http://www.freescale.com/files/abstract/overview/FTF_BN112.pdf (page 35)

Can it really be that e700 was supposed to be based on e500 (and not on e600) from the very beginning? For instance, I couldn't find one single document listing AltiVec as a planned e700 feature, which is further supporting the Wikipedia editor's view.

Edit: some more documents indicating that e700 was supposed to be a continuation of e500:

From June 2005, few weeks after Apple's switch announcement:
http://www.freescale.com/files/community_files/MCUCOMM/1033_e300_e500_e600_comp.pdf (page 7 indicates e700 to become the basis of future PowerQUICC processors)

From September 2007:
http://www.power.org/devcon/07/Session_Downloads/PADC07_Maguire_Sept25_MPC5121e_Freescale_final.pdf (page 8 lists e700 together with e500 in "Book III-E" column)

[ Edited by Andreas_Wolf on 2011/3/4 13:13 ]