Your New Cell Mate

In 2001 Sony, IBM and Toshiba, announced their jointly developed ‘Cell’ microprocessor, but details were only announced as early as November 2004.

Cell has been specifically developed to handle ‘compute-intensive workloads’ and ‘broadband rich media applications’. The video conferencing demonstration for PS3, for example, was to explain the benefits of multiple operating systems, another of Cell’s purpose-built capabilities.

Back in 2001 when many of us were still struggling with dial-up modems to get online, Sony’s Ken Kutaragi ‘The Father of PlayStation’ was talking about high speed (30MB) wireless networking required for streaming movies and next generation games. He said it was essential. We all thought he was getting a bit ahead of himself. Now those kinds of specs are everyday fact.

IBM also calls Cell, “Breakthrough microprocessor architecture that puts broadband communications right on the chip.” So when Sony talks about online as the DNA of PS3, and how “online functionality will pervade every aspect of the machine” the whole Cell thing starts to make sense (again, provided the service is straightforward of course).

Sony has announced that it will launch its own home servers delivering broadband content in 2006. Its HDTVs will also be powered by Cell. You start to realise there’s more to Cell than games that look and play amazingly. You start to think that, combined with Blu-ray as the storage media, PS3 could become a conduit for every kind of high-definition content available.

Using PS3 as a server for PSP is only the tip of the iceberg if PS3 can start communicating with a Sony- or Toshiba-made TV and other media devices. The Xbox 360 as a media-hub is special, indeed, but basic connectivity compared to the high-powered media processing of a Cell network, could – COULD - become a little bit ‘so what’ in a very short time.

Next: Technical Specifications