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Where can I find a decent PowerPC-based PC?

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LordoftheMonkeys
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06 Dec 2010, 11:10 am

I want to try out AmigaOS, but it only runs on the PowerPC architecture. I know PowerPC-based PCs still exist, but they are hard to find since Apple switched to Intel and other PCs are built for running Windows, which is incompatible with PowerPC. Any suggestions on where to look?


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Orwell
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06 Dec 2010, 11:22 am

You could try going for a used Mac. The high-end G5 towers are still very respectable machines hardware-wise (64-bit CPUs, support for large amount of RAM, etc).

EDIT: Also, if you decide you don't like AmigaOS, the old PowerPC Macs run very nicely on Debian.


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Last edited by Orwell on 06 Dec 2010, 2:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Northeastern292
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06 Dec 2010, 12:58 pm

Also keep in mind the PowerPC platform mainstream-wise is going the way of the dinosaur. It was Apple that made the PowerPC platform consumer oriented, because IBM's PowerPC usage is non-mainstream.



nthach
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06 Dec 2010, 2:52 pm

Find an older iMac or iBook.



Asp-Z
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06 Dec 2010, 2:55 pm

As others have said, get a used Mac. eMacs go for around £40 on eBay.



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06 Dec 2010, 2:56 pm

nthach wrote:
Find an older iMac or iBook.

Specs on those are pretty terrible by today's standards, especially the iBooks. The Power Macs (the old high-end machines) are still about as good as a modern mid-range PC, so those might be a more viable choice.


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LordoftheMonkeys
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06 Dec 2010, 4:05 pm

An older Mac would probably be terribly outdated, so I don't want to buy one unless I have to. I found a company called Genesi that makes PowerPC-based products. I think I might look into that.


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Asp-Z
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06 Dec 2010, 4:14 pm

How's about an old PS3? I know Sony removed the Other OS feature, but I believe there's a hack to get it back now.



LordoftheMonkeys
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06 Dec 2010, 4:23 pm

Asp-Z wrote:
How's about an old PS3? I know Sony removed the Other OS feature, but I believe there's a hack to get it back now.


I think the XBox 360 uses a PowerPC. I suppose I could buy one of those, though it would mean giving money to Micro$oft.


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Asp-Z
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06 Dec 2010, 4:28 pm

LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
How's about an old PS3? I know Sony removed the Other OS feature, but I believe there's a hack to get it back now.


I think the XBox 360 uses a PowerPC. I suppose I could buy one of those, though it would mean giving money to Micro$oft.


It'd be pretty hard to make it boot another OS, though, whereas the old PS3's came with an official feature which allowed you to do so.



LordoftheMonkeys
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06 Dec 2010, 4:34 pm

Asp-Z wrote:
LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
How's about an old PS3? I know Sony removed the Other OS feature, but I believe there's a hack to get it back now.


I think the XBox 360 uses a PowerPC. I suppose I could buy one of those, though it would mean giving money to Micro$oft.


It'd be pretty hard to make it boot another OS, though, whereas the old PS3's came with an official feature which allowed you to do so.


Assuming the PS3 still uses PowerPC but has removed the "other OS" feature, couldn't you just do a clean install of an OS the same way you do it with a PC: wipe the hard drive and then boot from the install disk? I'm sorry, but I know very little about game consoles. Desktop computers are and have always been my main area of expertise.


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06 Dec 2010, 4:35 pm

LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
How's about an old PS3? I know Sony removed the Other OS feature, but I believe there's a hack to get it back now.


I think the XBox 360 uses a PowerPC. I suppose I could buy one of those, though it would mean giving money to Micro$oft.


It'd be pretty hard to make it boot another OS, though, whereas the old PS3's came with an official feature which allowed you to do so.


Assuming the PS3 still uses PowerPC but has removed the "other OS" feature, couldn't you just do a clean install of an OS the same way you do it with a PC: wipe the hard drive and then boot from the install disk? I'm sorry, but I know very little about game consoles. Desktop computers are and have always been my main area of expertise.


The PS3 uses a PPC, yes, but I don't think you can wipe the HD and do a clean install since it's all in ROM. Highly secured and encrypted ROM. You can, however, jailbreak it, and I *think* through that, you can get the Other OS feature back.



LordoftheMonkeys
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06 Dec 2010, 4:45 pm

Asp-Z wrote:
The PS3 uses a PPC, yes, but I don't think you can wipe the HD and do a clean install since it's all in ROM. Highly secured and encrypted ROM. You can, however, jailbreak it, and I *think* through that, you can get the Other OS feature back.


If it's all on ROM, then it would require a completely different procedure. It would involve flashing the ROM, something I have no idea how to do. Is it implemented as Flash ROM?


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06 Dec 2010, 4:47 pm

LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
The PS3 uses a PPC, yes, but I don't think you can wipe the HD and do a clean install since it's all in ROM. Highly secured and encrypted ROM. You can, however, jailbreak it, and I *think* through that, you can get the Other OS feature back.


If it's all on ROM, then it would require a completely different procedure. It would involve flashing the ROM, something I have no idea how to do. Is it implemented as Flash ROM?


As far as I know, no one's managed to get rid of the PS3 firmware, but you don't need to in order to boot other systems.



LordoftheMonkeys
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06 Dec 2010, 4:56 pm

Asp-Z wrote:
LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
The PS3 uses a PPC, yes, but I don't think you can wipe the HD and do a clean install since it's all in ROM. Highly secured and encrypted ROM. You can, however, jailbreak it, and I *think* through that, you can get the Other OS feature back.


If it's all on ROM, then it would require a completely different procedure. It would involve flashing the ROM, something I have no idea how to do. Is it implemented as Flash ROM?


As far as I know, no one's managed to get rid of the PS3 firmware, but you don't need to in order to boot other systems.


I don't mean the firmware. I mean the PS3 operating system. Didn't you say it's all on ROM?


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06 Dec 2010, 4:59 pm

LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
LordoftheMonkeys wrote:
Asp-Z wrote:
The PS3 uses a PPC, yes, but I don't think you can wipe the HD and do a clean install since it's all in ROM. Highly secured and encrypted ROM. You can, however, jailbreak it, and I *think* through that, you can get the Other OS feature back.


If it's all on ROM, then it would require a completely different procedure. It would involve flashing the ROM, something I have no idea how to do. Is it implemented as Flash ROM?


As far as I know, no one's managed to get rid of the PS3 firmware, but you don't need to in order to boot other systems.


I don't mean the firmware. I mean the PS3 operating system. Didn't you say it's all on ROM?


Firmware = operating system when you're talking about consoles, phones, etc.

Come to think of it, no, it isn't in ROM. Certain parts are, but the bulk isn't because it needs to be upgradable OTA.

Still, I do know there's loads of security on that thing, I don't think it's possible to wipe the OS. Look into it if you think I could be wrong though, I'm no expert in PS3s.