On 10/19/07, Alan Grimes <agrimes at speakeasy.net> wrote:
>
> > Thanks for collecting the refs. The front page for the plurion
> > is the swiki page:
> > http://www.merlintec.com:8080/hardware/Plurion
> > It needs more google hits, so link to it! :)
>
> Okay,
> Nice,
> Fine.
>
> Call me a cynical bastard but unless I can go down to the local
> mega-mart and buy one for $1,000, or even $10,000, in a usable form, it
> doesn't even exist, period.
>
> It started when I started hearing hype around the Cell Broadband engine.
> For years I heard about it. Always my question was WHEN CAN I GET ONE?
> Can I use it for general purpose computing? Can I put it in one of the
> vacant 64x66 PCI slots in my machine?
>
> As of today, it is still vaporware to me because I can only get it in a
> PSX3 which I am not in the market for at present, all other solutions
> appear to be either too expensive or incompatible with my current system.
>
> OpenSparc.net is another example of a fine if not perfect architecture
> that you'll never (within the forseeable future) be able to get your
> hands on.


This FPGA implementation<http://www.rhythmeering.com/2007/10/19/fpga-based-processors-move-forward/>seems
to be a sign of progress and it seems like the setup used can be had
for <$10K. I agree we want to buy off the shelf, but shift is happening and
that's a good thing. Given that many in the Smalltalk world know that there
just has to be better integration, coming up with a plan of evolution would
be in our collective best interests right?

Unless you are intent on fueling my feelings of alienation and
> disempowerment from the computing industry in general, just don't even
> mention this kind of thing. =\
>
> --
> Buy Ron Paul's Money! =)
> http://www.libertydollar.org/ld/ronpauldollar
> Soundest investment on the planet!
>
>
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