XBox 2 SDK released on PowerMac G5's running Windows NT

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-02-28 04:50pm

The world is turning upside-down.

The Inquirer wrote:Xbox 2 SDK released on cool Apple Power Mac G5s

It comes to pass

By Paul Dutton: Saturday 28 February 2004, 15:59

WE'VE JUST got word that the Software Development Kit (SDK) for Microsoft’s forthcoming Xbox 2 has now been released to Developers.

As we reported earlier, IBM processors are indeed the Xbox 2 development platform of choice.

The big news to us is that the XBOX 2 SDK has been seeded to developers on dual Apple Power Mac G5 systems running a custom Windows NT Kernel.

The Apple Power Mac G5 is based upon two of IBM’s 64-bit Power PC processors and features ATi RADEON 9800 Pro (R350) graphics. However the R350 is believed to be an interim solution and will, in due course, be superseded by the forthcoming ATI R420.

Interestingly the SDK apparently also features an Apple logo on a side bar within the application.

What we don’t yet know is whether the custom Windows NT Kernel for the 64-bit capable IBM Power PC processors is 64-bit or 32-bit.

Though as ATI is so clearly behind with even its iAMD64 device drivers for both Intel and AMD x86-64 platforms, we suspect that it’s 32-bit.

Let us know if you know. µ

Of course, this is not the first time that Windows NT has run on PowerPC's. NT3.5 was available for PowerPC and the Alpha, after all. I wonder if, with the recent acquisition of Connectix and by extension, Virtual PC, Microsoft are making another effort to diversify their supported hardware.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2004-02-28 08:26pm

The world was already upside-down since a long time ago, and is currently spinning on its 4th axis.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2004-02-28 09:33pm

Well, since NT4 was out for PPC (and Alpha and MIPS), I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft kept up an internal build in case they ever needed it. However, I'd like to see some corraboration of the report -- I don't exactly trust the Reg or the Inq.

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2004-02-29 12:02am

I want a second source on this one too.

The Xbox2 is suposed to be using a slimmed down version of Longhorn. Which would include a version of the .NET framework.