No More Cheap Supercomputers? Sony Blocks Linux on PS3
May 04, 2010, 16:02 (2 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Andy Patrizio)
"Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) faces a class action
lawsuit following a recent an update to its PlayStation 3 console
that removes the ability to put alternate operating systems on the
console.
"The late March update for the PlayStation 3 restricts the
installation of an alternative operating system to the console's
native OS. The feature, called 'Install Other OS,' has been
removed, three years after the console's introduction, "due to
security concerns," the company said in a blog post.
"But that's not sitting well in some quarters because ever since
the PS3 hit the market over three years ago, it has been a popular
alternative for building a low-cost supercomputer. There have been
a number of high profile projects built using clusters of PS3s
running Linux including Stanford University's Folding@Home project
and the U.S. Air Force.
"IBM (NYSE: IBM), which developed the Cell processor with Sony
that's at the heart of the gaming console, attempted to make the
Cell a more widely-used supercomputing part, but after two years of
failing to gain traction, IBM discontinued Cell development in late
2009."
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