One of the biggest parts of a transition to the PowerPC 970 for Apple or any other customer will involve adapting software to take full advantage of the new capabilities. Existing 32-bit software and operating systems based on Linux, Unix or Apple's Mac OS X (derived from Unix) will run on the new PowerPC chip. But to take advantage of larger amounts of memory afforded by 64 bits, software makers will have to renovate their operating systems and applications. IBM will use the chip internally in a project of its own, sources indicated, and the chip will also be sold to customers in the embedded and communications markets, two PowerPC strongholds. IBM will manufacture the PowerPC 970 in its newest chip plant, located in East Fishkill, New York, using its 130-nanometre (0.13 micron) silicon-on-insulator process. SOI allows IBM to boost clock speed and hold down power consumption by better insulating transistors. Though IBM says the 1.8GHz PowerPC 970 will be the first in a family of chips, the company would not say when the chip will reach higher speeds, such as 2GHz, or if it will be available at slower speeds for applications like notebooks. IBM is expected, however, to move the chip quickly to a 90-nanometre manufacturing process, which will let it boost the chip's clock speed. Companies will start to make 90-nanometre chips in the second half of 2003. Although IBM will disclose technical details on the chip's architecture at the Microprocessor Forum, pricing and other commercial details won't emerge until the chip ships in the second half of next year.
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