It looks as if the PowerPC camp is going to have to correct itself. Remember how Somerset said PowerPC 620 was a misspelling of 602? Well, the 602 that is on the table now looks like a joint IBM Corp-Motorola Inc embedded affair. The two have maintained their own separate embedded PowerPC projects so far. The 602 is the part that games builder 3DO Co is expected to use in a future Multiplayer system. Meanwhile, our sister publication PowerPC News, which told us all about the Motorola and IBM 603+ some time ago (CI No 2,485), is intrigued about its delivery schedule. The 603+ is an enhanced version of the PowerPC 603 with 32Kb of cache, twice what it has now. The 0.5 micron part is a shrink from the 603’s 0.65 process and will boost the speed to 100MHz, but the extra space will be taken up by the increased cache. If the Microprocessor Report is right, and Apple Computer Inc will not be getting volume quantities of the part in the third quarter, it asks if that doesn’t put the mockers on Apple’s notebook plans for some length of time? We understood that 603+ was to go into the portables. Meanwhile, IBM Japan Ltd is discussing a joint venture with construction machinery maker Komatsu Ltd on PowerPC. Komatsu said the proposed venture may include development of automation products – embedded stuff.
