Physics Processing Unit...

http://www.ageia.com/technology.html

Does anyone else see the possibilities here??

"By offloading software physics processing from the CPU and GPU, the PPU completes the triangle of gameplay, graphics and physics, balancing the load of these processing tasks and enabling pervasive interactive reality in tomorrow's games."

*sighs* Great....another card to buy in a year before I can play the newest games....

Sooo we are going back in technology and going to Co-processors again...<<<shakes head

"Current CPUs are only powerful enough to support 30 to 40 physical objects that you can interact with onscreen, but systems with a PPU add-in card will be able to support more than 30,000 objects on screen."

Drool!

With the rise of networking, we are going all the way back to Special Purpose Computing...

but this is not a bad thing.

Decentralization is generally a good, healthy pattern. Actually, radical federalization is a better term.

In one aspect from an Engineering standpoint I can understand it as per what they are defining.

Additionally from your notation about Networking this is a fundamentaly sound design as well when a multi tasked organization needs specialised functions within its structure.

However, on a Home Computing standpoint the swing to diversify home PC's to needing a Network to function is in essence a control factor. Meaning the big companys want more slices of Pie out of our pockets and by offering a product that decentralizes all processing into services.

Problem is not all home PC operators are that niave about computing thus may balk against this type of decentralization.

Initially when I read this the first thought in mind was "Coprocessor" however after reading it I understand it better.

In one regard it will be a boon for SL and streaming interfaces. However, if I am not mistaking AMD with their 64bit processor will be leaning heavly on the proformance side of computing once OS's are out that can adequately handle the speed in which these systems can operate.

Don't get me wrong this is a very interesting topic and after reading the White Papers on its design I am actually quite impressed. Unfortunately the down side of it from a manufacturing standpoint is intial costs to the consumer not seeing an affordable level in at least the next 5 years at best.

Shadow

YAY! Ragdoll physics in SL.

It will be even more fun to push people down the stairs.

--Jack Lambert