In an interview with Impress PC Watch, Ken Kutaragi, President of Sony Computer Entertainment, was reporting that Sony may preinstall Linux on the optional PS3 hard drive, to allow the PS3 to function more like a general computer instead of just as a standard gaming console. Later on it was also mentioned that OSX and Windows could run on the PS3.

Yesterday, one of our readers, Mike Adams, sent us a mail mentioning that not only compatibility but also support for MacOSX was officially stated on SONY UK website: http://www.sony.co.uk

Sony is expected to offer optional hard drives for the PS3 with potential memory capacity of 80 or 120 GB. It remains to be decided whether the standard version of the PS3 will come complete with a hard drive. The operating system has also yet to be clarified. The integrated Cell processor will be able to support a variety of operating systems (such as Linux or Apple’s Tiger).

In this text there is no more mention of Windows, but it is clearly stated that OSX could run on PS3, and not only that the PS3 could be used as a OSX-compatible device.
Well, I see already some macusers getting excited to run OSX on a Cell processor. But wait a bit because it is still not clear for us if Apple will agree that Sony publicly communicate on the possibility to run OSX on the PS3, and so even give a license to Sony to make it possible. The rumors reporting intensive discussion between Steve Jobs and Sony CEO earlier this year could also be linked to this option: OSX on PS3 (iTunes, movie-dedicated iTMS-like, etc…).
It is also possible that the Sony UK website has misunderstood Ken Kutagari statements, transforming a possibility into a reality. We should no more by the end of the year when the different PS3 models should be announced, for an availability during 2006.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 4th, 2005 at 14:30 CEST and is filed under Tech porn. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.