May 25, 2004 - Sony, which if you weren\'t aware of it makes the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles, has been talking about its next generation Cell processor of late. This piece of expensive engineering, now in development at IBM, Sony and Toshiba, is expected to power the next generation PlayStation console in some form.
First up are comments from Nobuyuki Idei, the big man over at Sony (yes, he\'s bigger than PlayStation father Ken Kutaragi). In an interview published in the 5/24 edition of Japan\'s Nihon Keizai Newspaper, Idei reveals that Sony has set a target of 2006 for the appearance of the Cell as a component in televisions. This means that all those digital gizmos appearing in select televisions will be powered by Cell chips by 2006, if Sony has its way.
Separate from the Nihon Keizai Newspaper interview is a comment from Sony\'s public relations division obtained by the web arm of Japanese game magazine Famitsu. Sony states "The 2006 date isn\'t really a specific plan. At the very least, it\'s a target, and included in it are next generation game machines and televisions."
So, if Idei and the company he rules have their way, you could be playing a Cell-powered PlayStation 3 on a Cell-powered television (and possibly taking breaks to grab a drink from your Cell-powered refrigerator) in a couple of years. Better start preordering!
http://ps2.ign.com/articles/518/518814p1.html
