U.S. Air Force wants 300 PS3 units for cell processor research

Posted Mar 4, 2008 at 7:57PM by QJ Staff Listed in: PS3 Tags: Sony

Sony may have proven yet again that its PlayStation 3 console is the most competitive powerhouse in the market. The United States Air Force just released a request for proposal (RFP) to push research forward, and it wants to purchase 300 40GB PS3 units since they hold the key to cell processor technology research at a reasonable price.

According to the RFP, the Air Force Research Laboratory is assessing cell processors and eyes are on the Sony PS3. To quote the proposal:

The processors in the Sony PlayStation 3 are the only brand on the market that utilizes the specific cell processor characteristics needed for this program at an acceptable cost.

The U.S. Air Force is not looking for any special treatments, as it's expecting the same warranty terms and prices. If this pushes through, retailers will be sending in their price quotes before sending the consoles. Meanwhile, we're sitting on our chairs wondering if the PS3 is going to serve the U.S. Air Force in the near future.

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Comments

# Cool — Darkshneider 2008-03-04 14:11

PS3 to become service men... err... consoles... err super computers.

# lol — platon 2008-03-04 17:44

A big stupid, they should have called sony and asked for a custom made cell processing computer. I mean, 300 PS3 is still around 135 000 $, lol.

And sony is loosing money on this since they sell the ps3 under what is cost, to make money with royalties (from games). So Sony is gonna pay the american military for their research program, with is a bit wierd, lol.

# ^ sony losing money? — KevOne 2008-03-04 18:22

i think sony broke even like 2 months ago or something, they are actually making money with every ps3 sold, but i'm not sure by how much.

also, i bet this is how skynet starts :>

MACHINESSSSSS

# excuses — spicyhamster 2008-03-04 18:29

the generals just want to play COD4

# ~~ — ~~ 2008-03-04 22:16

Last Time I checked they made profit off of every console ? Only just since recently

# nice one spicyhamster.. — the by 2008-03-04 22:41

or maybe they're gonna start making flight sims for it!!! lol!!

# Platon, you are a big stupid — Payka 2008-03-04 23:27

1.Sony is not losing money anymore.

2. It's a massive inconvenience for everyone to make a custom computer. It is pointless and you would still need 300 of them. Why the hell would you do that? Sony wouldn't even agree to it.

3. $135,000 is spare change to the US airforce

# hehe — SomeGuy 2008-03-04 23:29

LOL I was gonne make a joke about judgment day but I guess you beat me too it

# Virtual Training - VR Training MGS Anyone!? — SolidXnake 2008-03-05 02:29

Most likely that will be the start of new VR training for soldiers. Hey it's cheap and very good to build eyes and response skills - If they needed to make supercomputers you just need the cell processor from the machine and not the actual PS3 so it's not that. VR Training Maybe?

# lol — Hekynn 2008-03-05 02:39

hehehe who knows maybe they just want 300 of them so they can do some fragfesting on UT3 or do something to the consoles

# ? — Mister Common Sense 2008-03-05 02:40

I love the PS3, but I can't imagine what the Air Force would need 300 of them for. Seems like a total waste to me.

# lol — sickofitall 2008-03-05 03:01

you got to love the 40gb PS3. It turns out they are good for something.

# ahh so this is what happens — sycoblast 2008-03-05 03:31

when the commanding officers or the air force play call of duty 4 and right after wath 300.

still i agree its pocket change to them

# um — Binary 2008-03-05 05:18

Bush just sign a bill today saying everybody must own ps3.

# And our government is good at wasting money too. — yworob 2008-03-05 06:37

Are you kidding me? Instead of using this money to get a cell processor specifically built to suit their needs they are going to by a bunch of PS3s? I remember when the PS2 came out they said Saddam Hussein had bought hundreds of them because their processing power was so great for the cost. What a bunch of bulls***.

# lol — Eclipze_ 2008-03-05 07:48

One of the guy over there must be raiden O_O..

# eh — jrm125 2008-03-05 08:15

probably just cheap data crunching

# lol — xXPedroMaxXx 2008-03-05 10:18

LMAO!!! good one

# Too bad.... — Stealth! 2008-03-05 11:06

That skynet was actually part of a satellite, and not a processor. But still thats far off anyway. Even if that were to happen i will probably be dead just like most of you guys.

# hehe ;-) — nuffsaid 2008-03-05 11:54

modern aircrafts have a lot of processors in them for better agility, quicker/better target tracking etc.

the US air force originally used the xbox 360 for their latest copter but the copter suffered the ring of death!

-im only joking

# @stealth — KevOne 2008-03-05 16:34

if you've been watching the new terminator series, skynet started off as a computer and computers do alot of processing, and with 300 cell processors, this would hasten the arrival of judgement day :>

# 300? — TheFatController 2008-03-06 00:18

seems like a coincidence but i do believe the movie 300 has something to do with this ...... can any one say, spartans, what is your profession ..... hu hu hu ..... lol. seems like usaf is taking a page from history and bringing it back to the future.

# :) — Tapp 2008-03-12 02:40

I wonder if there also planning on buying 300 copies of COD4?

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