Cell co-creators IBM, Sony, and Toshiba have published details of the processor's architecture online.
A couple of months ago, the Cell processor found fans at technology solutions firm Mercury Computer Systems, as IBM formed an alliance with Mercury. The Cell could have utility in several industries, including military uses.
Now, the triumvirate that developed the Cell has released key documents online that detail technical information about the processor. Fans of the Sony PlayStation already know that the next generation releases for those machines will contain the Cell.
By making these details available, the trio hopes to cultivate more interest in the Cell platform, and see developers create applications to take advantage of its capabilities. In a press release, IBM touts the Cell's Broadband Engine Architecture and its suitability for multimedia applications.
Toshiba and Microsoft have had a cross-licensing agreement in place for several months. Perhaps that relationship will lead to some development efforts in Redmond that focus on a new media center-type machine, running a Microsoft solution on Toshiba hardware with a Cell processor at the heart of the box.
