US Air Force To Suffer From PS3 Update

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SmartKit

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The US Air Force, having purchased PS3s for supercomputing research, is now the latest victim of Sony's removal of the Install Other OS feature. It turns out that while their PS3s don't need the firmware update, it will be impossible to replace PS3s that fail. PS3s with the OtherOS feature are no longer produced since the Slim was introduced, so replacements will have to come from the existing stock of used PS3s. However, as most gamers have probably updated their PS3s, that used stock is no longer suitable for the USAF's research. In addition, smaller educational clusters using PS3s will share the same fate — unable to replace machines that die in their clusters.
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Sony is doing their best to alienate their customers, aren't they?

http://games.slashdot.org/story/09/11/25/0527205/US-Air-Force-Buying-Another-2200-PS3s

In related news:

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6261838.html

In an effort to enhance the security on pre-Slim PlayStation 3 models, Sony removed one of the system's most versatile features, Other OS, as part of firmware v3.21 in April. With the feature, tech-savvy gamers could install the Linux operating system on the PS3, effectively turning the gaming console into a desktop computer.

Sony's decision has not been looked upon kindly by many Other OS proponents, and the move has already sparked one lawsuit seeking class-action status. Now, two other lawsuits have been leveled at Sony over its removal of the feature, and both are seeking to be elevated to class-action complaints.

...

Notably, firmware update v3.21 is optional. However, those who opt out of the update will not be able to play new PS3 games, access the PlayStation Network, or play Blu-ray movies that use a BD Live online connection.
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Another satisfied customer.
 
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Well they would have been screwed anyway as don't all PS3 Slims have the Other OS feature disabled as default?
 
Fudzy said:
Well they would have been screwed anyway as don't all PS3 Slims have the Other OS feature disabled as default?
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Yeah, guess that'll teach people not to create supercomputers from closed architecture technology! Sony showed them, hey?
 
phaktza said:
Yeah, guess that'll teach people not to create supercomputers from closed architecture technology! Sony showed them, hey?
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Well I'll be surprised if Sony don't give the US Airforce a workaround.
 
Why?

If Sony want to sell as much PS3's off as possible, then they should market their products at a much wider audience.

This marketing decision is an epic fail, and worthy of a double facepalm.

If you can't give the customer what he/she wants, said customer will shop elsewhere, and the competition will benefit.
 
Ninja'd said:
Link or it's fake.
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http://www.tomsguide.com/us/ps3-air-force-usaf-playstation,news-5297.html
http://lists.ozlabs.org/pipermail/cbe-oss-dev/2009-August/006965.html
http://lists.ozlabs.org/pipermail/cbe-oss-dev/2010-March/007236.html
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/29/man-files-class-action-suit-over-ps3-other-os-support-removal/
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-hit-by-two-more-other-os-lawsuits
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-hit-by-two-more-other-os-lawsuits
http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/01/psa-ps3-firmware-update-3-21-available-now/
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2010/03/28/ps3-firmware-v3-21-update/

Really stupid of Sony if you ask me, there are many PS3 Supercomputer clusters out in the wild that run Linux.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3_cluster#Medical_research
As of April 23, 2007, more than 250,000 PS3 owners have allowed the Folding@home software to be run on their systems, averaging over 400 teraFLOPS and peaking at over 700. By comparison, the world's most powerful supercomputer as of April 2010, the Cray Jaguar has a peak performance of 1.75 petaFLOPS, or 1750 teraFLOPS.[14] The latest report stated that Folding@Home has passed the 1PF (petaFLOPS) mark, of which 800TF(teraFLOPS) are supplied by PlayStation 3 clients.
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:eek::eek::eek:
 
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While it's still wrong that they removed the OtherOS feature, he Cell isn't cutting it for general purpose computation anymore. 300 GFLOPS peak vs 3 TFLOPS peak in the new ATI cards?

Most of these places would have started to migrate to GPUs anyway, because it's an industry that's growing.

Sony could probably just recall the USAF's PS3 clusters and replace them with clusters that have CUDA- or OpenCL-capable hardware. And I hope they do, otherwise, as others have mentioned, they're just shafting their customers.
 
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