DV.

From Pane V4

(working title) will utilize
DVD rechnology rather than
chip-based cartridges. Also
like the Psx2, the Dolphin
will take advantage of IBM's
recent advances with copper .
Wire technology. Previous
computer science utilized alu-
minum wiring as thin as 0.25
microns which proved finite
but stable. Copper wiring,
which is a better conduit, was
prone to overheating but
IBM has foiled that foible and
has set the wiring standard as
copper, 0.18 microns. Smaller
copper wires means more
intormation processed faster
in less space.

“As customers such as
Nintendo develop increasingly
sophisticated systems, the
complexity of the chips that
power them grows dramati-
cally,” says John Kelly, general
manager of IBM
Microelectronics Division.
“We (IBM) have the technol-
ogy, design expertise and
manufacturing experience
necessary to develop and
deliver solutions for our cus-
tomers.” In this case, they
have the capabilities to make
the world’s first bionic con-
sole; better than they were
before. Better. Stronger.
Faster.

Nintendo has partnered
with IBM and will equip the
Dolphin with a 400 ;
Megahertz CPU. The Gekko
processor, an extension of the
IBM Power PC architecture,
assures speed rivalling, most
modern PCs. However, cur-
rent benchmarks in processing
power are changing almost
daily, with the most recent
version of Intel’s Pentium III
boasting 550 MHz. By
autumn of the year 2000, 400
MHz myy seem slow, or
merely average.

__ Nonetheless, Nintendo’s
Dolphin promises anti-pirating
DVD technology from clec-
tronic giant, Matsushita —
better known in North
America as Panasonic — IBM
experience and know-how,
plus a custom graphic chip
design from ArtX Inc. with a
clock speed of 200MHz, and
plans to be more powerful
than “any current or planned
home video game entertain-
ment system.”

While that claim is certain-
ly true of Sega’s current state-
of-the-art Dreamcast, Mark
Hartley, product manager for
Sega Europe remains unfazed.
“These are just bold state-
ments at this point,” Hartley
states: “The fact is they
(Nintendo) had to announce -
something, anything, in the
face of our presence as the
number one console manufac-
turer for 1999.”

Ron Bertram, Director of
Communication for Nintendo
of Canada, agrees. “We were
obvious!y frustrated by the
timing,” he states, citing that
the early stages of develop-
ment for the Dolphin-natural-
ly limit the amount of infor-
mation being released, “but
the announcement was
inevitable.” He contends,
noting that nobody within
the industry was really sur-
prised by the monumental
news, “Nintendo has been
working with the IBM chip
since 1997. I mean, we're

always in development.”

. Bertram adds thar, unlike
Sega, which no longer main-
tains an interest in their ill-
fated “next level” console
called the Sega Saturn,
Nintendo will continue to
support their current console,

the N6+, “We'll continue to
release really solid: games for
owo or three years after the
Dolphin hits the market,” he
states, insisting that Nintendo
has always let one great con-
sole after another “run its
course,” like the Nintendo
Entertainment System (NES),
the Super Nintendo
Entertainment System

technolo

(SNES) and the hand-held
GameBoy,

Sony, on the other hand,
will not only continue sup-
port for their current system,
the PlayStation, they will

ake the new PlayStation2
backward compatible. In
other words, the new system
will play the current system’s
games. A working demo of

y first for

the Psx2 was officially
unveiled at E3 and gernered a
great deal of atrention. Sony's
Psx2 configuration is similar
to Nintendo’s Dolphin with
its Power PC based CPU and
DVD drive, with technologi-
cal configurations diverging
fron there.

The most noteworthy
news within the Dolphin

Friday, May 21, 1999 — North Shore News — 27

news may have gone unno-
ticéd by all but the avid
gamers, Utilizing DVD-
ROM technology will be a
first tor Nintendo, which has
opted in the past tor a car-
tridge based game platform
— difficult to pirate but difti-
cult for developers to work
with. The new system should
attract many of the power-

house game producers cur-
ready working on dise-based
games for the PlayStation
and/or the Dreameast and
who develop and produce
product more rapidly and at a
lower cost.

To us, the consumer, this
means more choice, better
games, sooner. Better.
Stronger. Faster.

This weekend only, save 20% on all regular-priced women’s, men’s
and kids’ apparel, accessories, lingerie, footwear, housewares, linens,
bedding & furniture. Basically, if i's regular-priced, it’s on sale*
Don’t miss the savings. Starts Friday.

EATON’S
Times have changed.

"Excludes Gucci watches, selected jewellery and watches, selected shoes, collectibles, Eaton Beauty Dolls, Seagull Pewter Joseph Schmidt, Godiva chocolates, Eaton Home $9.99 towel, regular priced smail electrics & persona! care
appliances, Denby, Villeruy & Boch, formal dinnerware, furs, cosmetics, fragrances, bath & bod, Eaton groceterias and restaurants, Eaton Gift Certificates, imperial Financial Services, all concessions and services, Bridal Salon &
Sunglass Hut. Selecte stores will be open and offer extended to May 24, 1999, Selection varies by store. Factory Outlet and Clearance Centres not included. Personal shopping only Savings on regular ticketed prices.

** Eaton's will deduct the equivalent of the GST from the total purchase price. The GST offer excludes Cosmetics & Fragrances, Bath & Body Estate Jewellery, vaiches by Swatch, Armani, Hugo Bass, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent &
Calvin Klein, Fine jewellery & prestige watches, Jewellery by Ou Nouveau, Memoire Paris, Dianand Essence & the Royal Canadian Mint, Dior Roots merchandise, Swarovski merchandise, selected womens shoes by Nine West,
Enzo Angiolini, shoes by Easy Spirit and Stuarl, Mr Seymour & Via Spiga, Women's regular priced designer collections (consisting of selected sportswear, dresses, suits, outerwear, swimwear & denim fashions}, DKNY hosiery,
Children's regular priced Tommy Hilfiger & Polo apparel, Beanie Babies; Eaton Beauty Dolls, Collectibles, Seagull Pewter Eaton Home $9.99 towel, Joseph Schmidt and Godiva chocotates,
£aton Gifl certificates, Eaton's Restaurants, concessions & services. Personal shopping only Details in store. List subject to change.

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