The PowerPC is jointly developed by
Apple,
IBM and
Motorola. IBM contributed the multiprocessor design (
POWER architecture as used to realize someof the first
RS/6000), Motorola the I/O part (using the
88000) and Apple the computer design. The life of PowerPC is a very interesting story, which involves IBM trying to make Intel x86 compatible processor... in hardware, almost like the codemorphing technology
Transmeta uses for their
Crusoe.
The PowerPC is now mainly used by Apple to power their desktop and notebook computers. Even the Amiga had/has a PowerPC acclerator board, know as the
BlizzardPPC. Motorola now manufactures embedded networkprocessors based on the PowerPC design, known as PowerQUICC.
Nintendo uses a IBM variant, the
Gekko, to power their
GameCube.
A very well known computer powered by PowerPC processors, was the IBM
Deep Blue project. It even beated Kasparov.