Cell chip146;s details unveiled

The chip, which is still being designed, has been one of the most guarded secrets in the entertainment, semiconductor and computing industries since the companies started work on it in 2001. Advertisement industry analysts expect the new PlayStation to be released in late 2005 or early 2006.

The advanced chip will include multiple processors versatile enough to provide richer video images, multiplayer gaming and the addition of still pictures, audio and other media, the companies and analysts said.

Sony plans to introduce high-definition televisions powered by Cell in 2006, while IBM says the Cell chip has the potential to be included in other consumer electronics and computing products, the companies said.

IBM and Sony also said they were testing a workstation driven by the Cell chip that will be used by video game makers and producers of special effects. To handle all these functions, the Cell will have separate microprocessors that manage specific jobs simultaneously, as well as allow for data to be sent and received at high speeds over broadband lines.

This is a step ahead of the current generation of chips that typically have one microprocessor and can manage more limited amounts of data and functions at a time.

8220;The Cell processor is probably the first major change in chip processors in 10 to 20 years because there are multiple brains8221; inside the chip, said Richard Doherty, the president and research director at the Envisioneering Group, a technology consultant in Seaford, NY. 8212;NYT