Toshiba is cooperating with Sony and IBM on a chip that might be used in the PlayStation 3. Production of "Cell", the name the chip bears, will begin as early as 2004. It is capable of handling intricate graphics and sound over the Internet and will be produced using 300 millimeter (12 inch) silicon wafers. This larger size may reduce production costs as much as thirty percent compared with standard 200 millimeter wafers.
Sony expects Cell to be used in several new consumer electronics, but declines to comment on the use of the chip in its new gaming console. A spokeswoman at Sony Computer Entertainment, however, did state: "Cell would obviously be the central chip for our next generation products. We're developing Cell in preparation for the time when every computer is linked to the Internet."
News source: GameSpyDaily
