Portable 8-iMac Linux Cluster Real World Debut

Snocone writes: "Here is the first real world application (researching drug effects on the brain, ironically enough) of Terra Soft's 8-way Black Lab Linux cluster. Even if they didn't deserve mad props for standing up proudly against the Lintel hegemony, there's just something fundamentally hilarious about selling an $18K supercomputer made out of iMacs." So - eight Imacs. You could get the different colors, and call it a Lifesavers Candy Cluster?

Comments

Re:Wouldn't the G4 be a better option?

[dburcaw]

Depends. For people looking to deploy a small, very cheap cluster using PowerPC.. iMacs are the way to go. If you want the higher performance and are willing to spend more G4 is the way to. G4s aren't *that* much more expensive, either.

Regards,
Dan Burcaw
dburcaw@terrasoftsolutions.com
Terra Soft Solutions, Inc.

Re:Cute, but is it newsworthy?

[dburcaw]

Well, this particular cluster is using 100mb ethernet. The reason is that the iMac isn't exactly easy to upgrade with something like gigabit or myrinet. We do work on G4 clusters that use gigabit or myrinet for a very high performance and low latency interconnect fabric.

Regards,
Dan Burcaw
dburcaw@terraplex.com
Terra Soft Solutions, Inc.

I am not too familiar with Beowulf Clusters, but;

[Nanookanano]

If you hook 8 Macs into a token ring, would you consider that a Fruit Loop?