Experiences When Transitioning to Low-End Workstations?

gerddie asks: "Lately, we have seen a lot of companies starting to move their graphics stuff from high end to low end linux workstations (e.g. Dreamworks). Of course one reason to do such thing is cut costs, and therefore, at our institute we are going to replace or aging SGI O2s with Linux workstations. I wonder if you have experience with such a transition - especially regarding the usability of such machines for (scientific) visualization? What is working well, and where did you encounter pitfalls?"

Comments

Re:x86 will be faster

[Anonymous Coward]

In that case he might as well get 64-bit windows on itanium, after all, it'll be the defacto standard for high end pcs, workstations and servers very soon. Once commercial UNIX goes away (and it will within the next 1 to 2 years) people will stop developing for Linux because it is a dead end and will have no upgrade path. Then, all those people who convinced their bosses to move away from Windows will be so out of a job.

Re:I am doing this right now...

[Galahad]

) Big/Little endian issue, and this is one of the worst problems u will meet in your life :).

Aside from the daily erosion of the English language?

Main Entry: u
Pronunciation: 'yü
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural u's or us /'yüz/
Usage: often capitalized, often attributive
Date: before 12th century
1 a : the 21st letter of the English alphabet b : a graphic representation of this letter c : a speech counterpart of orthographic u
2 : a graphic device for reproducing the letter u
3 : one designated u especially as the 21st in order or class
4 [abbreviation for unsatisfactory] a : a grade rating a student's work as unsatisfactory b : one graded or rated with a U
5 : something shaped like the letter U