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Cheap PPC Linux Machines From IBM

Posted by timothy on from the alert-the-darl dept.

ksheff writes "According to this story, IBM is planning on introducing low-end SMP servers and deskside machines based on the PPC970. The machines would be able to run Linux and AIX. A 4-way machine is expected to cost less than $3500! IBM expects a 20x increase in the number of PPC Linux servers by 2006."

3 of 531 comments (clear)

  1. "cheap" by Dr+Kool,+PhD · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Come on now, $3500 for a quad server isn't anything close to "cheap". Checking pricewatch, you can buy a quad Xeon board for under $500, and Xeons@2.4GHz for under $250. That leaves you with $2000 to spend on a power supply, hard disks, etc, for a machine that will kick the crap out of this great machine IBM will release sometime in the future. And when Opteron comes out IBM's machine will look like even more of a POS.

  2. Why? by 0000+0111 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I don't get it. Call me stupid but ppc Linux does not seem to be nearly up to the same grade as OS X. I'm not saying Linux isn't, just ppc Linux. OS X/Darwin is entirely optimized for ppc and is developed entirely towards that end. ppc Linux is a port from something else (albeit a good one). Is IBM looking at developing a market that doesn't exist yet? Why does this strike me as being another example of corporate indirection for lack of a better idea?

  3. uh, rip off by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Everyone go to dealsea.com and check out the deal Dell is having right now, just under $400 for a P4 2.4GHz server. Remember, these are available TODAY, not sometime in the future maybe. You can buy four of these and build a Beowulf cluster for $1600 which will totally smoke this box from IBM. Then you can take another $400 and buy another Dell box to run Windows on, and you'll still have $1500 left over. Now, take the $1500 and go to Las Vegas. It shouldn't cost more than $300 for a plane ticket, southwest.com has good fares I hear. Get a penthouse in the MGM for another $300, a bottle of Cris for $200, and you STILL have $700 left over for HOOKERS!!

    So the question is, which would you rather have? One stinking IBM quad server, or a faster Beowulf cluster of Dell boxes AND a Windows box for games or whatever AND a crazy night in Vegas with HOT BABES?? The choice is obvious.