The Return of the Sun Workstation, With AMD's Help

Hack Jandy writes "Would you be surprised to hear Sun is the lowest cost Tier 1 dual-Opteron provider? AnandTech benchmarks Sun's newest w2100z and includes some sneak peaks at Solaris 10 and Java Desktop System 2. The biggest surprise at the end - it costs less than IBM and HP's configurations. Has Sun learned from the demise of SGI workstations that relying on one processor architecture is harmful?" CrzyP adds "They perform various benchmarks including 2D/3D rendering, compiling, encryption, and thermal and noise performance, and compare the 64-bit Sun box with various other configurations, including varying operating systems."

Comments

Need modern workstation

[Anonymous Coward]

Damn! If I only had a MODERN Sun workstation it might just have been fast enough to get first pos!

On the subject of workstations though... At a train station, trains stop. At a bus stations, buses stop. What does work do at a workstation?

Re:Need modern workstation

[akadruid]

Your glass is half-empty: trains also start at train stations and buses also start at bus stations.

You don't live in the UK then. Trains starting or stopping at stations is considered foolish optomism here.

Usual behaviour is considered to be failing to arrive, failing to go anywhere, getting halfway and breaking down or just sitting for hours at a time in the middle of nowhere. On a good day. With the right kind of leaves. And the wrong kind of Terrorists.

Waves hand impatiently in a dismissive fashion

[Matey-O]

Yes, but how did it stack up in Doom3?

w2100z. w00t!

[micromoog]

Every time I see w2100z, my internal 1337-sp34k decoder kicks on. Then I realize it's the actual product name.

one processor architecture

[cadelor]

Has Sun learned from the demise of SGI workstations that relying on one processor architecture is harmful?
Huh? The ultra 5, 10, sunblade 1500 and 150 were single processor. The ultra 60, sunblade 2000, sunblade 2500 are dual.
Sun was never relying on one processor, there have always been dual options.
The W1100z is the single processor version of the W2100z described in the article.
http://www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/hardware/d ocs/Workstation_Products/Workstations/index.html Suns workstation docs.

Re:What would really be surprising

[idiotnot]

the beta of sol10 x86 I've been running uses x.org. No problems at all with my Radeon 9k. Accel 2D only.

But of course!

[Anonymous Coward]

"Has Sun learned from the demise of SGI workstations that relying on one processor architecture is harmful?"

That's why the system is a dual processor architecture! :-)

Re:Typical

[temojen]

Computers, individuals don't buy them, and believe it or not, price is occasionally not the first and last consideration.

It's the availability of infinitely long tapes.

Re:w2100z. w00t!

[Bitmanhome]

WE LOOZ? Very ominous.