[rescue] RE: SGI vs. Sun

[Joshua Boyd]

On Thu, Jan 13, 2005 at 02:22:53PM -0800, Sheldon T. Hall wrote:
>  Joshua Boyd writes ...
> > On Thu, Jan 13, 2005 at 01:29:33PM -0800, Sheldon T. Hall wrote:
> 
> > > I think of the I^2 as a desktop with server capabilities,
> > > and the SS20 as a
> > > server with desktop capabilities.  In those days, if you
> > > wanted SMP and
> > > major expandibility from SGI, I think the next step up from
> > > an I^2 was a
> > > Challenge L or Onyx.  That's a big step.
> >
> > But a fun one I'd imagine.
> 
> I certainly enjoy my Tandem-badged, stylishly-all-black Challenge L.  It has
> _lots_ of expandibility, far beyond anything I expect to need.  Subject to
> OS limitations, you could have 8 CPUs and 4 GM RAM (or maybe 12 CPU and 2 GB
> RAM), and more SCSI than you could afford to run.  I think you can put an
> IO4 board in each of the 5 or 6 VME slots, and each IO4 can handle 5 SCSI
> chains (FW/HVD or F/SE) ... so, maybe 25 SCSI chains of 15 drives each.
> Something like that.  Of course, the Onyx version uses some of those slots
> for video.

Think bigger than 25 SCSI chains.

Think Prisa NetFX-HIO64s.  And also think multiple FDDI channels, and
just maybe some HIPPI channels while you are at it.

> > I really hope I can still find those bad boys once I get a home to put
> > them in.
> 
> I expect they will be around.
> 
> Pick a spot in a cool climate with cheap electricity, and just let your Rack
> Onyx heat the house.

No rack onyx yet. :(

Have a crimson, but its in storage till a house is found.  I have plenty
of room to store big SGIs (or Cray should I be so lucky), just no place
to run them yet.

-- 
Joshua D. Boyd
jdboyd at jdboyd.net
http://www.jdboyd.net/
http://www.joshuaboyd.org/