Friday, February 5, 2016

Imagine there's no Intel transition ...

... and with a 12-core POWER8 workstation, it's easy if you try. Reported to me by a user is the Raptor Engineering Talos Secure Workstation, the first POWER workstation I've seen in years since the last of the PowerPC Intellistations. You can sign up for preorders so they know you're interested. (I did, of course. Seriously. In fact, I'm actually considering buying two, one as a workstation and the second as a new home server.) Since it's an ATX board, you can just stick it in any case you like with whatever power supply and options you want and configure to taste.

Before you start hyperventilating over the $3100 estimated price (which includes the entry-level 8-core CPU), remember that the Quad G5, probably the last major RISC workstation, cost $3300 new and this monster would drive it into the ground. Plus, at "only" 130 watts TDP, it certainly won't run anywhere near as hot as the G5 did either. Likely it will run some sort of Linux, though I can't imagine with its open architecture that the *BSDs wouldn't be on it like a toupee on William Shatner. Let's hope they get enough interest to produce a few, because I'd love to have an excuse to buy one and I don't need much of an excuse.

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10 comments:

  1. Ryan Rule-HoffmanFebruary 6, 2016 at 10:34 PM

    Just put in my name for the preorder! I also wouldn't need much convincing to buy one of these things; I hope they actually make them!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2016 at 1:55 PM

    This is one major reason to hope the guys over at the PPC Laptop project can get it going. They are talking about some serious OSX emulation and even a Free/OpenBSD for it. Once it is finished, might be able to move over to a rig like the one you are talking about for some serious power.

    While no where near that fancy, just souped-up my MDD G4 Dual 1.42.

    New Stuff:

    • 2-Pioneer 118L 20x IDE, DVD Burners - they were on sale super-cheap!

    • Big, ADC/LCD Apple Studio Display (finally retiring the old CRT) & Harman/Kardon Soundsticks II (both are old be in superb shape).

    • SiliconImage 3124 PCI 4 channel SATA Hardware/Raid (two internal SATA, two external eSata). Setup with 2-4TB, 7,200, Hitachi Enterprise UltraStars (rated for 2,000,000 operations without an error).

    • 2TB of same make as above for work/primary storage, and first-level backup with CCC.

    •Iogear Universal 150NWiFi adapter. Plugs into Ethernet, and doesn't draw CPU resources to work (powered via USB). Fully compatible with OS9 too.

    • OWC 120GB, self-trimming SSD for OSX/OS9 systems. Greatly reduced scratch-disc access times and no more spin-ups to launch.

    • LG Quad-Layer BluRay/MDisc drive connected via FireWire/eSata and mounted in vintage/matching Que! Fire external optical bay. Can burn over 1ooGB on a single quad-layer BluRay, or a 4.7/25/50 1000-year archival MDisc (readable in any normal BluRay/DVD reader). Even open CDs/DVDs in OS9!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 8, 2016 at 1:59 PM

      P.S. Also found a used, but working 900W Minuteman UPS at yardsale for $10!!!!! OK, now I'm just bragging! ;0p

      Delete
  3. AnonymousFebruary 9, 2016 at 5:21 AM

    Hm. Average income in "central Europe" (at least in Germany) is not as low as you put it. 1k/month would rather be near social help support. I know of enough people buying the latest Retina OSX gadgets for 2-3k€...

    ReplyDelete
  4. niu techFebruary 9, 2016 at 2:14 PM

    Where I live (Poland, Central Europe) an average wage is 850€/month, so $3100 is really a lot of money.

    ReplyDelete
  5. zenFebruary 9, 2016 at 6:39 PM

    I live in Canada, and have met several people from all over the EU who come here (legally with permit) to work.

    Not only because there are more jobs here, but also because the wages are typically higher here also.

    Logout lives in the Czech Republic and has a kid, so I'd say he knows what he's talking about.

    ReplyDelete
  6. zenFebruary 9, 2016 at 6:55 PM

    This is the kind of hardware that all *nix people dream of. All of them... Linix and UNIX users alike, should and will go nuts for this.

    But like everything truly open in the computer world, there are only a handful of people in the world that can truly take full advantage of it.

    Imagine this... if for all these last 20+ years if the average user had kept up text computing skills rather than buying into the GUI 100%. Everyone would have advanced skills, and everyone would be able to plow their own path on virtually any hardware. As it should be.

    ReplyDelete
  7. zenFebruary 17, 2016 at 7:56 PM

    Stunning that 950 euro is high for the EU. Minimum wage in Canada would work out to about 1300 euro a month, but even that is too low.

    The "developed world" doesn't seem so developed the last decade or more.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousFebruary 20, 2016 at 4:36 AM

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Europe#/media/File:Central_Europe_%28Brockhaus%29.PNG

    Just to get the definition right.

    ReplyDelete
  9. blaBblaApril 17, 2016 at 2:51 AM

    We should be comparing cost of living. I also live in the Czech Republic and you need much less money to have the same standard of living comparing to Germany. What I mean: renting, groceries, paying for education or a doctor.

    Of course we can afford much less in terms of electronics, cards and plane tickets, since they cost the same throughout the world.

    ReplyDelete

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