[KLUG Hardware] Re: EETimes has more on 64-bit PowerPC (and other MDF goodies) ...

[Bryan J. Smith]

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On Wed, 2002-10-16 at 12:43, Adam Williams wrote:
> I think they are right, and can afford to take their time deciding on
> their 64 bit path.  The *VAST* (I'd wager >95%) of organizations can
> find their needs met with properly configured 32-bit architectures,=20
> usually with ample capacity to spare.

Maybe it's because I work in engineering, but we passed 4GB as our
"need" about 4 years ago.  ;-P

> And for that 5% there is the zSeries, iSeries, etc....

Not exactly "commodity" there dude.  ;-P

> Sure people said that a i386 32-bit desktop would be all anyone would
> ever need, but the transition to 64bit is on an entirely different
> scale.  Certainly not 64bit on the desktop where the volume to bring
> down cost is.  And even most servers are WAY below 4Gb of physical RAM
> above which 64 bit starts to strut its stuff.

Again, not where I've been the last 4 years.

> I install steroid enhanced servers, not because people need them, but
> because management has got a yin for deploying new boxes on their pet
> projects.  And that seems to be the norm for most organizations I visit
> or admins I talk to.

My file servers were at 2GB almost 4 years ago.  And those were
_bottleneck_ servers!

And forget systems for analysis, 4GB+ was the norm.  Hell, I had
engineers who "bitched" when they had to use the 3GB ones.  ;-P

> Unless you need HUGE scale or have some ferocious new application there
> just isn't any reason to be troubled with the immature state of 64 bit
> platforms.

"Immature"???  I was running with 64-bit Alphas back in 1996.  We
_needed_ them back then, purely for the raw performance!  Everything
from file servers to engineering applications would benefit.

And engineering is what has been driving Linux adoption for the past 3-4
years anyway.  ;-P

--=20
Bryan J. Smith, E.I.            Contact Info:  http://thebs.org
A+/i-Net+/Linux+/Network+/Server+ CCNA CIWA CNA SCSA/SCWSE/SCNA
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