19990503: PC platforms for running Unidata applications (cont.)

>From: Deborah Luchsinger <address@hidden>
>Organization: University of Denver
>Keywords: 199904220326.VAA28906 platforms

Debby,

>A smaller system would be as follows:
>
>* 450 MHz Pentium II
>* 256 MB RAM
>* 2 4GB SCSI drives
>
>A "monster" system would include:
>
>* 500 MHz Pentium III processor
>* 500 MB RAM
>* 2 9.1GB SCSI drives
>
>All other parameters would basically be the same....

This is more than I thought.  I would classify both of these machines
as "big" (maybe not "monster", but at least "predator"-like :-).  I
don't think you could go very wrong with these machines.

Another thing that has been coming apparent lately.  Sun's support for
Solaris x86 does not seem to be as "strong" as the growing support for
Linux.  The kind of things we are looking at are:

o support for Java
o support for openGL that accesses the PC's video card directly
o support for PPP

I still think that Solaris x86 is more secure, but, given our Java
efforts here, I can help but take notice that the primary developer of
Java is not providing good support to one of their own operating
systems.  Go figure!

Can you get both of these machines for $6000?  Wow!

>Thanks Tom!

No problem.

Hey, what happened to "The Ice Princess"?

>* * * * * * *^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ * * * * * * * *
>
>Dr. Deborah Anne Luchsinger
>Assistant Professor, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
>Department of Geography and Environmental Science
>University of Denver
>Boettcher Center West, Office 111
>Denver, Colorado   80208
>Office: 303.871.4205
>FAX: 303.871.2201
>email: address@hidden
>
>Mark Twain, late 1870s: "A man who keeps company with glaciers comes to
>feel tolerably insignificant by and by..."
>*************************************************************************

Tom