Mary thinks, or at least writes implications, that all computers except ones with Intel inside will be dead meat soon. That is sheer and utter madness. In fact, system 390, heretofore known as mainframes, continues its "comeback" in terms of MIPS shipped. This has been happening since about 1994, or when they started shipping CMOS machines.
There is something else that has come out in the last few years, and it is that the "cost per seat" is cheaper in S390 based server farms, or other big installations requiring mucho crunching power, than for big networks of lower power servers. Main swinger is sys admin cost. The 390 may be just one footprint, and never fails, and can do "no touch" upgrades. The other solution has dozens of hardware pieces and cabling, and different kinds of software, and usually takes departments full of Unix and NT hardware and software sys admin people to keep it running and upgraded. Last figure I saw was $8K per seat for the distributed network solution, $2K for S390. Admittedly, that was a couple of years ago, but all prices are coming down, EXCEPT FOR SYS ADMINsalaries. Especially not that, I hear they're up near CEO range. Exaggerating but...
Hey, I hope Intel cleans up on all IT fronts, network stuff too, but big iron has a decade head start over everyone else in what I'll call here no-down preparation. You're right, Intel is making nice inroads in workstation and low-midrange server markets.
I hate to say it, but if the handwriting is on the wall for IBM (big laugh), how come their stock price is so frigging astronomical?
Tony |
