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Chung Yang,
Some related questions. If the microprocessor is not the expensive component
of a server, what is the most expensive part?
Also, do you think Sun will use Intel's microprocessor to build server and
workstations?
Thanks,
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It really depends on what features you built in. It could be
memory or storage (depends on how much you put in it). It could
be the networking hardware (depends on what you put on it).
It could be the power supply (don't laugh just yet, in the near
future power supply may just be the most sophisticated and
most expensive part of a system).
When you are dealing with mission critical servers, you care about
a machine running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365.25 days a year.
So technology such as fault tolerance and hot swappable devices
(you can upgrade or do maintance on a system without taking the
machine off line. You can pop/take out a new disk. Or a new
processor) could be the most expensive part of the machine.
I don't know. SUN has said that they are committed to SPARC
architecture. But when and if the microelectronic division of
SUN fails to deliver, they may decided to go with Intel chips.
But that hasn't happened yet. SUN is a well run company because
they always play with full deck of cards. They never put
all their eggs in one basket. You never know what they are
going to do next. Unlike HP, who put up the white flags way
too early, gave away way too much, stopped innovating on
their own technology. They have now become a 2nd rate workstation
and server maker.
- Chung
H.Wai |
