Re: [cobalt-users] RAQ competitors

[Kris Dahl <kris@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 12/30/99 12:25 PM, J. Masterson at masterson@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> 
>> Too expensive on these servers.
>> 
> 
>>> 
>>> http://www.valinux.com/  and http://www.valinux.com/store/
> 
> 
> Sure, for the high end ones. But our company is buying a Raq3i today for
> about $2700 bucks. It has a 13 gig HD, 128 RAM, and a 300 mhz AMD
> processor.
> 
> VaLinux low end server is $2865 -- slightly more... and has a 6.4 gig HD
> (smaller), 128 megs ram (same), and an Intel Pentium III 500 mhz
> processor (faster). So it's comparable, really...
> 
> Not sure if VaLinux has the extensive web-based tools for people without
> extensive syadmin knowledge, however...

Man, I don't know about this Raq3.  Its cool and all, but is NOT price
effective like the Raq2 was.

Value of the Raq2:
-Cheap
-Fairly Easy to use for most things

Value of Raq2
-Fairly Easy to use for most things

I don't think that Cobalt's interface provides enough added value to warrant
the price tag of a 'real server'.

For the kind of money I'd spend on a Raq3 I can go out and get a HP LPr
(some pretty serious power there) in a 2U profile.  SCSI Hard drives.  A
real processor.  A decent motherboard.  Spare in the air support.
Expandability.  Way fast machine that can handle pretty much anything you
throw at it.

Or even a IBM 4000r (1U).  Dual Pentium IIIs with a good chipset vs. a
single K6 on a lame chipset?  The price for a dual may be twice that of a
Raq3, but I bet the benchmark'll rate it at least that in performance.  Of
course, I'm of the opinion that anyone who is using a (by their own free
will) a K6 on a server platform should have their head examined.

Raq2's were a great product, price-performance outstanding.  Great for small
web hosting companies, etc.  But if you are truly serious, and looking at
spending > 3k on a server, and step up to the plate.  'Cause really, you are
at the threshold where you need to step up to the next level and you should
probably have someone on staff who can handle the equipment.

-k