Re: [cobalt-users] CHEAPEST RAQ3i - where to buy?

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"abc-123.net" wrote:

> To each his own, I know the people, and i know how their support is, as
> being cheaper does not convey poor quality, they have the same quality
> hardware as Dell, Compaq, IBM and the other big guys, bought from the same
> place.

They have industry standard hardware, as they admit to me on the phone. 
Has it been well tested in a 1U case under adverse conditions?  They say
it has.

Has it been engineered specifically for a 1U case?  Will it last in a 1U
case?  I sure hope so.

> Now for Cobalt servers, we have over 50 of them, since day 1 of cobalt, and
> we have had a failure rate of systems that is very unacceptable. Backups are
> virtually impossible, restoring a dead Raq2 takes days to restore, while the
> IOpliance one takes less than 2 hours if you have the backup tape. If you
> have the raid system, then there is no fear of hard drive crashes.

Oh?  They don't have removable hard disks.  So you still have to bring
the system down to replace a drive.  If you want high availability, go
all the way to removable hot-swap.

> I do admit, they are a new company, but does new mean bad? Have you tried
> calling the support number to see if you get a REAL LIVE person? I have, and
> i get a person whether it is 6 am in the morning or 8pm at night. Even on
> weekends. Cobalt, if something happens on weekend, what do you do? I know
> from experience, you go outside and scream as loud as possible and hope that
> the 200 clients on that machine are not looking at their web site.

Each time I've called I've gotten a machine.  Using their telephone icon
got me an almost immediate call back.

Now some hard questions:  If you know them, then you know their software
isn't ready yet, that it's not even really in beta yet.  Why did you say
then, that it would do the job of a RaQ, since it won't until the
software is available.

Are you affiliated with them?  In other words, does any part of your
income depend on them selling systems or making money?  If so,
disclosure would be nice.

How many of them do you own?

Based on personal experience, what is your Cobalt RaQ MTBF?

Based on personal experience, what is your IOpliance MTBF?

> If i have offended anyone, i apologize, but from my past experience with
> several different makers of ANY product, you do not judge them till you have
> any experience with them.

Which is why I'm not judging them.

On what basis do you say they're better systems, since they don't even
have their software in place yet?  Or do you consider only the hardware?

Jeff
-- 
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
nobaloney.net
P. O. Box 52672
Riverside, CA  92517
voice: (909) 787-8589  *  fax: (909) 782-0205