5 Jul
2011
5 Jul
'11
6:58 p.m.
On 05/07/11 16:45, Mark Benson wrote:
On 5 Jul 2011, at 16:12, Mark Wickens<mark at wickensonline.co.uk> wrote:
ZX6000 were primarily Windows server workstations - they didn't ever really fit a
defined niche as far as I can tell.
Not exclusively though. Mine ran HP-UX in it's former life. It used to be a CAD/CAM
workstation for Honda F1 (according to it's asset tag) and the EFI boot menu still had
the entry in for HP-UX.
Yeah mine too, in fact the picture of the ZX600 showed it sat in what looked like a F1
workshop...
I don't think my graphics card was ever supported under HP/UX, but I could be
wrong...
I bought mine about 4 years ago for GBP 500 which was as much as I was prepared to pay at
the time. They are going now for around GBP 100 depending on the configuration.
Mine cost me 125 with no PSU or disks but 24GB of RAM. I reckon the recyclers sold the
PSUs on to the place I bought mine from (better profit that way I suspect) who charged
another 70-odd. In all it cost 235 GBP which I didn't think was at all bad. It's
in clean nick and runs very quietly.
FWIW I couldn't find a comparable machine UK or USA for under 200 GBP - that excluded
any rx2600s as they are way louder.
Mine was maxed out with memory and came with drives, so I guess that's worth
something.
My only stumbling block is mine has a pair of battered old IBM SCA 18GB disks. I
didn't have anything bigger I could stand being in the room with :)
Luckily they still run OpenVMS, otherwise your options are very limited - various linux
flavours sort of work, but I believe gentoo is the only one still currently being
maintained.
Debian Squeeze (6.0) runs on IA64 but it got a monk on with my ATi FireGL card and refused
to work Xorg with it.
There is always HP-UX 11i but finding that for Itanium is a major mission, or costs more
than the machine.
I know the hardware is not the greatest, but it's a shame it hasn't been better
supported, given that it is a true 64 bit architecture.
Thong is I can't see much wrong with it apart from being power hungry and running hot
but hey when's that ever worried people who run DEC gear :D
I like the EFI firmware although it's not on the same plateu as OpenFirmware on IBM
and Sun gear, and I like that it's a pure 64-bit architecture without all the x86_64
shenanigans.
Yeah, I don't turn my on enough because of the power consumption, but then having said
that it makes a great heater in the attic during the winter...
But then, what do I know... I just love anything that is different or esoteric - which
firmly makes me *not* the man in the street.
Are any of us on this list? ;)
OK, fair enough... :)
BTW I would imagine the latest processor runs substantially cooler given the reduction in
fabrication size, and next years will be even better.