"if it turns out later that you might want to run some "Other" Application that you hadn't initially planned on, does that mean that maybe you're screwed? "
It sure does. And just what IT manager wants to screw themselves by switching from Intel-based systems which have worked perfectly fine for 6 or 7 years to an AMD solution just because some AMD fan boys publishes their benchmark-flavor-of-the-month that shows some 4-way Opteron system is indeed 15% faster than a 2-way Xeon system. Far better to go add another Xeon system than to risk bringing your entire operation to a screeching halt with a bargain-basement AMD system. Remember - caveat emptor and "You get what you pay for"