Replies to post #52948 on Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[CombJelly]

"For whatever reason, AMD was not ready with the product they needed."

Actually, AMD was ready. For whatever reason, their OEM of choice wasn't. Now, admittedly, you could make the argument that AMD didn't make a large enough payment to HP to offer a wide enough line of Opteron based servers to satisfy this customer's need. But I suspect you don't really want to make this particular argument...

But, if you do, feel free.

[aleph0]

//So you say, someone may think of that so I'll say: NO ONE ever just upgrades, they just throw the old servers away.

Bullsquat. //

Didn't you read the Yahoo article/statements about 400 Optis replacing 740 Xeons ?

What the article on Yahoo basically said is this :
( BTW.. Google effectively raised the same concerns in an article some 2 years ago )

1. Massive Electricity costs halved
2. Simplicity of maintaining only 400 servers saves big costs again
3. Bigger memory per server is ideal for webserver/database/cache - smoother user experience
4. Massive savings on software licencing costs

So it "does" seem to me that many big corporations have "very" valid reasons for dumping "all" the old server iron.
+ When is the next "software licencing agrement" due for renewal ?

A couple of big ( biggest ) investment banks I worked for had the following big priorities on their agenda :

1. raw performance
2. IT infrastructure costs
3. software licencing

Notice - "hardware acquisition costs" don't even appear - because they are peanuts in comparison ( even if it's an IBM mainframe )!

Item <1> is not a "cost" question - but an availability question, like "is there faster/better hardware available for the same platform ? ".

"Same platform" means OS, Appl.-Software and "maybe" Vendor.
( X86 as an Industry Standard allows a choice of Vendor )

[Jules2]

Posted by: The Duke of URL
In reply to: rlweitz who wrote msg# 52944
Date:2/28/2005 12:11:08 AM
Post #of 52961

You guys keep living in a dream world. The issue before the house is now that THIS INSTALLATION has an installed base of XEON's what are this specific installations choices.

For whatever reason, AMD was not ready with the product they needed. Past FRIGGIN' tense. Now IF AMD wanted to break in they would have to replace the entire server.

So you say, someone may think of that so I'll say: NO ONE ever just upgrades, they just throw the old servers away.

Bullsquat

The GM plant in Framingham, MA employed thousands! In the early seventies they gutted the place, it became a huge empty space, acres large.
They then reinstalled all the lines, spent millions. In addition they constructed a wastewater treatment plant, a new powerplant, a new paint plant. All of the above was done to accomedate the building of front wheel drive automobiles.

They had hundreds, yes hundreds, of rail cars loaded with auto parts/components, all of wich were brought in on the three rails that entered the plant. All of the parts were unloaded and destroyed, loaded on dump trailers and hauled to the scrap yard, last years stuff!

GM decided they needed more land across the road from the plant. The land partially belonged to the state and the town. They both said "No way", GM said 'See yha".

Within a few monthes.
GM was gone!
Thousands of jobs, gone!

I know this to be a fact, I was involved in the construction.

Mr. Duke, you think the servers may still be there?

Jules

[sgolds]

Duke, only DIY's upgrade processors in systems. This is not the way Intel sells into the corporate world. They will sell systems with x86-64.

This whole plug-compatible upgrade argument is only for the hobbyists, not for volume computer sales.