Very Computer

Quote:> I have been thinking about a Sun WorkStation for home for some time now.
> I think that the Ultra 5 is a perfect fit for my needs/wallet but I am
> please have a look at this and tell me if I am in the ball park :

Quote:> Now, the reason for the SCSI adapters and unipack is that the IDE drives
> in the Ultra5 and Ultra10 are slow slow slow ... SCSI is best and I
> don't  want IDE at all.  Can we build an Ultra5 with a SCSI adapter and
> an external UniPack to boot from? I don't want the IDE hard disk or
> CDROM at all!

Quote:> Do I need X1032A or X6540A?  Why?  What is differential SCSI?
> I'm taking a shot in the dark here but that is my best guess at a
> workstation.  And this is from my own wallet, not some big
> corporation with deep pockets.  I'm willing to invest in my future
> with Java and Solaris but I want my workstation my way!

Quote:> Your thoughts?

JOHN

I have been thinking about a Sun WorkStation for home for some time now.

I think that the Ultra 5 is a perfect fit for my needs/wallet but I am
swimming in
part numbers and possible configurations.  Here are my thoughts, so,
please
have a look at this and tell me if I am in the ball park :

For performance and long term use without further upgrade:
Part # UGSS2UHC1A9PB256CP  - Upgrade from SLC, ELC, IPC,
        1/1+, SPARCclassic, LX, IPX, or SPARCstation 2
        Sun Ultra 5 System, 333-MHz, 256-MB, 2-MB Level-II cache,
        9-GB disk, 1.44-MB floppy, 32X CD, PGX24 Graphics,
        100-Mb Ethernet, N. Amer. Country Kit, Solaris 7
            Price Unknown!

Part # G-XDSK010A-4G
        Sun StorEdge UniPack 4.2GB, 7200rpm hard drive
        Price : CD 1410.00

Part # X6540A  [ do I need this ? ]
        Dual-Channel Single-Ended UltraSCSI Host Adapter, PCI for the
Ultra
        Enterprise 450,  ships with 2 external ultra scsi 2m cables.
        Price : CD 1305.00

Part # X1032A  [ do I this instead ? ]
        10/100BaseT F/W UltraSCSI PCI Adapter 1.0
        Price : CD 1730.00

Part # UG-MON-19-C   - Upgrade from any previous generation Sun monitor

76Hz,
        WW agency compliance, 1.8m detachable HD-15 pin video cable,
        10-language user's guide.
        Price : CD 1110.00

Part # X470A  [ do I need this? ]
        13W3F to HD15M Video Adapter Cable
        Price : CD 70.00

Now, the reason for the SCSI adapters and unipack is that the IDE drives

in the Ultra5 and Ultra10 are slow slow slow ... SCSI is best and I
don't
want IDE at all.  Can we build an Ultra5 with a SCSI adapter and an
external
UniPack to boot from? I don't want the IDE hard disk or CDROM at all!

Do I need X1032A or X6540A?  Why?  What is differential SCSI?

I'm taking a shot in the dark here but that is my best guess at a
workstation.  And this is from my own wallet, not some big
corporation with deep pockets.  I'm willing to invest in my future
with Java and Solaris but I want my workstation my way!

Your thoughts?

That's probably for old Sun <-> new monitor (or is it the other
way around?).  Note that Ultra 5 computers will connect to PC
monitors (that are multiscan and handle sufficient resolution).

|Now, the reason for the SCSI adapters and unipack is that the IDE drives
|
|in the Ultra5 and Ultra10 are slow slow slow ... SCSI is best and I
|don't
|want IDE at all.

Have you considered replacing the 4500rpm Seagate Medalist in the
Ultra 5 with a 7200rpm EIDE drive, like an IBM GXP or Maxtor 2500?
Or do newer Ultra 5 computers come with a 7200rpm EIDE drive?

|Can we build an Ultra5 with a SCSI adapter and an
|external
|UniPack to boot from? I don't want the IDE hard disk or CDROM at all!

You'll have to muck around in the OpenBoot monitor to figure out how
to boot from the SCSI devices, since "boot disk" and "boot cdrom"
default to the EIDE devices.

If you don't want EIDE at all, would the AXi board computers with
SCSI sold by non-Sun vendors be an option?

|Do I need X1032A or X6540A?  Why?  What is differential SCSI?

Differential SCSI is not compatible with single ended (the usual
kind of) SCSI.

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No warranty of any kind is provided with this message.

    This whole endeavor is expensive as hell and from what you are saying I
can get Sun Hardware with the features I want without bleeding cash out of
every orifice.  ( sorry for the graphical image but this is getting hellish
expensive )

Dennis Clarke

ps: did you say EIS ?         : )       <-   the emoticon lives !

Quote:> Dear Sir ... I think you just made my day!

Quote:>     This whole endeavor is expensive as hell and from what you are saying I
> can get Sun Hardware with the features I want without bleeding cash out of
> every orifice.  ( sorry for the graphical image but this is getting hellish
> expensive )

Quote:> Dennis Clarke
> ps: did you say EIS ?         : )       <-   the emoticon lives !

Enjoy!!

Quote:> In comp.unix.solaris you write:
> >actuallity they're better.  Just got a 300MHZ ultra sparc with 4 gig
> >Scsi, 64MB for $2350.  Its the same as an ultra 10 and manufactored by
> >Sun.
> It is not the same as an Ultra 10.

I want to be enlightened ;)

JOHN

Quote:> Cheers!greg
> --
> Expressed in this message are my opinions.  They are in no way related
> to opinions held by my employer, Sun Microsystems.
> Statements on Sun products included here are not gospel and may
> be fiction rather than truth.

Achim Gratz.

--+<[ It's the small pleasures that make life so miserable. ]>+--
WWW:    http://www.inf.tu-dresden.de/~ag7/{english/}

Phone:  +49 351 463 - 8325

Much to the surprise of my wife I came stumbling in the door looking
like a 20 inch Sun monitor with two legs under it and cables flying for
arms.   Behind that came a friend with a ( familiar to me ) pizza box
computer that says SPARCstation 20 on it.

wife unit : "What the hell is that?"
me        : " cumputer?"
wife      : "does it run unix?" - note: my wife is a java programmer ...

me        : "on both cpu's, yep, you bet"
wife      : long drawn out 'ooooo' with a rising inflection -
             cat jumps off couch - looks at disembodied floating monitor
- hides under couch
me        : "let's make room in the computer room ... this is my main
machine now ...."
                at this last statement my NT workstation blue screens
and lets out a little whine from its scsi drive ....

OK - so here is what I actually brought home from a company called
LiveWire in Toronto Canada that sells refurbished Sun stuff :

    ss20 twin 60MHz cpus
    twin 4.2G Sun SCSI drives
    128 Meg RAM - TGX Graphics - 20 inch Sun monitor and
    type 5c keyboard - optical mouse - mouse pad -
    external scsi cdrom - toshiba XM-3401TA in a Sun UniPack?

    The whole mess was about $5500.00 CDN =  $ 3600.00 US
    but $2000 was two Sun 4.2G drives
    and $700 was 128Meg Ram
    and $375 each for the cpu modules
    and $250 for the TGX card
    and $1000 for the ss20 box empty
    and $1000 for the 20" Sun monitor
    and $200 for the external scsi cd but thats a loaner

Dennis Clarke

    ps: I'll never cross-post across that many groups again but I am
getting a lot of traffic on this.  Thank to everyone.  I don't need an
ultraSparc chip to be happy with sun hardware - at least for now.

I suggested you buy an Ultra1 or an Ultra10 (if you could stand IDE),  but it sounds like you made a very solid choice for a platform.  You also avoided the cross-platform incompatibility that can sometimes occur when compiling on an Ultra.  Make sure you get the lastest firmware, and get on top of the patches for the OS.  If you or your wife has a friend who can get into Access1 on Sun's site you can get these.

    Much to the surprise of my wife I came stumbling in the door looking like a 20 inch Sun monitor with two legs under it and cables flying for arms.   Behind that came a friend with a ( familiar to me ) pizza box computer that says SPARCstation 20 on it.
    wife unit : "What the hell is that?"
    me        : " cumputer?"
    wife      : "does it run unix?" - note: my wife is a java programmer ...
    me        : "on both cpu's, yep, you bet"
    wife      : long drawn out 'ooooo' with a rising inflection -
                 cat jumps off couch - looks at disembodied floating monitor - hides under couch
    me        : "let's make room in the computer room ... this is my main machine now ...."
                    at this last statement my NT workstation blue screens and lets out a little whine from its scsi drive ....

    OK - so here is what I actually brought home from a company called LiveWire in Toronto Canada that sells refurbished Sun stuff :

        ss20 twin 60MHz cpus
        twin 4.2G Sun SCSI drives
        128 Meg RAM - TGX Graphics - 20 inch Sun monitor and
        type 5c keyboard - optical mouse - mouse pad -
        external scsi cdrom - toshiba XM-3401TA in a Sun UniPack?

        The whole mess was about $5500.00 CDN =  $ 3600.00 US
        but $2000 was two Sun 4.2G drives
        and $700 was 128Meg Ram
        and $375 each for the cpu modules
        and $250 for the TGX card
        and $1000 for the ss20 box empty
        and $1000 for the 20" Sun monitor
        and $200 for the external scsi cd but thats a loaner

    Dennis Clarke

        ps: I'll never cross-post across that many groups again but I am getting a lot of traffic on this.  Thank to everyone.  I don't need an ultraSparc chip to be happy with sun hardware - at least for now.

        I have been thinking about a Sun WorkStation for home for some time now.
        I think that the Ultra 5 is a perfect fit for my needs/wallet but I am swimming in
        part numbers and possible configurations.  Here are my thoughts, so, please
        have a look at this and tell me if I am in the ball park :
        For performance and long term use without further upgrade:
        Part # UGSS2UHC1A9PB256CP  - Upgrade from SLC, ELC, IPC,
                1/1+, SPARCclassic, LX, IPX, or SPARCstation 2
                Sun Ultra 5 System, 333-MHz, 256-MB, 2-MB Level-II cache,
                9-GB disk, 1.44-MB floppy, 32X CD, PGX24 Graphics,
                100-Mb Ethernet, N. Amer. Country Kit, Solaris 7
                    Price Unknown!

        Part # G-XDSK010A-4G
                Sun StorEdge UniPack 4.2GB, 7200rpm hard drive
                Price : CD 1410.00

        Part # X6540A  [ do I need this ? ]
                Dual-Channel Single-Ended UltraSCSI Host Adapter, PCI for the Ultra
                Enterprise 450,  ships with 2 external ultra scsi 2m cables.
                Price : CD 1305.00

        Part # X1032A  [ do I this instead ? ]
                10/100BaseT F/W UltraSCSI PCI Adapter 1.0
                Price : CD 1730.00

        Part # UG-MON-19-C   - Upgrade from any previous generation Sun monitor

                WW agency compliance, 1.8m detachable HD-15 pin video cable,
                10-language user's guide.
                Price : CD 1110.00

        Part # X470A  [ do I need this? ]
                13W3F to HD15M Video Adapter Cable
                Price : CD 70.00

        Now, the reason for the SCSI adapters and unipack is that the IDE drives
        in the Ultra5 and Ultra10 are slow slow slow ... SCSI is best and I don't
        want IDE at all.  Can we build an Ultra5 with a SCSI adapter and an external
        UniPack to boot from? I don't want the IDE hard disk or CDROM at all!

        Do I need X1032A or X6540A?  Why?  What is differential SCSI?

        I'm taking a shot in the dark here but that is my best guess at a
        workstation.  And this is from my own wallet, not some big
        corporation with deep pockets.  I'm willing to invest in my future
        with Java and Solaris but I want my workstation my way!

        Your thoughts?

| Much to the surprise of my wife I came stumbling in the door looking
| like a 20 inch Sun monitor with two legs under it and cables flying for
| arms.   Behind that came a friend with a ( familiar to me ) pizza box
| computer that says SPARCstation 20 on it.
|
| wife unit : "What the hell is that?"
| me        : " cumputer?"
| wife      : "does it run unix?" - note: my wife is a java programmer ...
| me        : "on both cpu's, yep, you bet"
| wife      : long drawn out 'ooooo' with a rising inflection -

Damn!  All the good ones are taken!  My fiance gets pissed at me when
I bring (more) computers home ...

|     ss20 twin 60MHz cpus
|     twin 4.2G Sun SCSI drives
|     128 Meg RAM - TGX Graphics - 20 inch Sun monitor and
|     type 5c keyboard - optical mouse - mouse pad -
|     external scsi cdrom - toshiba XM-3401TA in a Sun UniPack?
|
|     The whole mess was about $5500.00 CDN =  $ 3600.00 US
|     but $2000 was two Sun 4.2G drives
|     and $700 was 128Meg Ram
|     and $375 each for the cpu modules
|     and $250 for the TGX card
|     and $1000 for the ss20 box empty
|     and $1000 for the 20" Sun monitor
|     and $200 for the external scsi cd but thats a loaner

That seems awfully expensive, especially for the hard drives (if you
look in the right places, SCA drives cost LESS than comparable UW
drives, probably just because the PC users need an adapter to use
them, and I just bought a pair of new 9gb UW IBM drives for $360 US
each (Onsale still occasionally has good deals)) and the monitor
(again, because the PC users typically can't use fixed frequency
monitors.  But maybe things are just different in Canada, dunno.

Still, I have a similar box (SS20, less disk, more ram, faster cpus,
etc) and I'm quite happy with it.

--

Unsolicited email of a commercial or advertising nature is not welcomed.

Quote:

> Damn!  All the good ones are taken!  My fiance gets pissed at me when
> I bring (more) computers home ...

Quote:> That seems awfully expensive, especially for the hard drives (if you
> look in the right places, SCA drives cost LESS than comparable UW
> drives, probably just because the PC users need an adapter to use
> them, and I just bought a pair of new 9gb UW IBM drives for $360 US
> each (Onsale still occasionally has good deals)) and the monitor
> (again, because the PC users typically can't use fixed frequency
> monitors.  But maybe things are just different in Canada, dunno.

Quote:> Still, I have a similar box (SS20, less disk, more ram, faster cpus,
> etc) and I'm quite happy with it.

[newsgroups trimmed]

Achim Gratz.

--+<[ It's the small pleasures that make life so miserable. ]>+--
WWW:    http://www.veryComputer.com/~ag7/{english/}

Phone:  +49 351 463 - 8325