🚀 go-pugleaf

My research group has just recieved funding for a small spark cluster.  We got
information from SUN, but that doesn't always cut it.  I would appreciate it
if I could get some low-down information from some users on different systems.
Here's the scenario:  We have a substantial, but limited, amount of money, and
are running computationally intensive programs.  Should we get a couple of
smaller machines, or a large one hooked to a smaller one?  What is the price-
speed ratio? (the SP10s seem to be much more expensive with only a slight speed-
up over the smaller models)  What's the deal with the talk on new OS problems?
The spec sheets say that Ethernet comes "Standard".  Does that mean "with the
purchase of the $600 Ethernet card"?  Can you use any serial/parallel printer
and access it from any machine (if they're all networked)?  How come the
19" greyscale monitor is more expensive than the 19" color monitor?

If anyone has the desire to waste some time and write a comparrison of the
systems, I'd be very appreciative.

Put another way,

You have 50K.  You want a fast system (2 SUNs or more), with printer 
(maybe color)(maybe a plotter too), you will be doing graphics as well, 
and most of the software used will be written, not purchased.  
What would you buy?

Please respond personally to dwalton@athena.mit.edu, or if you feel that you
have composed a work of art, post it and also send it to me personally.  I 
don't read news that much.

Thank you in advance,

         - Dave Walton       (dwalton@athena.mit.edu)