🚀 go-pugleaf

gusm@dmp.csiro.au (Gus Mumme) writes:

> There seems to be a general agreement on the following :-
> Indigo 2, 48-64 Meg RAM, "extreme" graphics,
>
> I'm afraid we are PC based here and are used to 
> near top of the range PCs for around the $5,000
> with 2 to 5 year warranties.
>
> US$15,000 - US$28,000 sounds a reasonable price for 
> the graphical power we are buying.  (Indigo**2 extreme)

In your original posting you said:
> Bob Haushalter mentioned a "good" SG configuration costing 
> around US$15,000 (A$20,000).
> What could we expect to get for around the US$25,000, US$35,000 and
> US$45,000 mark?

The machine Bob quoted at $15K was apparently an Indy 4400SC, which is 
indeed a good machine for inorganic crystallography.  But it is much 
less expensive than an Indigo**2 extreme, for which you now conclude 
$15-28K is a 'reasonable price'.  

You have apparently been confused by the various advice you have 
received.  Go and have a look at the machines running the programs
that you are interested in, and decide yourself how much you want to
pay.  You may conclude that you can start with the cheapest Indy 
4600PC model at $5-10K, which will compare advantageously with a 
'near top of the range PC'.

BTW.  Your home town has the largest concentration of SGI machines
in Australasia.  Ask SGI Melbourne to put you in touch with the local
SGI users group.  Ask SGI to lend you a machine for a week or two
and try it for yourself.  

Alan Hewat, ILL Grenoble, FRANCE (hewat@ill.fr) Fax (33) 76.48.39.06