[svlug] Linux and hardware

[Rafael Skodlar]

On Fri, Aug 17, 2001 at 11:19:21PM -0700, George Bonser wrote:
> > new designs etc. Instead they're just another "service company". The bad
> > thing is, they did not buy (or merge with) SGI when they probably could.
> 
> Wow, I thought I was the only one on the planet that saw that synergy.  I
> thought sure SGI and VA would eventually merge, it made so much sense at
> the time.
> 

It came to my mind right away. Linux was used for graphics in Hollywood,
SGI is good at it and has supercomputers in it's portfolio. Joint
engineering would make a big difference. Have SGI dump NT (MS doesn't care
about that platform anyway) and go for the real stuff.

Now you can read Linux is going to be used for the largest supercomputer
grid ever and VALinux won't have anything to do with it.

While the other poster (JC I think?) thinks that this would not work, my
position is different. VA Linux needed a few guys with grey hair on their
management level while SGI needed "fresh ideas" and motivation.

Scott McNealy would not be happy but now he doesn't need to worry about
it.

Oh, and those who say there is no money in HW. How about Cobalt Networks?
They managed to survive on small portfolio of well designed hardware and
become attractive enough to be picked up by a large company. Kind of
similar to what VALinux and SGI could do. So there was place for a
sybiosis like that.


--
 Rafael