[rescue] Ultra SPARC purchase

[Dave McGuire]

On Sunday, March 30, 2003, at 06:31 PM, Steve Sandau wrote:
> I've decided (with my wife's help ;) ) that it's time to graduate to 
> an Ultra of some sort. I currently use, as workstations, a 110MHz 
> SPARC 5 at home, and a dual 85MHz SPARC 20 at work. They're just a 
> little too slow for some things, and I'm tired of 8-bit color. I'd 
> like to try SMC on Sol9 without it taking so long that I forget what I 
> was doing by the time I can take the next step...
>
> I have seen Ultra 5s on eBay for $200 BIN with 256M (or more) and a 4G 
> drive. For basic workstation use (mail, browsing, light compiling and 
> possibly a test installation of Oracle) is it worth spending more 
> money to get a 10 or a 30??
>
> I know that the 5 is IDE only and I hear that not just any SCSI card 
> will work in it. I have a couple of Adaptec 27xx cards, but don't know 
> if they'll work, or even if I need SCSI in it right off. I'd like to 
> be able to use SCSI peripherals some day.
>
> It also appears that the factory framebuffer config will only to 
> 24-bit color at 800x600. Not good enough for me. Worth upgrading the 
> video, or should I just buy a 10 instead??
>
> Opinions? I think wome of this had been discussed here fiarly 
> recently. Forgivce the repetition, but I didn't have any money then. > ;)

   I wouldn't bother with the Ultra5 or Ultra10...they work, but they're 
not what I'd call great machines.  I'd avoid them.  The Ultra30 is *by 
far* a better choice, and not much more expensive these days.

          -Dave

--
Dave McGuire             "I've grown hair again, just
St. Petersburg, FL           for the occasion."       -Doc Shipley