Dec Alphastations

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bob

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Feb 13, 2002
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I couldnt think of where to post this. I read about the DEC 64bit workstations, I was thinking... Cool. Bitchin fast 64 bit workstation back in the 1990s.

So, I go onto ebay and i see people paying $500 for a 400/233 alphastation. WTF!!!
W....T....F...

a bit of history, for those who think im full of shit:

"The alphastation 255 and 500 families of UNIX and Windows NT workstations are the latest additions to digitals line of midrange workstations. Diditals aphastations support Digitals new 64 bit operating system (Digital UNIX and OpenVMS), as well as windows NT.

The 500 supports dual-fastand wide SCSI-2 channels, Ethernet and fast ethernet, and can accomodate up to 512mb of ram

Digitals RISC based Alphastations offer superior performance for applications such as modeling, imaging, animation, or videoconfrencing. The new 64-bit architecture can directly address up to 1G of real memory, making it easier to handle large files without disk swapping. The newest alhpastations run the 64-bit RISC alpa 21164 microprocessor at speeds up to 300 MHz. Like the the other digital products running alpha technology, it can run unix, OpenVMS, or windows NT. "

Ok. So, 64 bit, up to 1 gig of ram, dual fast scsi, fast ethernet, and PCI 3d video graphis. in its time, it must have been something to drool over. But that was 10 years ago.

Am I missing something? Or are people just retarted and overpaying for old computer?
 
Maybe they just do something really cool that you don't know about, like flying to the moon, or solving world hunger.
 
your missing something

it is still a realllly good unix server, with thoes specs it can handel unix like a champ, it is a porpuse built computer, you and me wont buy it, ( well i might just to have a nice dedicated unix server at home ) but thoes computer where made well, also risc chips are totaly diffrent then our standard desktop chips, it might only be 300 mhz but for example a amd 3k which is 1.8 gigs is as fast as a p4 3.6 gig in some areas, apple uses chips clocked at 2 - 2.7 gig. for server only reasons, the dec alpha's where great computers.another example the top of the line sun use ultra sparc IV chips which clock at 1-1.3 gigs, ( ya they can use up to 36 of them on there top of the line model but ... ) but there mid range servers use only 4 and can be 1, intel makes the Intel Itanium 2 which only clocks at 1.5-1.6 ( sgi uses them ) now i know that these are 3-5 times faster but if you are only looking at clock speeds you are missing out

also the "CHIP" for that dec alphastation cost 1k + when it was released

" Digital Equipment introduces its AlphaStation computers, with 166-MHz and 233-MHz Alpha AXP 21064 processors. This line incorporates the PCI bus, and sell for US$7000-$16000. "


also take in to account inflation
that was the release price on a slower computer then the one your asking about :p
 
Um, kind of irrelevant, but if you are going to call people retarded, you should probably spell it right, at the risk of looking.....well......retarded.

;)

Seriously, I wonder if anyone has ever run linux or BSD on one of these things.
 
What your missing is the fact that it's not the same as X86 64 bit computers, it's a entirely different archetecture.

I refurbished about a hundred DEC workstations that had the Alpha 666 MHz CPU, 1.5 GB RAM, about a year and a half ago, when a ~ 3 GHz P4 with 512 MB RAM was the norm for a X86 workstation, and the video card in those machines alone cost $1,500 a peice, and the entire machines sold for $6,000 each. Keep in mind the machines themselves were used, and around 2 years old.

DEC's are a different breed of machine, they are highend workstation/servers. Not a pansy Dell :cool:
 
tdg said:
What your missing is the fact that it's not the same as X86 64 bit computers, it's a entirely different archetecture.

I refurbished about a hundred DEC workstations that had the Alpha 666 MHz CPU, 1.5 GB RAM, about a year and a half ago, when a ~ 3 GHz P4 with 512 MB RAM was the norm for a X86 workstation, and the video card in those machines alone cost $1,500 a peice, and the entire machines sold for $6,000 each. Keep in mind the machines themselves were used, and around 2 years old.

DEC's are a different breed of machine, they are highend workstation/servers. Not a pansy Dell :cool:
Click to expand...
Architecture.
only 2 E's. not 3.

As for DEC Alphas, My friend still runs 1. It IS our UNIX server. it handles data, thats all,
The reason they are still so expensive is because the architecture and computer set is not only more reliable than the average stuff for today-then, BUT the CPU doesnt bog like a regular desktop machine. their instruction set capabilities are more robust AND they LAST.

Alpha return rate unit-for-unit is 1/4 what normal x86 32bit and 64bit machines are.
 
DeepFreeze said:
Architecture.
only 2 E's. not 3... BUT the CPU doesnt bog like a regular desktop machine. their instruction set capabilities are more rebust AND they LAST.
Click to expand...

robust doesn't have an "e"

:)

dave
 
Grammer shouldn't matter that much. Anyone posting at the [H]ard should have easy access to spell check something. I will make an exception for someone who is using something like a palm pilot, or a fancy cell-phone to post..

Poor grammer shows that you are either very lazy to spellcheck/grammer check it in ms-word, or too stupid to use it/dont have it. I figured it wouldnt be that big of a deal if a letter or two are missing here and there.

My problem lies that I would have to dig through the foot-deep layer of parts and networking cords on my floor, install MS word, painfully type in the cd key, restart my computer, and then overcome even more lazyness to copy, paste, spellcheck, copy paste, submit reply..

Sure, I could google some kind of spell checker, but that would require more effort on my part, seeing how im on 64k internet ;).

So yeah, anyways, about them there DECs...

tdg said:
What your missing is the fact that it's not the same as X86 64 bit computers, it's a entirely different archetecture.
Click to expand...
Im not really concerned with what they are running. Im just suprised that an "old" computer is still selling for this much. My compaq prolaint, dual cpus, 1 gig of ram, 7200rpm 8 gig scsi drives in raid, was something like $60,000.

Now, in 2005, compaq proliants can be bought in like-new working condition for sometimes as low as $100.00. Sure, they are completley different systems, but this DEC system is the first that I have seen worth this much after so many years.

The way I see it, is like buying a cadillac new. You are getting the one of the fanciest and most expensive domestic cars. 15 years from now, it will be at a used car lot and a 16 year old kid working at macdonalds will have enough cash to buy it used...

Most computers are that way. The DEC alphastation wasnt, it has resale more like those fancy european luxury cars....
 
This thread is turning into a spelling bee, if it continues along this path, it will fall out of the category of General Hardware.

gl :)
 
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