OSNews reader Ken Crandall writes: “According to CNet, Sun has decided to indefinitely postpone the release of Solaris 9 for Intel processors citing the economy (read: lower demand for new hardware) and the “bottom line” (read: due to Linux and BSD, even lower demand for Solaris on x86) as reasons. They did mention, however, that they ‘retain the option to do (Solaris on Intel) in the future’.”
Sun Indefinitely Delays Solaris 9 for x86
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My main annoyance with this is that it will discourage free software developers from port their software to Solaris, since Solairs x86 is one resource developers can use to make sure their software runs fine on both architechures.
Anyway, x86 is a bear to support (too much !@#$ hardware out there), and Sun is in the hardsware business, so I can understand their opinion.
– Sam
Intel should assist with the port and testing.
32 or 64 bit Solaris 9 on would be nice on Intel x86.
ciao
yc
Intel would really only benefit from a port of Solaris to IA-64, not x86. They are having pushing the IA-64 right now, and need as much high performance application help as they can get.
Intel would really only benefit from a port of Solaris to IA-64, not x86. They are having pushing the IA-64 right now, and need as much high performance application help as they can get.
Why bother, Linux has bigger hype-a-bility than solaris.
Boo! I liked Solaris
> Intel would really only benefit from a port of Solaris to IA-64,
I can’t really see Sun doing that though.
Sun have their own high-performance 64 bit chip. They have no reason to assist Intel.
> Sun have their own high-performance 64 bit chip. They have no reason to assist Intel.
UltraSPARC III sucks hard. I wish they finally do something really fast.
>UltraSPARC III sucks hard. I wish they finally do something really fast.
<P>
Compared to what? i have a dual 900 MHz sunblade 1000 with 2 gigs of ram and it flat out rocks. matlab simulations run great on these machines. and yes i know you can get matlab for wintel and you can buy a lot more “cheap” hardware for the money spent on the blade…. but when you run a simulation that takes days to complete you want a system thay is fast and reliable. but then again it all boils down to getting the right tool for that job/budget.
I don’t think Sun would create Solaris for IA-64, since that is a more direct competitor. However, I also think that with dwindling financial resources during a recession, they wouldn’t pump money into a platform which makes them practically no money.
I don’t think Sun would create Solaris for IA-64, since that is a more direct competitor. However, I also think that with dwindling financial resources during a recession, they wouldn’t pump money into a platform which makes them practically no money.
Sun as officially commented that it is yet-to-be-determined whether we’ll see Solaris on Itanium/McKinley (IA-64).
What would be much more interesting is a port to AMD’s Hammer architecture (x86-64). Aside from the obvious “enemy of my enemy is my friend” doctorine, Cobalt is an x86 shop, and SunStor has considered x86 in the past as well.
While Solaris on x86 had its value, both in terms of a SysAdmin training ground, and as a sanity check for Sun to ensure portable (read: good, standards compliant) code, I think that the whole industry is becoming more polarized in the face of the economic downturn. From what the CNet article, and various other postings (The Register et al) have in terms from commentary from Sun, it just seems that Sun is drawing the line in the sand now — it’s either Sun(us) or Intel(them) — and cutting costs as a bonus.
Besides, with sub-$1000 SunBlade 100’s available now, and Jalapeno (UltraSparc IIIi) machines due later this year, the timing is right for sun to move their “value” market to be Sparc-based.
Ken
Cobalt is an x86 shop
Nope.
The Cubes are StrongARM-based.
Most of the rest of the line is x86.
Is Sun going to do away with Star Office too? They don’t make any money from it, but they spend money developing it. If they are laying people off don’t you think they will want to stop this?
“The Cubes are StrongARM-based.”[i]
Not quite — The Cubes are MIPS-based. You’re thinking of the original Corel/Rebel.com NetWinder.
However, all [i]current Cobalt products excepting the original cubes and raq’s are now x86-based, hence my statement.
Ken