So, you think you want to buy or build a computer? You've come to the right place for advice. Unfortunately, we both know right now that you aren't going to take it. Instead of following this well-intended advice backed by years of experience, you're going to do what everyone else does: go out and buy the cheapest piece of garbage you can find, then complain for the next two years about how much it sucks, then lather, rinse, and repeat.
So without further ado, here is The Man's Computer Buying Guide
Are you sure you really need a computer? While, unfortunately, what you most likely really want is some sort of network/palmtop/phone/thin-client/whatever device, corporate America doesn't believe such markets sufficiently profitable, so your choices are pretty much inferior half-assed efforts at the above, laptops, or desktops/workstations. Keeping in mind that most computers you can afford completely suck, you probably won't use more than 1% of the capabilities of even the shoddiest computer, and you probably have a computer available to you at your orkplace, are you absolutely sure you want a computer of your own? My primary advice is that you simply not buy or use computers. They suck. They aren't any fun to work with, and are more expensive than they need to be. If none of this has deterred you (you'd be the first), continue to Step 2. Otherwise, please send me mail and let me know that I've done the world some small bit of good.
Most people are under the mistaken impression that the most important specification of a computer is the processor clock rate. In fact, that is the least important specification. The most important feature of a computer is the monitor. The second and third are the keyboard and mouse. It is through these devices that you will interact with your spiffy new system.
If you're like me (ie stupid) and spend 2-20 hours a day in front of a computer, and have any desire to retain your vision past the age of 30, a top-quality monitor is a must. Expect to spend at least $700 on a monitor. If you can't afford that, you can't afford a computer; stop here. Your sight is too important. I recommend Sony Trinitron tubes; many, many OEM monitors, especially from the better vendors, are actually Sony. These monitors offer sharp, clear details and bright colors. Try to find one with an a.g. size of 0.27mm or less, and which is capable of adjusting the red-blue alignment. Nothing is more annoying than a monitor with misaligned guns. Unless you've spent time with a particular monitor before, make sure you look closely at the monitors you are considering. In general, it is reasonable to trade away size for quality, up to a point. Monitors smaller than 17" are, IMO of course, too small to comfortably work on. Spend the money and get at least a 19" or 20" model. Unless you have a specific need for it, a monitor larger than 21" is probably overkill.
The keyboard and mouse are the next most-important aspects to consider. Try out as many of these as you can, paying attention to key layout, feel, size, and other factors. You'll be significantly more productive with keyboards and mice you like than with ones you hate. Make sure your mouse has at least three buttons; any decent windowing system will work best that way. When choosing a keyboard, keep in mind that some workstations, older Suns in particular, will only work with certain types of keyboard. If you're thinking about buying a system of this type, make sure you like one of the available keyboard options.
Despite Intel and friends' best efforts, there are many choices besides the x86-based peecee. If you ignore everything else on this page, follow this advice: DO NOT BUY A PEECEE. Even much slower workstations offer adequate performance, with much greater quality, reliability, and flexibility.
If 3d graphics is your primary use for computers, go to Step 3a, Silicon Graphics systems.
If overall throughput and performance are your primary concern, go to Step 3b, Sun systems.
If you are a demanding floating-point user, go to Step 3c, Alpha systems.
For some information on other workstation options, go to Step 3d, Other systems.
If you are terminally stupid, shoot yourself in the head and go to Step 3e, "I'm stupid and think I want a peecee."
Silicon Graphics systems, based around the MIPS microprocessor family, offer fair integer performance, good floating-point performance, good overall performance, and an array of excellent 3d graphics and multimedia options. Overall price/performance is fair to poor. If you need high-performance 3d graphics, these systems are for you.
Good options include:
A good buy for overall performance is the Indigo2 Impact 10000. There are several graphics and CPU options available for these systems. The base graphics option is the Solid Impact, which provides good performance, and the somewhat better High and Maximum Impact options are also available. Processor speeds include 175 and 195 MHz, which are roughly equivalent to 233 and 266 MHz Pentium-II class processors in integer terms and 300 and 333 MHz PIIs for floating-point respectively (in the Indigo2 anyway; performance varies more by system than by processor). The R10k is a 64-bit processor, while older processors are 32-bit.
All these systems include built-in SCSI and ethernet. The O2 has ultra/wide SCSI and 100-Mbit ethernet; all the others have fast/narrow SCSI and 10-Mbit ethernet. The Indy and O2 have built-in video; the O2's is significantly better. Video is available as an option on Indigo2 systems. All these systems also have built-in sound capability. A number of other add-ons are also available, including the usual disk and network controllers as well as more exotic devices like the Indy's ColorBus controller. You probably won't need any of these, but IRIX's multimedia capabilities are impressive, so if you happen to pick up a system with unusual option cards in it, good for you.
All these systems are fully supported by the latest versions of IRIX. A few select systems (at least the Indys and possibly some Indigo2s; see the sgi-mips/linux site) will also run Linux. The Linux support isn't very good, however, so unless you're interested in kernel development, IRIX is the OS of choice.
In the last few years, SGI made some new systems they called Visual Workstations (as if that's not what they'd been making all along) that were based on Intel Xeon processors. These systems weren't really peecees, but they weren't really very good workstations either. SGI has since stopped making these systems, but there may be some available on the used market. While these systems offered good performance and a beautiful graphics/LCD-monitor subsystem, the biggest problem is lack of a viable OS for them. IRIX does not run on these systems. Linux 2.2 had kernel support for this architecture, and a mostly complete distribution that included an unaccelerated X server was made at one point, but the lack of accelerated X and the difficulties associated with supporting this odd architecture make Linux a less-than-appealing option. The existing support has not been ported to Linux 2.3/2.4, and little progress has been made on improving other aspects. In addition, SGI people are no longer doing work in this area. It does not look like this platform will survive much longer. Avoid these systems unless you are interested in adding full support for them to Linux and have the necessary documentation.
Prices for Indigo2 Impact 10000 systems are typically in the $2000-$4000 range depending on options, warranty, and source. Older Indy and R4[46]00-based Indigo2 systems are somewhat cheaper. Be aware that not all graphics options available for these older systems support 24-bit color. You probably will want to upgrade if you buy a system that does not. Stay away from the really old R4000-based Indys, as well as the original Indigo systems. These are probably too slow for most users. Newer options, including the R10000 O2 and various R12k-based systems, are probably too expensive for the average user. Good sources for used or older SGI workstations are Reputable Systems and Ebay. Reputable Systems also has a large body of and links to technical information about SGI systems.
My recommendation: The Indigo2 Impact 10000 offers built-in high performance 24-bit 2d and 3d graphics, a decent processor, and good all-around value. If prices are too steep for you, consider an R4400-based system instead, but make sure you get 24-bit graphics.
Sun Microsystems workstations, based around the SPARC microprocessor family, offer fair integer performance, good floating-point performance, excellent overall performance, and numerous add-on options. These systems tend to be focused on moving bits around at high speed, especially from a spinning platter onto an ethernet cable. Overall price/performance ranges from good to poor, depending on the system. If you want an excellent all-around workstation, these systems are for you.
There are two basic classes of Sun workstations available: 32-bit sun4m systems (SPARCstation class) and 64-bit sun4u systems (Ultra class).
Good sun4m options include:
Note that there are a number of problems with using one of these systems as a workstation. The most serious is a lack of good 24-bit graphics options. The SS10SX and SS20 can take either an 8MB SX graphics SIMM or the "Leo" ZX accelerator. Neither option offers very good 2d performance; the 3d performance in the ZX is barely adequate and the card is only supported under Solaris 2.6 and earlier. The SS10 non-SX model cannot take an SX VSIMM. The SS5 can take either a ZX or a graphics option similar to the SX.
The second major problem is speed. The SS5's CPU is generally not upgradeable and is fairly slow. If you go with an SS5, try to get the model 170, which uses a somewhat better processor. The SS10 and SS20 can take up to four processors, up to 200 MHz HyperSPARCs. While such a configuration offers excellent performance, it is essentially impossible to find and outrageously expensive. More reasonable configurations with one or two 75 or 85 MHz SuperSPARC-IIs or 125 or 150 MHz HyperSPARCs are easier to find and offer moderate performance. One 150 MHz HyperSPARC is roughly equivalent to either a Pentium 200 or a Pentium 133 for integer, and either a Pentium Pro 200 or a Pentium 200 for floating point, depending on which benchmarks are used. Obviously your mileage may vary. Typical prices range from under $600 for a decent SS5/170 to $1500 for a SS20/151 with 24-bit graphics to over $5000 for a fully stocked HyperStation 30.
My recommendation: don't spend too much on one of these. Unless you're looking for a server, a low-end Ultra is probably a better buy. Well-equipped SS20s make very good small-to-medium servers, but as a workstation, the performance isn't very good and the prices on reasonably fast processors are still a bit too high. The Ultra 1 is a better value.
Good sun4u options include:
These systems all use similar processors, either UltraSPARC I (U1 all models, U2 models 1170, 2170, some models 1200 and 2200) or the UltraSPARC II (U2 model 1300, some models 1200 and 2200, and all U30 models). These are 64-bit processors. The approximate equivalences are (integer):
Note that the higher-end processors have good to very good floating-point performance. This is mainly because they have larger L2 caches.
The differences between these systems are architectural. The Ultra 1 and Ultra 2 use Sbus, the 30 uses PCI. The Ultra 1 non-E models have slower SCSI and ethernet devices than other systems. The U2 is essentially an improved, dual-processor-capable U1-E with double the memory bandwidth. The Ultra 30 is an improved, PCI version of the U1-E. The U2 and U30 have upgradeable processors; the U1s do not. Prices range from $700 for a low-end U1/140 to $1000-$1500 for U1/200E systems to $2000-$3000 for low-end U2 and U30 systems to over $10000 for new, fully-loaded U2 systems. The price differentials between U1 and U1/E are small, so I strongly recommend the E models over their standard cousins. All of these systems can take a UPA graphics device. Unlike the 4m systems above, these systems have an inexpensive 24-bit graphics option: the Creator 2D and 3D options offer good performance at relatively low cost. The U30 can also take a "PGX" PCI graphics card, some versions of which offer 24-bit color. All systems except the U1 non-E models offer 100-Mbit ethernet and at least fast/wide SCSI built in (the U1 has 10-Mbit ethernet and fast/narrow SCSI).
In the last few years, Sun has ventured into the low-end market, presumably with the intent to take on peecee manufacturers. The Ultra 5 and Ultra 10 are the products of this effort. Unfortunately, these systems offer performance comparable to peecees at prices comparable to real workstations. As many have put it, "the only thing Sun about an Ultra 5 is the price." I do not recommend these systems; they are inferior to even the Ultra 1/E in many ways (they lack SCSI, use PCI in place of Sbus, and their processors offer extremely limited caches. The U5 also cannot take Creator graphics cards). These systems are essentially peecees with low-end SPARC processors. Prices range from $1500 for older U5s to $4000 and up for new U10s. In general, peecees offer similar component quality and better price/performance ratios.
Sun makes/made many other workstations including the older SPARCstations and the Ultra 60 and 80. In general, these systems are either too slow or too expensive for most users. All Sun systems beginning with the SPARCstation 1 are supported by UltraLinux, and all systems (but not necessarily all options and add-ons!) after the SPARCstation 2 (ie sun4m/4d/4u) are supported by the latest versions of Solaris. All sun4c, 4m, and 4d systems are supported by SunOS 4.1, but Sun is no longer supporting or shipping that operating system. Many of the pre-Ultra systems are supported to some extent by the various BSD projects. Unless you have a specific interest in a different OS or a specific application that's only available for one of them, Linux is the OS of choice on these systems. It offers substantially better performance than Solaris, and has a better base of ported applications. Be aware that a few odd hardware options aren't supported by it, however. sunhelp.org has a nice list of people selling Sun equipment, and of course you can often find good deals on Ebay.
The U1/E and some U2 systems offer excellent value. If you want future upgrade options, go with either the U2 or U30; if you just want a cheap workstation, go with the U1 or U1/E. Stay away from the U5 and U10.
Unfortunately, I don't know much about these systems. DEC (now Compaq) is still making Alpha-based systems, for a little while longer anyway. It is generally agreed that these systems offer the best available floating-point performance of any systems. The latest 21264 processors are blazing fast for integer computation as well. Having briefly used an XP1000 workstation, I can say without question that it has the fastest CPU I have ever used. A large array of older 21064 and 21164 based systems are available on the used market. Prices range from a few hundred dollars for very old systems to many thousands for new 21264 systems. Operating system options include DEC Unix/OSF-1 (now called "Tru64" - blech), Linux, and (not really an OS but some people think so) 'doze NT 4. I wasn't impressed with "Tru64" and the Linux support is pretty good, so it's probably the OS of choice on these systems. Sorry, folks - you'll have to do your own research for the most part on Alpha systems.
While peecees, SGIs, Suns, and Alphas comprise the vast majority of the world's desktop computers, there are definitely other choices. HP's PARISC-based line of workstations offers respectable performance with typical HP overengineering. Amigas and NeXTstations have some interesting features and are excellent examples of system design, but are probably too slow for most users today. IBM makes/made a wide array of systems based on the PowerPC processor, but most of these are properly considered peecees, along with all systems from Apple. You may, however, want to check out some of IBM's RS/6000 options; you'll have to be willing to run AIX though. :) I know little about Apple systems; PPCLinux is a pain in the ass to get working because Apple's idea of OF is something that can boot a MacOS ROM and nothing more, and MacOS is the only OS I've ever used that's worse than winblows. Thus I've tended to avoid Apple. I'm sure I'm leaving somebody out here, but then, I'm not necessarily trying to cover every possible option.
I'm torn here, really. I consider it morally wrong to help the stupid, but I get so many questions from people wanting my opinion on peecee equipment that the time wasted explaining why peecees suck or giving half-assed opinions about them might just outweigh the error of providing this information. I'll take a chance; here are my recommendations for peecee equipment; never ask me about this again or I may well kill you.
The fundamental problem with peecees is that they are designed with two goals in mind: keeping the processor clock to total price ratio as high as possible, and making sure there's plenty of fodder for marketing hype. While the current offerings achieve these goals admirably, the problem is, neither of these objectives is one you should share, because neither has any positive effect on your computing experience. The important thing to do when buying a peecee is to remember that you want a system that meets your needs, not those of the peecee maker's marketdroids.
First, don't even think about buying a premade peecee from a major vendor. While some of them once made decent systems, the popularization of the peecee has virtually eliminated any semblance of design, engineering, or quality from these systems. Your only real option is to buy components and assemble them yourself, or pay someone else to do so. So, here, component by component, in order of importance, is a list of products I recommend. Many of these components are, not coincidentally, the most expensive of their kind. When it comes to computers, you get what you pay for, if you're clever. Otherwise less. I consider the advice in the first three items mandatory; the remaining sections are of less importance.