[Beowulf] Xi3 computers

[Mark Hahn]

> hrrm i wonder where they got the design for the x5a from?
> https://www.google.com/search?q=sgi+tezro&tbm=isch

I don't think it's that great, but suspect it was a honest "reinvention".
I'd also argue that their shape is somewhat constrained by the nature
of extruded housings, the symmetric placement of the screws, etc.
the requirement for curves on the anodized part and a crome screw-on part.

>> Datacent3r, a small mobile 'datacenter', which you can see at the bottom

ugh.  it's about like buying apple products to build clusters.

>> Thoughts? Discussion?

they don't address power distribution, packaging, cooling or management,
which are the topics I'd be concerned with, beowulf-wise.

I guess one interesting thing about them is that their existence indicates
that anyone with a fairly modest budget can engage sufficient resources 
in the far east to produce a fairly conventional design in a new form-factor.

it is perhaps a bit surprising that someone hasn't done this for clusters,
at least not with any kind of big splash.  does this indicate a lack of 
imagination on the supply side, or low libido/etc on the demand side?  :)