Re: TECH: five-year plan

["Karen G. Schneider" <kgs@INTAC.COM>]

>This file server is a seriously unbalanced system.  You ought to have
>at least 32mg of RAM and 64mg would be optimum.  As it stands, your
>90mhz microprocessor is going to spend 95% of its time idle, waiting
>for memory and disk.
>
>Speed of the disk drive and networking card will also be determining
>factors.  It would be worth it to spend more there and less on the
>CPU.  The CPU of a well balanced file server has little work to do;  the
>CPU of an unbalanced file server is constantly idle.  Spend less on
>the CPU and more on disk and networking cards.
 
Concur wholeheartedly with Fletcher on lots of RAM for that fileserver; as
for the clients, they also need plenty of RAM if they're running a lot of
networked products, and that need will get greater as time goes by--12mb to
start with, 16 is better.   A really nice compromise PC is the 75mhz
Pentium.  But another point: if this is for five years, you should spread
your computer purchases across each year--maybe 20% each year.  Computers
change every year ahd if you buy them all in year one by year three you
will have a seriously outdated fleet, based on the recent history of
computing. Treat computers more like periodicals than books, even if it
means you have fewer workstations to begin with.   Don't forget to buy good
service plans and a serious backup system.  Also, are you factoring in
software--including purchase price and upgrades?  What about utility
software--for viruses, menuing, computer maintenance?  How about training
for whoever will be maintaining and using this fleet?
 
 
 
 
 
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Karen G. Schneider, Blue Highways Internet Services   kgs@intac.com
Cybrarian/Internet Trainer  "Have Powerbook, Will Travel!"
Need a NJ provider?  Free referrals.
Visit Karen's Kitchen at http://www.intac.com/~kgs/
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