Richard Sims wrote:

On Jun 8, 2007, at 6:52 AM, Hans Christian Riksheim wrote:

... Saving a few dollars by
using Intel/Linux-combo is totally out of the question.

Indeed, Hans.
What's often overlooked in the dollar-sign pursuit of "cheaper" Linux
systems what you have to deal with after the acquisition.  What are
called "Linux systems" are in reality boxes whose lineage is MS-DOS
and Windows, and whose design clings to antiquated elements of that
history.  Remember being forced to deal with the arcane thing called
"BIOS" in 1981?  Well, it's still there, always ready to confuse
configuration issues and confound the use of differing hardware with
the system.  (And, lo unto those who overlook updating the BIOS.)
AIX, Mac, and other modern platforms avoid that nonsense.  And, with
"commercial" operating systems you get sane, directed evolution in
changes over time, unlike the capricious changes made by contributors
in the highly volatile and eccentric Linux OS.  I've worked with AIX
for over a decade, and also work with Linux...where I shake my head
in dismay when I go to work with or program for that OS environment.

Funny, I shake my head in dismay when I have to work in an AIX
environment. :-)

We moved from a F50 running TSM server on AIX a few years ago to a Linux
system a few years back. Our backup system is completely disk based so I
can not comment on the stability of the tape drivers.

    Richard Sims