SGI build quality (was RE: great site)

Christopher Smith wrote: [re. broken SGI Indy] On an only slightly related note, IMHO the build quality and general longevity of Silicon Graphics hardware really isn't what you'd hope of kit that cost so much new... I've seen Sun boxes that have been through the mill several times by the look of things, but flick the switch and you're up and running (possibility of needing to solder a battery onto the PROM notwithstanding.) Personal (limited, I grant you ;-) experience of Indys on the other hand suggest you need at least 3 candidates handy if you want to put together a working combination of power supply, processor and mobo/PROM. And the chassis is horribly weak - the way the power supply clips into place is very neat, but also makes it structurally very poor at the join (L-shaped computer, anyone?) I also don't think I've yet forgiven SGI for making the power supply (simple slide-in/slide-out with two thumbscrews) on the O2000 a non user replaceable part - i.e. they won't sell you one without a service contract and an engineer round to plug it in. And trying to get an SGI Challenge to actually see all the devices on its SCSI bus without trying them in 100 different permutations can keep you occupied for at least an afternoon... Which isn't to say I don't love 'em, an Indy is my main workstation at home & the sight of SGI rapidly going down the tubes is deeply sad... Cheers, Tim. -- Tim Walls at home in Croydon - Reply to tim(a)snowgoons.fsnet.co.uk