HP Workstation zx6000

It's important to check on driver availability, as some of the 64-bit operating systems had yet to be catered for at the time of writing. Moreover, although the HP hardware is certified for three 64-bit platforms (Unix, Linux and Windows), at the time of writing the software hadn't all been released. Not surprisingly, HP's own 64-bit HP-UX is fully supported and available along with a 64-bit implementation of Red Hat Linux for Itanium 2s. However, release versions of 64-bit Windows (XP and .NET Server) aren't expected until well into 2003.

Similarly, it's a good idea to check on application availability before considering an Itanium 2 workstation. Most of the big names in the CAE, mechanical CAD and digital imaging fields have announced support for the 64-bit Intel platform, but few have delivered final code. Some open-source applications for the Itanium 2 are to be had, but users looking for 64-bit Windows programs are likely to be disappointed. Bear in mind too that, although you can run 32-bit Windows applications on the Itanium 2, performance will be less than what you'd get using dedicated 32-bit hardware.

Given that it's a server in workstation clothing, you might well expect the zx6000 to be noisy in operation, but that's not the case. It does make more noise than most desktop PCs, but the fans are no louder than on comparable RISC-based workstations. It's also very resilient, with server-like high availability and monitoring as standard. Software support will be an issue for some time, but will eventually be sorted, at which point, especially considering its reasonable price, the zx6000 looks set to be more than a match for RISC-based alternatives.

Author: Alan Stevens