Re: [9fans] Interesting in trying out Plan 9

[Wes Kussmaul <wes@village.com>]

At 10:08 AM 2/18/2004, you wrote:
>On Wed, 18 Feb 2004, C H Forsyth wrote:
>
> > >>well I don't see that kind of stuff here on 1000s of linux nodes. That
> >
> > mainly computational?  how often are they rebooted (eg, between tasks)?
> > just curious.
>
>The lesson is simple: pay the 20% increment over "cheap white boxes" and
>get huge gains in hardware reliability, with consequent gains in uptime.
>Pay 10-20x the cheap white box and you'll get ripped off, with reliability
>typically LOWER for "Enterprise Class" systems (yes, there are people who
>pay 20x cheap white box cost). <clip>

I find that this rule works with any remotely technology-related product,
probably other areas as well.

I know someone who paid $25,000 a month for Exodus hosting and got less
than we were getting for less than 1 per cent of that cost. The difference
is the cost of retaining human beings to hold your hand in person as the
product/service screws up. If it didn't screw up you wouldn't need the
"relationship builder," the hand-holding suit.

I don't know whether Consumer Reports is international, but those of us in
the US can check the reliability ratings of kitchen appliances. For
products priced above the midrange there is a near-perfect inverse
relationship between reliability and cost. My own kitchen is a living
laboratory for this phenomenon, having been designed by a "kitchen
consultant" to include the Sub Zero refrigerators, the Thermidor ovens, and
other total garbage costing somewhere around Ron's 20x multiple over your
basic reliable Kenmore. The reason is simple: if you're going to ship a
million of something it had better work or the warranty claims will
obliterate your earnings. But if the customer pays for it upfront, the
warranty claim becomes another opportunity to "build a relationship" with
the customer. Re fools/money/departure.

Somebody needs to write a book about this (and let PKI Press publish it.)

Note: of those involved in the management of this household, I was not the
one who retained the "kitchen consultant."

Wes