“Microsoft Corp. has pushed back the release of a special version of Windows Server for high-performance computing (HPC) until the first half of next year, the company said late Tuesday,” Joris Evers reports for IDG News Service. “The Redmond, Washington, software maker needs more time to make the product easier to manage and deploy, a spokeswoman for Microsoft said. The first beta test version of the product, called Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition (CCE), has been delayed until the second half of 2005, she said.”
“Originally the final release of the product, previously known as Windows Server 2003 HPC Edition, was slated for late 2005. A first beta version was planned to be available in March or April. The beta release had already slipped from an earlier end-of 2004 target,” Evers reports. “In addition to traditional server companies selling Linux and Unix systems, such as HP, IBM Corp. and Cray Inc., Microsoft will have to battle Apple Computer Inc., which is selling high-performance computing systems based on its Xserve G5 servers.”
Full article here.
More information about Apple’s world-class High-Performance Computing solutions here.
MacDailyNews Take: In related news, construction and mining equipment maker Caterpillar today announced that their bid to develop a dump truck for the Indy 500 will not be ready in time for this year’s race.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Louisville company partners with Apple to create ‘massively fast’ supercomputers for U.S. Navy – December 30, 2004
Virginia Tech’s ‘System X’ Apple Mac supercomputer places seventh in Top500 list – November 08, 2004
Virginia Tech ‘Big Mac’ System X achieves 12.25 teraflops – October 26, 2004
Virgina Tech’s faster ‘Big Mac’ System X supercomputer aims for top-ten world ranking – October 26, 2004
Father of Virginia Tech’s Power Mac G5 supercomputing cluster named among world’s top 100 scientists – September 21, 2004
U.S. Army’s 1,566 64-bit Apple Xserve G5 supercluster can exceed 25 teraflops – September 15, 2004
US Army’s ‘MACH 5’ Apple supercomputer opens eyes – July 05, 2004
US Army’s ‘MACH 5’ Apple supercomputer offers unmatched price/performance – June 24, 2004
COLSA to build ‘MACH 5’ Apple Xserve G5 supercomputer for US Army, to run Mac OS X ‘Panther’ Server – June 21, 2004
‘Big Mac’ Supercomputer may open enterprise market doors for Apple – February 12, 2004
Virginia Tech ‘Big Mac’ supercomputer attracting potential customers – January 28, 2004
Virginia Tech to upgrade ‘Big Mac’ supercomputer to Xserve G5 – January 27, 2004
Virginia Tech Power Mac G5 Supercomputer fires up today – September 24, 2003
Virginia Tech Power Mac G5 Supercomputer costs 90 percent less than nearest competitor – September 23, 2003
Virginia Tech Power Mac G5 supercomputer cluster to run on Mac OS X beta – September 03, 2003
Virginia Tech confirms use of 1,100 Power Mac G5’s for supercomputer cluster – September 02, 2003
So what else is new?
In slightly related news, Microsoft is trying to develop a Unix-style permissions based system for Longhorn called LUA (Least-Privilege User Account).
I don’t think they know what they are doing unless they are copying.
Picture the M$ licensing: $2000 per CPU and $100 per seat. The faster the machine, the more your pay.
Seriously, if I want a supercomputer, and need it to operate as a server, why would I buy anything other than a cluster of Xserves?
MDN Magic Word: “kept” as in Bill Gates kept wishing he had an OS that would run on supercomputers.
So pathetic….
Microsoft can’t do anything right…
Go in for the KILL Apple!
MDN word: “Passed”… as in MSFT will be PASSED like a shot.
What I think is remarkable is MS has so many different versions of their OS now. If I’m counting right, they’ve got XP Home and Professional, and then Windows 2003 Server plus this HPC offering. That’s 4.
Apple has 2, and really I don’t think there’s much that’s different between OS X and OS X Server except for the addition of some more admin utilities in Server (I could be wrong). Pretty remarkable.
Bad example MDN, Catepillar is a solid brand, unlike MS.
Great take, MDN! Keep ’em coming…
LOL
sd,
I think MDN meant that Microsoft’s OS is a dump truck that will never be able to perform like a race car. They’re not slamming Caterpillar with their comment.
I believe the real reason for this is that Microshaft is going through a branding rename. The new name will be Longhorn Operating System Extreme. New Microsoft LOSE will be used by Microsoft LOSERs. Bwahahahahahaha.
My magic word is “third”, as in “in a competition between Mac OS X and Windows XP, XP comes in third.”
I don’t see how you could manage a high-performance computing cluster if the nodes are always crashing.
When M$ called it “Windows Server 2003 Compute Cluster Edition (CCE)” maybe they meant “Windows 2003 Complete Cluster F***?”
they need more time to make it easier to manage and deploy? the sun is supposed to expand and consume the earth in about 5 billion years; i don’t think microsoft has enough time.
magic word is book, as you can make book on that!
Well, I bet the Caterpillar offering will still beat any competition backed by H.P. in the Indy 500.
Hairbo sez:
What I think is remarkable is MS has so many different versions of their OS now. If I’m counting right, they’ve got XP Home and Professional, and then Windows 2003 Server plus this HPC offering. That’s 4.
You are forgetting XP-N no media player edition, Home media center , XP-64 bit
And if you want to stretch you can include all the CE editions and phone editions. So Many OS, Such little security.
It’s not their fault- reverse engineering Mac OS gets trickier with each new version of the operating system.
It is really beyond me what they do at microsoft. They have tons more people for OS development compared to Apple and they can’t get anything out the door.
To be honest it is not Apple who is winning the war – it is M$ who are trying their best to lose it.
Not that I mind, but they seriously have to get their arse in gear.
Windows super computer.. yeah right…
Next we get news that says: Scientist lost control over super computer… Scientist helpless with the new super virus… Scientists sad.. their super computer exploded.. super computer that can´t calculate right.. etc
“It is really beyond me what they do at microsoft. They have tons more people for OS development compared to Apple and they can’t get anything out the door.”
The delay has nothing to do with developement. It has to do with feedback from customers to add/remove features. As far as Apple’s Server OS. You’re correct, they have much less programmers, but you know, it REALLY Shows. Apple OS X Server SUCKS.