Dell offers three base models, two of which I highly recommend because Dell Workstations are among the most configurable (and readily available) ones out there, and the support is good, and the pricing is attractive.
The main difference between the 410 and the 610 is the 610's use of the Pentium II Xeon processor(s). They're both based on SCSI U2W disk subsystems, and come with SCSI U2W devices (drives; CD). Furthermore, RAID is available for both workstations, and their graphics solutions include the 610's high-end 3D Labs' Oxygen GMX 2000 (an NT-only card), and the 410's respectable AccelGraphics AccelGALAXY 31 (NT-only OEM version with 31MB memory) -- either of which you can configure for the other machine. (Note: you can also configure either machine with a few other cards, including the 210's Permedia, to bring the price down significantly if you don't need a graphics workstation).
The 210, however, uses EIDE (Ultra ATA) for the disk sub-system, and comes with only one graphics solution: the 8MB AGP Diamond Permedia 2. Sounds more like a PC to me.
These come in four flavors with numerous options, but they're not "build to order" like the Dells:
You can get either of the higher-end workstations with Xeon processors; and the XU with Pentium IIs as well. The XW comes with one of two excellent graphics solutions: the HP VISUALIZE fx4 AGP, or fx6 AGP (they differ in memory configurations). The XU and XA models comes standard with the Matrox Millenium G200 AGP card, but you can opt for an Elsa GLoria Synergy+ or Accel GALAXY, as well.
Further options for the higher-end workstations include a CDRW drive instead of the standard SCSI CDROM; a tape drive; RAID; a ZIP drive; and a DVD-ROM. However, the ethernet's built-in, as is the audio (SB-compatible). Note, however, that the lower-end XA models, while they have SCSI as an option, tend toward PC-like configurations, and don't offer RAID solutions, either.
If you go to www.buy.hp.com, you can buy some pre-configured Kayaks (without monitors?!) from there.
Are you looking for a price now? Think again!! If you want to buy that system you've just spent time "configuring", surprise: you're presented with the closest matching pre-configured model number, no price, and a link to the specific model which, when clicked, will open a new [modal!] browser window -- which merely takes you back to the main model page (for example, "HP Kayak XU").
So you're supposed to now hit the "Buy Now" button, thinking it'll take you to an order form with a price of your just-selected model. Nope! You have to go back to the parent browser window to get the model number (nothing is "filled in" for you), then go back to the kiosk window, scroll down to Option 2, "Buy Online", let the new page load, then scroll down an enormous list of pre-configured model numbers, find yours, and click "Add to Shopping Cart". It is only on this page that you'll find your model's price, and keep in mind that it's unlikely that your configured options will all be on this "closest match" system! This is hugely bad design!
These boxes are not configurable, although there are multiple pre-configured systems available (in the end, very much like the Kayaks, but IBM is just more up front about it!). From the Intellistation home page, you select your base model, opt to "Buy Now", which takes you to the Comparison Chart. From there, you can view all the Intellistation configurations and their main features, not including price, and sort them by those features (this is a nice feature!). You can then select the product ID number to see more details about that model.
The base models available include the following (and note that the monitors aren't included in the prices):
Personal favorite! There are many great pre-configured boxes available from Publishing Perfection for under $4000 excluding monitor (dual 333MHz w/ Matrox G200); but an even better deal @ Publishing Perfection is the ExtremeZ GL2 (Dual 400MHz PIIs with a bigger HDD) for about $5000 [sans monitor]. Certainly look at these pups if only to have something worthy enough to burn in hell for coveting.
Dell Workstations
Now here comes the big joke: If you want to configure your own system, you go through the above model links, configure your favorite model, hit the "Configure" button when you're finished.
IBM Intellistation
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excerpted from my September 1, 1998 article at Suite101.com
Microsoft is most candidly suggesting, on its Windows NT 5.0 Workstation page, that NT 5.0 will run decently on a 300 MHz Pentium II; and we know that Chrome Effects will require a 350MHz PII for starters; so the time for looking at faster CPUs is quickly coming up. So what better time than now, with the new Xeon Pentium II chip here, and Merced way off in the distance, to look at your options! Upgrading Older Machines Last week I got the September 1998 issue of Computer Shopper, which features an excellent article about upgrading your CPU and motherboard. A brain change could be a very cost-effective upgrade depending on how well you've kept your other peripherals upgraded. To point, the Computer Shopper article changed out a P90 motherboard for a Pentium II motherboard/CPU for just a few hundred dollars (although you'd have to add another $100-150 for a new 128MB RAM DIMM).
So as little as $400 will get you the right architecture (a 100MHz system bus; half-CPU speed L2 cache interface; a Pentium II-class CPU; faster RAM; AGP port; and USB ports). You might also want to look at the higher-end motherboard upgrades: see a review of 20 440BX motherboards from Tom's Hardware Guide. To point, the Asus P2B (Tom's top pick for a 440BX motherboard) can be purchased on sale for $150; and the P2B-LS model (with Ultra2/Wide SCSI and LAN on the Motherboard!) will run you about $300. As for the Pentium chips themselves, you can get:
a 400MHz PII for $600; or a 450 MHz PII for $700.
Other Upgrade Costs On the other hand, there are plenty of new technologies (peripherals) you might want to take advantage of with the new motherboard, which are coming standard with new workstations, and which you might figure in to any upgrade price:
A New Box Let's go whole hog and look at the new Xeon workstations that are just becoming available now. Of course, you'll find much better deals with the "plain-Jane" 400 and 450 Pentium II workstations using the 440BX AGP chipset, which runs at 100MHz just like the Xeon motherboard's chipset (Intel 440 GX AGPset). But we'll go high-end just to see what's out there.
Bottom Feeders While I don't think you should discount the Xeon as being too high-end/bleeding edge (cf Tom's Hardware Guide's Xeon page -- Xeon is not just for enterprises), you can get a properly-configured workstation (read: Ultra2/Wide SCSI) with a 350 MHz or 400 MHz PII for a lot less than the Xeon workstations will cost you. Examples:
But those prices are a stretch unless you plan on migrating a lot of peripherals over to the new machine! The cheapest I could reasonably configure the Dell was for $3700. However, the options are enormous, and you can play with the numbers all day if you'd like.
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