Greetings

I am in the process of getting A Del Precission 530 work station that will be dedicated to massive FLUENT calculations. I appreciate any comments of the pros and cons of using a Linux or a Windows 2000 platform. This from all points of practical usage and administration of my work and work station form one who is not a system person.

Thanks for any comments. Have a happy holiday

Peter

Linux and NOTHING but Linux..

The simulation results will be the same. However, Linux would be a tad faster (a few percent).

So if the only use you will ever have for the workstation is Fluent, go Linux.

But what if you want the workstation for other programs? Most people are used to Windows, and have dozens of Windows programs that they use. If the machine is Linux, and you have Windows software, then the machine is useless for those programs. Sometimes there are Linux alternatives, but those are few and far between. Going the Windows route lets you use everything else you need - when you aren't running a simulation.

I'm assuming you'll be getting a dual processor machine with the Precision 530. Quite frequently you'll be doing a calculation that the speed is good enough on one processor. It is quite nice to use the other processor on another program: analyzing data on Excel on one processor while calculating on the other. Writing a thesis on Word on one processor, while the other renders a picture to be used in that thesis. Calculating the next runs constants on MathCad while the former one finishes up. I could go on and on. Quite frequently these situations will pop up. If you don't have all those programs also on Linux, you need a second computer. Then you have to transfer the data and pictures back and forth over and over again (which is possible, but isn't easy going from Linux to Windows).

I'd gladly give up 3% speed to get all the benefits that Windows brings.

SCOTT THANKS.I DO HAVE A SEPARATE LAPTOP COMPUTER RUNNING WINDOWS 2000 AND ARE DOING MY FLUENT WORK ON AN SGI INDIGO DESK COMPUTER THAT SERVES AS A FRONT/TERMINAL TO AN SGI ORIGIN WORKSTAION. THUS BUILDING ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH UNIX THAT LINUX IS A NATURAL. HOWEVER, YOU COREECTLY STATE THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF ACCESSORY CODES LIKE ANNIMATION AND POST PROCESSING GRAPHIC IN GENERAL AS BEING AVAILABLE, I.E. MORE AVAILABLE , AT THE PRESENT ON WINDOWS NOT SO MUCH ON LINUX. DID I READ YOU CORRECTLY ?

THANKS

PETER