Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2000/01/12/big_blue_shows_off_skinny/

Big Blue shows off skinny server

Less than two inches thick

By Linda Harrison

Posted in On-Prem, 12th January 2000 13:51 GMT

IBM today unveiled the eighth addition to its Netfinity server range, aimed at the ISP and ASP markets. The UK can expect to see first shipments of the Netfinity 4000R in March, along with the rest of the EMEA region. Big Blue claims the server is the thinnest Intel-based server on offer from a major vendor. It is a mere 1.75in (45mm) thick. The machine, already launched in the US, uses two Intel 500MHz chips – allowing capability for 84 processors per industry standard rack. It offers up to 2GB memory, 1.5 Terabytes storage, and supports Windows and Linux. IBM said it would not release pricing until nearer shipping time. The 4000R, which measures 24in x 1.75in x 19in, is aimed at helping ISP server farms pack more machines into a confined space and save companies money on office space rental. The floor space needed to accommodate the cubic volume of this server would cost £3,000 per year to rent in the City of London, according to IBM, obviously at pains to prove that size (or a lack of it) matters. Last month the US vendor cut prices on some of its Netfinity server ranges by up to 26 per cent. ® See also: IBM ups PC server price war