Really? Military purchases 2,200 PS3s

[OrangeEmpire]

Military purchases 2,200 PS3s – SciTechBlog - CNN.com Blogs

It seems generous grandmothers aren't the only ones purchasing PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles this holiday season. The U.S. Dept. of Defense has announced plans to buy an additional 2,200 PS3s to complement a military supercomputer cluster running on 336 PS3 systems.

The military purchase was likely encouraged by Sony's recent PS3 price cut, which brought the price of a single console down to $299.
A military justification of review document explains the decision:

Though a single 3.2 GHz cell processor can deliver over 200 GFLOPS, whereas the Sony PS3 configuration delivers approximately 150 GFLOPS, the approximately tenfold cost difference per GFLOP makes the Sony PS3 the only viable technology for HPC applications.
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According to Ars Technica, Sony sells the PS3 at a loss and hopes to make back the difference by selling games and accessories.

The reason that the PS3 is a more cost-effective way to buy Cell-powered GFLOPS than, say, the Cell blades that IBM actually makes specifically for supercomputing applications, is that the consoles come with a big, fat subsidy from Sony.
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However, the military isn't likely to purchase any games for these PlayStations. The justification review states the systems will run a proprietary Linux-based operating system, which probably won't be able to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Thoughts?

 

[MG1968]

it has to do with the PS3's cell architecture and it's computational speed. 2200 PS3's are a helluva lot cheaper than a single, actual super computer.

IBM Drops Price on Supercomputer - PC World

the article is old, but illustrative of the costs involved


edit: and, yes, I just defended the DoD, or at least rationalized a seemingly irrational purchase.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

It just seems rather odd that the DoD would have to resort to buying ps3s.

 

[Vol Mania 21]

they want to play Modern Warfare 2

 

[MG1968]

It just seems rather odd that the DoD would have to resort to buying ps3s.

dual-use technology, the eggheads at the Pentagon have a killer CoD: MW2 clan.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

Maybe this Gates guy is a penny pincher.

I should like this from my politicians.

 

[droski]

sounds like a brilliant move to me.

 

[OrangeEmpire]

It is an innovative solution.

 

[droski]

sony sells those well below their actual cost. sony can't be in love with this decision.

 

[MontereyVol]

Can't wait till they get here!!!

 

[gsvol]

Thoughts?

Military peoples need recreation too!!!! opcorn: