how does Sparc compare to Opteron ?

[syxbit]

i want a server to run ubuntu.
what are the benefits of sparc (seeing as it's so expensive?)
thanks

[allnameswereout]

What is the purpose of your server?

Unless you have a lot of money a new SPARC server is not sane buy based on your budget. You'd be better off price/performance on an Opteron, Xeon, or even something lower than that depending on the purpose and size of your pocket.

Basically there is no advantage unless you need specific features of SPARC hardware. One of those is its extreme reliability together with a good support contract for Sun. That is what Sun, IBM, HP etc are known for. Say you run a bank and a part of your AS/400 fails. Rest assured an IBM techie on your doorstep 2 hours later to replace the hardware. But such comes with a price and nowadays the Opteron is a relatively cheap alternative performance/price wise. Thats why Sun now offers these machines.