[desktop-discuss] Offering x64 based (host && guest) SunPCI board for Solaris x86/x64 as (affordable) product ever explored? _/_ WAS: OS's in VM

[Martin Bochnig]

Martin Bochnig wrote:
> If you would still be using a SPARC as primary platform (i.e. sb2k), 
> then you all could easily benefit from SunPCiIIIpro, which offers you a 
> usable solution (speed).
> You can even boot MartUX_x86 inside it (with a special grub floppy that 
> I never uploaded so far / then netboot SPARC's local dvd-rom [special 
> SunPCi-miniroot on MartUX DVD]).
>
>   
http://www.sun.com/desktop/products/sunpcipro/
(appears to be almost EOL'ed now, probably due to having been overpriced 
at $800)

Has such a thing ever been considered for x86 hosts?
Just opening up the old sparc drivers/application would be an excellent 
start ...
I'm sure Sun didn't have to pay a dime for someone porting the 
traditional SUNWspci3 to x86.
Afterwards Sun could bring out an Opteron based card (or rather Turion64 
Mobile or similar) at, say, $399.
I'm sure there is a demand by desktop customers, to some extent.
You could also offer such a thing for host OS's other than Solaris.

Or is low level virtualisation (e.g. Xen) the exclusive road to go 
nowadays, especially in terms of server-sales?
Maybe it is a few years too late now.
> %m
>