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The Cloud Computer

oxide.computer

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Re: The Cloud Computer

#411

Post by panick21_ »

cstross wrote: post #140
cpursley wrote: post #3

Can somebody explain in a sentence or two what this actually is and what the benefits are?

They've reinvented the IBM Mainframe. Big rack-sized box with lots of redundant hardware that serves guest VMs. This is basically a zSeries in drag. The key difference is the price structure -- IBM leases the hardware wherever they can get away with it, and uses a license manager to control how many of the machine's resources you can access (based on how much you can bear to pay). This, however, is like a mainframe y…

Mainframes also do lots of other things that this doesn't really do. Like allowing you to pretend its a bunch of multi-core machines, or even a single one.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#412

Post by whizzter »

dmix wrote: post #344
layer8 wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may be a limited market. You need to be large enough for a private cloud to make sense, but above a certain size it also should be a no-brainer to have a competent ops team making you less dependent on a singular infrastructure provider.

Maybe 37signals type businesses, SMB tech startups with a serious, stable, non-high growth business model and a tech savvy team. If you're selling $500k boxes you don't need to sell a TON of them to make a hundred million dollar business. Unless their VCs expect Oxide to be a billion dollar company with a broader market.

With 44m in financing they probably expect a billion dollar company. https://oxide.computer/blog/oxide-unveils-the-worlds-first-c...

Re: The Cloud Computer

#413

Post by doublepg23 »

repelsteeltje wrote: post #135
jjice wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And they currently run a podcast weekly called "Oxide and Friends" where they talk about miscellaneous things in the software space. The most recent few episodes have been about corporate open source and they've had excellent guests, like Kelsey Hightower. Definitely the best computer related podcasts out there. Bryan and Adam are great hosts and their humor is always a delight.

+1 Agree Other podcasts I'd recommend: ADSP [1] (if you're into programming), 2.5 admins [2] (if you're into computers). But I have no recommendations about hardware design because AFAIK the podcasts you mention and what Oxide is doing are pretty unique. [1] Algorithms + Data Structures = Programs https://adspthepodcast.com/ [2] Allan Jude, Jim Salter, Joe Ressington https://2.5admins.com/

I've learned some very good tips from 2.5 admins but I have to take breaks often because their egos are a little much at times...

The shows at https://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/ are my personal go-to.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#414

Post by cdchn »

TimTheTinker wrote: post #350
bigironcto wrote: post #241

I am CTO of a large global data center provider posting with throwaway account. As a technologist, I really appreciate what they have done. Impressive work, high quality, however I don't understand who this is for. The meaningful market for Data Center hardware is pretty well defined in two clusters. People that build/make custom gear (such as Hyperscalers) and people that buys HP/Cisco/IBM/Dell... (blades or hyper-c…

You may not be aware of the pain that many large, non-software companies currently have on AWS. Gigantic monthly bills (hundreds of thousands per month) coming from subdivisions that aren't capable or motivated to reduce their AWS budget or usage. To the office of the CTO, Oxide's value proposition (buy instead of rent) could be very motivating. "Hey subdivision A, could we buy a few Oxide racks and move your workloa…

Most people who can do this (aren't as entrenched in AWS) end up moving to a cheap VPS provider so that they don't end up having to pay for all the internetworking, facilities, throw redundancy out the window, and then still have to pay the IT burden to heavy-lift all their workloads to this whole new "Oxide" system.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#415

Post by steveklabnik »

MichaelZuo wrote: post #399
steveklabnik wrote: post #341

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At this stage of the company, everyone gets a white-glove installation process. I suspect that will change over time but I don't work on that part of things, so I don't personally know the details.

Thanks, are the specific details standardized and available in writing? Or is it more tailored to each customer?

Sorry to be slightly obtuse, which details are you referring to here? Help upon installation? At the moment, we are helping customers individually, yeah. But we do have a documented process we are following https://docs.oxide.computer/guides/system/rack-installation-... (and more on other pages there)

Re: The Cloud Computer

#416

Post by closeparen »

keepamovin wrote: post #55
weystrom wrote: post #16

> Everyone at Oxide makes $201,227 USD, regardless of location. Man I would love to work for a company like that. I don't know why more people don't set their startups like that.

Exactly, man! That's the way it should be done. It's not a company's business to decide how much your life should cost. It's its business to reward you for the value you provide, and that value is not tethered to your location, so neither should be your salary!

Location independence is not the interesting part of Oxide’s compensation strategy. It’s that everyone makes exactly the same. There are no negotiations, no levels, no promotions, and consequently no promo packets or promo projects. This is extremely enticing to FAANG types who are tired of a certain kind of bullshit, at the cost of a certain level of ambition.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#417

Post by cdchn »

bigironcto wrote: post #241

I am CTO of a large global data center provider posting with throwaway account. As a technologist, I really appreciate what they have done. Impressive work, high quality, however I don't understand who this is for. The meaningful market for Data Center hardware is pretty well defined in two clusters. People that build/make custom gear (such as Hyperscalers) and people that buys HP/Cisco/IBM/Dell... (blades or hyper-c…

I really wonder what their mental image of a product market fit is. They're undeniably doing some cool stuff but myself and it seems like everybody else has to do some serious mental gymnastics to figure out who they sell this to and what needs it fulfills or niches it can fit into.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#418

Post by cdchn »

dewbrite wrote: post #391
TimTheTinker wrote: post #350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You may not be aware of the pain that many large, non-software companies currently have on AWS. Gigantic monthly bills (hundreds of thousands per month) coming from subdivisions that aren't capable or motivated to reduce their AWS budget or usage. To the office of the CTO, Oxide's value proposition (buy instead of rent) could be very motivating. "Hey subdivision A, could we buy a few Oxide racks and move your workloa…

Having worked somewhere with an AWS spend of $30k/mo on _virtually nothing_, I can attest to this. I think most of it was sales demos that never got cleaned up.

Converting your OpEx to CapEx is not a remedy for sloppy bookkeeping.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#419

Post by clpmsf »

YorickPeterse wrote: post #366
paxys wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No company wants to hire in expensive areas, but that's just where engineering talent is concentrated.

Ah yes, because good engineers can only be found in San Francisco and similarly expensive areas.

I think it's mostly societal perception. For whatever reasons, a lot of people seem to think of professionals in SF and NYC as smarter or more capable than professionals from Boise or Salt Lake City. Just like a lot of people assume those who got into Harvard or Stanford as 18yr olds are smarter or more capable than those with degrees from the large public universities.

Re: The Cloud Computer

#420

Post by carapace »

bigironcto wrote: post #241

I am CTO of a large global data center provider posting with throwaway account. As a technologist, I really appreciate what they have done. Impressive work, high quality, however I don't understand who this is for. The meaningful market for Data Center hardware is pretty well defined in two clusters. People that build/make custom gear (such as Hyperscalers) and people that buys HP/Cisco/IBM/Dell... (blades or hyper-c…

> Beyond the tech, how would support services really work? We can have a technician from any of the large vendors on-site in less than 2 hours. In some of our DC clusters we actually have vendor support personnel 24x7 on-site with vendor paid spare parts inventory. How would they provide that level of service?

Forgive me for being naive, but that sounds like a great way to differentiate their offering.

E.g. the famous Maytag Repairman, who sits at his desk doing nothing because Maytag washers are so reliable that he has nothing to do.

> In a time in which the laundry appliances of major manufacturers had reached maturity, differing mostly in minor details, the campaign was designed to remind consumers of the perceived added value in Maytag products derived from the brand's reputation for dependability.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maytag_Repairman#Ol'_Lonely

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