[andybaker2018]

This is more for my curiosity, but does anyone still have present day uses for their SGI machines? Beyond just the hobbiest stuff? Or does anyone know where SGI machines might still be used? I’ve read about a lot of industries that refuse to give up good systems even when they’re a decade or two past their service life. It would be interesting to see if there’s still SGI hardware out there chugging along in business or industry.

[Irinikus]

As far as I understand it, SGI's are still used to drive some old MRI machines that are still in use today, this is as a result of the huge cost involved in replacing such MRI machines.

[Trippynet]

Ian Mapleson is one of the experts there, he still sells SGI systems for use with MRI machines, control systems for textile mills, plus various other uses as well.

Where I work, we don't have SGI machines in use any more, but we do have a whole number of huge CNC machines driven by Windows 95 consoles. The reason is because a new CNC machine is very expensive indeed, so as long as these systems keep working and doing what they're supposed to do, we will keep on using them. Why replace an incredibly expensive piece of kit just because the computer that drives it is considered obsolete - even though it still works?

[gijoe77]

I have no idea other than what the other posters have said, but I do believe there is still some US government use for SGI's - but that might be more because things might move very slowly in government...

[Jacques]

Last time I saw an SGI in use was in 2002 in Durban, South Africa. It was an O2 used in an MRI suite.

[vishnu]

Where I work, we quit using SGI's shortly after the Octane came out. We had a thousand Indigo2's but rather than buy Octanes we switched to Sun Microsystems, starting with the Ultra 60. Because of the DoD mandating that every contractor switch to smart card logins, I just gave up my Sun Blade 2500 last week. I've been crying myself to sleep ever since. We're exclusively a RHEL shop now... :(

[opcode]

I am lucky, I am a Systems guy and my remote job is 90% ssh sessions. I have a Mac for all of the other requirements. Using a quad 800mhz Tezro with dual 24" lcds. It works great for Unix work I also have a 600MHz O2 I use for work. I love IRIX. I have been fortunate enough to be able to use a personal SGI machine after the companies I worked for no longer purchased them.

I honestly f$*king hate Redhat and most Linux distro and especially hate systemd. I used to love my job, now I just think about retirement and only have my SGI machines to play around with all day.

Is it just because I have gotten older or does IT and the state of computer stuff just suck now?

[necron2600]

opcode: I am in the same boat. Daily use of a 600mhz Octane 24/7 with a nice 30" NEC PA301W 16:10 monitor (I prefer single display than dual). Large drives (even a 2TB SATA in the Octane). If I need a web browser beyond Dillo or Links (most things I need display just fine graphically in Links except all the popups and ads of course), I launch one via RDP.
Nothing beats the classic UNIX workstation.. its all about function and business, and designed to stay running all the time. Why use anything else.

[jirka]

I still use my O2 in my home office. Mostly for light things like LaTeX and 2D graphics (for making slides for presentations, writing textbooks and articles) but also for some computing (finite element modelling in civil engineering). Of course I use it for some work on remote computers (ssh).  For other things (WWW browsing, USB interface) I use  an ODROID computer in the Dodoid's Mini Indigo case.

When at work, unfortunately, I have to use a Dell PC. But I still have a Sun Utra 45 for computing (but it's an amd64 box and it runs a Debian, not the Solaris).

[escimo]

...But I still have a Sun Utra 45 for computing (but it's an amd64 box ...).

Probably not an Ultra 45 but an Ultra 40 (M1 or M2). Ultra 45 is UltraSPARC IIIi. ;-)