Ok. So I oversimplified it. I'm well aware of mainframe capabilities.
I used to build and test S/390s. And did some design in college.
Funny I've never seen a mainframe with only 
1 CPU; must be before my time. ;)

Yes, hardware redundancy is definitely more expensive than OTS hardware.
But there is plenty of it now that will plug into "PC" hardware. And
there is demand for it, so prices have come down. There are motherboards
that are AT? style that include CPU failover, etc.

Granted there is much more to mainframes than "PC servers". But when you
can pick up
a -=new=- minicomputer for $5000. That has to tell you that the price
gap is closing.

I still say "PCs" are going to go away. Because the only people who will
buy them will be
techies. Most people will be perfectly happy with their PIL ("personal
electronic lifeline").
What's a PIL you say? Why it's a PIM/cell phone/fax/internet
browsing/word processing handheld computer".

People won't need a PC when you can put it all in the palm of their
hand! True I am talking future, here (that's what prophesies are for).
But when you can have a handheld computer, with built in cell phone and
highspeed internet access. Why in the -=world=- would you buy a PC!?

Ok, so maybe the poor people will still buy PCs. The used ones from
electronic junkyards.

Am I way off in the future? I don't think so. In 5 years you look back
to this and tell me I'm wrong. This is the future, unless someone nukes
the planet or both polar caps melt (an all too real possibility, when
ice cubes the size of Long Island are breaking off Antarctica).

And what will they run? Probably both Windoze and Linux.

Like I keep saying, it's not the PC desktop we need to rule. It's the
embedded "desktop".
Even M$ sees this.

Brian