> the SAM460EX still only offers a PCIe X16 slot with four lane

An x4 slot is still better than P2020RDB's x1 slot and even P2020DS's x2 slot.

> the processor is fairly slow

It has a proper FPU, at least ;-)

> As I listed in the CPU/memtest thread, my current 7447A processor
> produces these numbers: Write 568 MB/sec. Verify 387 MB/sec

Thanks. I just compared MorphOS's memtest and RAGEMEM on my machine and have found that RAGEMEM reports an up to 8% better performance for RAM read (write is the same).

> These figures were quoted by Piru on Amiga.org.

...from a November's posting of mine from this very thread, btw :-)

> That would seem to indicate that the SAM460EX is slower than some
> PC133 equipped Powermacs.

Yes, indeed. But we shouldn't forget that such memory benchmark apparently is still CPU bound in a way, as your memtest result for read on your 133 MHz FSB PowerMac is better than mine on my 167 MHz FSB Mac mini.

> of course there is the lack of AltiVec

Same on P2020RDB and P2020DS.

> Piru's comparative benchmarks of distributed.net tasks .

Btw, those Mac mini results are quoted from a December's posting of mine from this very thread, in which I also quoted those Sam460ex results and which is much more extensive by listing all the different dnetc cores' results for both the Sam460ex and my Mac mini.

> So if a second hand Mac can wipe the floor with this unit, why consider it?

Don't ask me. I don't say I'd consider it or the MorphOS Team should consider it. On the other hand I know that there're people who for whatever reason object against purchasing second hand hardware and thus prefer purchasing slower new hardware over faster old hardware.