>> I'm still trying to figure out the price structure for EC2. I mean, do 
>> they bill you for how many hours an instance runs for?
> 
> Yes.
> 
>> Or just how many hours of CPU time it uses? 
> 
> No. Altho that would be pretty cool. :-)

Right. So if you turn on an instance and it doesn't do anything, it will 
still cost you hundreds of dollars per month?

Hmm... My interest in this whole idea just evapourated. :-}

>> I also need to know how many hits I get in a year to compute how much 
>> a year will cost me. Only them will I be in a position to figure out 
>> if it's actually any cheaper.
> 
> I was assuming you had a handle on this. :-)

Nope. I guess I might be able to get some useful statistics out of the 
management system, but don't hold your breath.

>> Currently I'm wondering if EC2 would be any cheaper/faster for running 
>> POV-Ray. But I suspect the answer is going to be "no"...
> 
> Cheaper / Faster than what?  Do a trial trace and see how long it takes 
> on your current setup and on one of Amazon's.  I've noticed it can 
> fluctuate a bit over time, maybe 10% up and down, presumedly as other 
> users on the machine use some capacity, but it's pretty minor.

Faster than my current dual-core AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+ 2.2 GHz with 
brass knobs on. Cheaper than, say, hiring an ordinary virtual server 
from somebody, or just buying a faster PC.

The advantage of a virtual machine, of course, is that it can run overnight.

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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