Cobalt Qube
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Mark Orr |
| Fate | Acquired by Sun Microsystems |
| Products | Cobalt Qube series |
The Cobalt Qube series consisted of computer server appliance devices engineered as web servers by Cobalt Networks, Inc., a company later acquired by Sun Microsystems. Manufactured between 1998 and 2002, these appliances ran a customized version of Red Hat Linux paired with a unique graphical interface for managing the servers. Early iterations were powered by RM5230 or RM5231 processors, while subsequent models transitioned to AMD K6-2 CPUs. Additionally, the NetBSD operating system was adapted to run on both the Cobalt Qube and RaQ hardware platforms.
Models
Introduced in 1998, the Qube 2700 marked Cobalt Networks' inaugural product. The device’s signature cobalt blue hue was selected by CEO Mark Orr, with the green LED on the front panel designed by Bill Scott. The "2700" designation corresponds to cobalt’s atomic number, 27. This model utilized the RM5230 processor.
The Qube 2, originally named Qube 2800 and released in 2000, upgraded its CPU to the RM5231. Through an OEM partnership, Gateway marketed this unit as the Gateway Micro Server, notable for its black enclosure rather than the characteristic cobalt blue.
The last released version, the Qube 3 (2002), incorporated an AMD K6-2 processor operating at either 300 or 450 MHz. Although a fourth generation was under development, it never reached the market. Following the discontinuation of the Qube line, Cobalt Networks shifted focus towards expanding its data center solutions via the Cobalt RaQ product family.
External links
- CobaltFAQs wiki
- Brian Smith's NuOnce site closed in January 2009; his PKGs for CobaltRAQ/Clones/BlueQuartz servers remain archived.