8i on Intel-based Unix & that f****** licensing

We have a 5-6 year old Sparcserver1000 at our shop, currently running 7.3.4 under the Oracle concurrent user licensing model. However, this runs out later this year, and we need to replace the Sparc1000 with a box better specced for Oracle 8i.

   This is where Oracle's wonderful new licensing model has complicated things immeasurably. The amount quoted for a power unit-based license on a Sparc box is way out of the park so far as our budget is concerned, and the powerful NT lobby in-house has seized on this as an opportunity to push for a migration to NT - God forbid!

   There's no way I want to be involved in a migration which involves a change of Oracle release AND a change of platform to one I don't trust (and have less experience of). I need some info on alternative Intel-based Unix platforms - in particular Solaris x86 - which I could use to promote an alternative (and less drastic) proposal. Can anyone help?

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