Build your own supercomputer with XGrid
If you have need for a supercomputer, Apple gives you a relatively inexpensive way of obtaining one. Xgrid is the latest product from Apple that is designed to let you easily connect several Macs together to harness their computing power.
Xgrid turns a group of Macs into a supercomputer, so they can work on problems greater than each individually could solve. You can let Xgrid operate in screensaver mode, so whenever you aren’t working, your Mac can crunch away at some data set. Or if you have a group of Macs dedicated to the task, Xgrid makes it easy to set up a cluster that works around the clock, every day of the year.
XGrid utilizes the Rendezvous networking solution which allows anyone to network their desktops or Xservers. Apple lives up to their reputation of easy computing with this product.
Xgrid uses zero configuration Rendezvous to discover available resources, so you never have to enter IP addresses to set up a cluster. An easy-to-use System Preference panel lets you control how your machine gets used by the network, and also tells the cluster which computer can send problems to the group for number crunching. Xgrid takes the grunt work out of splitting jobs and collecting results. Many scientists who already use command line tools in their work will immediately be able to take advantage of Xgrid and have the power of a cluster without the hassle of setup.
Xserve G5 is credited with the ability to crunch data with 9 GigaFlops of processing power. If you are able to cluster a few of these servers together think of the power you would have. To get a copy of the XGrid software, you can download it from here. It appears that the licensing is free, so all you have to worry about is the hardware.