Why Beowulf
Besides getting the equivalent of a supercomputer for literally a fraction of the cost, some other benefits of a Beowulf cluster:
-Decrease vendor dependency. No proprietary hardware/software means that you have full control of the system and can scale it or modify it however you please without having to pay for corporate assistance. You don't have to restrict yourself to a single vendor's hardware.
-Most Beowulf clusters run the Linux operating system, known for its stability and speed. Also known for its price (free).
-ScalabilityL There are almost no limits to how large a Beowulf can be scaled. If you find a 486 out near the dumpster, waiting to be picked up, snatch it up and simply add it to your cluster.
-Because all Beowulfs are Linux, you're guarenteed that anything you write for one Beowulf will perform correctly on other Beowulfs.