Acquiring a used IBM i Server - (repost)

Sorry if this posts twice, but some time had gone by and a few digests
showed up without my original posting...I've also added to the original
text.


I know this has been discussed before but my Google-Fu isn't helping in
finding the older archived articles in relation to this topic.

I'm a SysAdmin/RPG Dev who is considering a used server purchase. I've
played around with some of the cheaper hosted options and found them to be
limiting in a few ways. (limited disk space, Low RAM, not my own
environment, etc.) Also, I'm somewhat of a hardware junkie, and I would
love to be hands on with the hardware instead of renting an instance
somewhere... I feel like this would help immensely in becoming a better
operator.

I want the box to be a Dev Box, but would also use it to help grow my
skills in Server Administration, Web Development, and to play around with
Modern RPG, Java and other Open Source languages.

I would think it could be rather modest in that case. From what I
understand reading IBMs EOS schedule, many POWER6 and 7 servers will reach
end-of-support in 2019.

I've come across a box that is not on the EOS list, and has unlimited
entitled users until Nov. 2019. It is a POWER7+ machine with the following
config:

IBM 8202-E4D
Power7+ 3.6GHz 1/8 Processors
56.300CPW
OS v7r2, v7r1, and v6r1
PowerVM included

0041 DEVICE PARITY PROTECTION-ALL
0267 I OPERATING SYSTEM PARTITION SPECIFY
0567 IBM I 7.1 SPECIFY CODE
1888 139GB 15K RPM SAS SFF DISK (QTY=4)
2145 PRIMARY OS IBM I
5532 SYSTEM AC POWER SUPPLY 1925W (QTY=2)
5771 SATA SLIMLINE DVD-RAM DRIVE
5899 4-PORT 1GBE ADAPTER
6577 POWER CABLE DRAWER TO IBM PDU (QTY=4)
7134 IBM RACK MOUNT DRAWER BEZEL
7145 IBM/OEM RACK MOUNT DRAWER RAIL
9300 LANGUAGE GROUP SPECIFY US ENGLISH
EJ01 STORAGE B P 8 SFF RAID IOA
EM08 8GB 2X4GB MEMORY DIMMS 1066 (QTY=2)
EPCM 8 CORE 3.6 GHZ POWER7+ PROCESSOR MODULE
EPDM ONE PROCESSOR ACTIV FOR EPCM (QTY=4)
EPEM ZERO PRICED PROCESSOR ACTIV FOR EPCM (QTY=4)

It's pretty costly for a single dev in my opinion especially since it seems
that the box will lose user entitlement in late 2019...which will probably
force a hardware upgrade. I think aquiring a P10 license on the older box
might not be viable. This box also seems like overkill for my needs, but
I'm not one to sneer at MOAR POWER

I'd like to find a modest and affordable (not several thousands of dollars)
machine I can call my own for a decent length of time (Is 5 years asking
too much?) Any tips to assist in my search? I'm not 100% sold on the config
I listed, so I'm open to other config suggestions. I called IBM today to
see what used offerings they might have, but I talked to 5 different reps,
and none of them were from the proper department so I doubt I'll actually
get any worthwhile information from speaking to them on the phone.

Keep in mind, I've never bought a IBM i server before even in my day job. I
mostly maintain and program for it. I'm hoping to change that with some
iron to expand my skillset.

Opinions are welcome. Thanks in advance.