When the RS/6000 launched, AIX had some neat system management OS features and hypertext documentation that was better than any of the other workstation vendors at the time.
Also, the RS/6000 and/or AIX was noticeably fast at some things. I remember a Systems Engineer being amazed that you could invoke a shell window (aixterm, IIRC), and it snapped instantly onto the screen, no lag.) The workstation vendors were often leapfrogging each other, but on that one metric, 0 perceptible time was new. I don't remember how compiles compared.
If you can pick up an RS/6000 on eBay, with licenses and install media, it might be a little fun to play with. And maybe either check that GCC will work, or that you're getting license and media for the compiler.
Today, though, there's so much neat stuff to play with atop Linux alone, that you could never get through it all. And, if you haven't already made your fortune and retired from paid work, things atop Linux are also more likely to be more directly relevant to paid jobs for current production environments, or at least to be better for resume keyword-matching.
Also, the RS/6000 and/or AIX was noticeably fast at some things. I remember a Systems Engineer being amazed that you could invoke a shell window (aixterm, IIRC), and it snapped instantly onto the screen, no lag.) The workstation vendors were often leapfrogging each other, but on that one metric, 0 perceptible time was new. I don't remember how compiles compared.
If you can pick up an RS/6000 on eBay, with licenses and install media, it might be a little fun to play with. And maybe either check that GCC will work, or that you're getting license and media for the compiler.
Today, though, there's so much neat stuff to play with atop Linux alone, that you could never get through it all. And, if you haven't already made your fortune and retired from paid work, things atop Linux are also more likely to be more directly relevant to paid jobs for current production environments, or at least to be better for resume keyword-matching.