I used a DreamHost private server for a while. The first thing to be aware of is that it's not as easy to configure from the group up as a true VPS. Their pri

I used a DreamHost private server for a while. The first thing to be aware of is that it's not as easy to configure from the group up as a true VPS. Their private server systems give you the ability to customize the setup, but not as extensively as as SliceHost or Linode. Also, DreamHost's private server offerings are not any cheaper than SliceHost or Linode. You need a standard account + a private server package (starts at $15) and probably a private server MySQL package (another $15). That said, I think that DreamHost has a good offering - nice big quotas, pretty good support - but for someone who needs a very customizable environment for something like Rails or Django, you're better off with a true VPS.