William Sutton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hmmm...so what you're saying is that
as long as all you want is a drop in
place solution, Windows is cheaper.
Actually, having read Mr. Ray's post to the list I believe it's fairly obvious
that's /not/ what he's saying at all.
That may or may not be the case, but
I think a good analysis is required to make that determination.
Armwaving is generally considered poor form.
From a
quick off the top of my head thinking....I see the following:
Windows Pros:
-----
unpack, install plug in, off you go
gui admin interface for people who don't necessarily want to or need to
know how things work
The point isn't about gui/vs text interface, it's about the level of
complexity and time spent on getting an app configured. Right or wrong ISS can
be configured in minutes by someone from the accounting department. Apache
config on the other hand takes quite a bit more effort and knowledge to get set
up. I submit to you Apache is a superior product, however it's configuration
interface is /not/ the reason why, but that's a digression.
Windows Cons:
-----
cost: licensing, training, retraining, certifications, maintenance costs
(esp. if you sign up for Microsoft's advanced patching program)
vulnerability to virii, worms, etc.
The need for training isn't a windows-only phenomenon. I think it's quite
clear that substantially more training (at least initially) would be required
to convert an office platformed on windows over to a desktop linux environment.
Linux Pros:
-----
free (beer || speech)
can run on cheaper hardware
less vulnerable to worms, not (afaik) vulnerable to virii
What??? Linux, invulnerable to virii??? *boggle* Just because it's not a
common target for virus coders (for obvious reasons clearly attributable to
lack of market share) it is in no way mysteriously invulnerable to viral
attack.
the standard for reliable web and mail servers
Linux Cons:
-----
takes some knowledge to get up and running
does not have some of the fancy, slick things that Microsoft have (for
example, WSDLs for SOAP services)
You forgot clean one or two-click installation of software as a standard
feature. Apt-get's nice for geeks but it doesn't even come close to cutting it
for Users. Also, without %100 compatibility with all "standard" office
software, you're pretty much DOA.
other thoughts on the list?
At the end of the day Linux will continue to languish in it's current server
niche with only one-off desktop deployments until the community at large comes
to grips with the fact that the things we accept on a day to day basis as far
as ease of functionality are concerned are just flat out unacceptable from an
end-user standpoint, and then go forth and act accordingly. Linux is in all
ways a superior product to anything windows has to offer in my opinion, except
the one that counts for business: ease of use.
In parting, I would like to request that flames be directed to my email
address to prevent spamming the list. Good day.
<snip>
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