On Sat, Nov 21, 1998 at 01:24:35PM -0800, Gill, Kathy wrote:
> My question to you is, how might NT be a better OS than UNIX for hosting a
> web site? Or would a UNIX server really do the better job? I'd be most
> interesting in hearing back from grrls who have used both for web servers.
> I'm looking for practical, somewhat quantifiable pros and cons, to help me
> make a decision (read, MS bashing wouldn't be helpful, unless it has a
> point).
Unix/Linux is a superior OS for web hosting for the following reasons:
1. It requires fewer resources to provide an equivalent or higher
level of performance. A 486-based PC with 8M of memory running Linux
and Apache constitutes a reasonable low-end web server.
2. Unix/Linux is much more robust/reliable: this is unquestioned, even by
Microsoft.
3. Support for Unix -- and Linux in particular -- is available, for free,
and in a timely manner, via the Internet. Microsoft support is legendary
for its ineptness. Internet support is difficult because they have not
released the full source code for their products.
4. Unix/Linux is where the web and the technology components that
comprise were invented and developed. (Contrast with NT, where no
web technology has been developed.) If you want to be able to keep
with the technology curve, your best bet is Unix/Linux.
5. It is a myth that Unix/Linux is harder to learn/use than NT.
Neither is as easy to use a Mac (for example); the difference is
that investing the effort to learn Unix gets you a big reward.
6. Unix/Linux readily lends itself to remote/off-site administration;
NT does not.
7. The software cost of setting up Unix/Linux is much smaller, because
nearly everything you need is already included; what isn't, is free.
8. Committing to Unix/Linux enables you to harness the power of the
OSS movement, which is growing *very* fast.
For the remainder of this, I recommend looking at the paper
http:/www.unix-vs-nt.org/kirch/
where you'll find a paper entitled "Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
versus UNIX" written by John Kirch, who also happens to be a MCP.
It provides an exhaustive look at the features, costs, etc., and
explains why picking Unix/Linux is a no-brainer.
---Rsk
Rich Kulawiec
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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