Subject: Re: Gartner perspective on BSD
To: rmk@rmkhome.com, Mike Cheponis <mac@Wireless.Com>
From: Andy R <quadreverb@yahoo.com>
List: netbsd-advocacy
Date: 02/15/2002 05:44:22
--- Rick Kelly <rmk@toad.rmkhome.com> wrote:
> 1. IBM claims to have spent $1 billion US on Linux
> and is pushing it like
>    crazy.
> 
> Reality:
> 
> You can buy IBM x86 servers with Linux from their
> website. It doesn't seem
> like you can buy Power based systems with Linux from
> their website. They
> apparently have a Linux mainframe solution (you
> still need OS/390 or z/os
> to partition the system for Linux).
> 
> I worked a contract at IBM Boulder during 2001
> supporting web sites. Most of
> the websites are Sun/Solaris. IBM mostly uses
> Windows 98 and Windows 2000 for
> desktops. Email is Lotus Notes, which has had a
> client ported to Linux yet.
> 
> Yes, I know that IBM ported JFS to Linux, and of
> course, ported Linux to it's
> mainframe line, but that is a drop in the bucket.

Well, there are more and more products for Linux
popping up all the time, the ones you don't see in the
headlines. It's happening. I think the marketing
people are a bit out of control though (as usual). Now
what annoys me is, there are plenty of things they
could really expand market share with (smaller
products), if they just compiled them for *BSD. I
don't think they will do it.

> 2. Sun delays Solaris 9 x86 and then announces a
> plan to support Linux on x86
>    servers.
> 
> Reality:
> 
> They are nuts. Solaris x86 is much more stable than
> Linux.

Agreed, but I still hate it.


> 3. HP has their own special Linux. What are they
> thinking?

Speaking of that, what have they been thinking the
last few years? Phasing out the PA-RISC seems
stupid...

> Every time I think about installing Linux on a spare
> system here, some new
> exploit appears on BUGTRAQ.
> 
> And then there are the processor wars. HP and Compaq
> selling out good hardware
> for itanic. It just all freaks me out.

I know. Kill the Alpha? Are they nuts? It's been the
best server processor for a long time now. Why the
hype over Intel 64 bit? The others have been 64 bit
for a long, long time now.

Andy

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