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Date:      Wed, 7 Jul 1999 12:16:25 -0400
From:      "Lanny Baron" <lnb@cybertouch.org>
To:        Alfred Perlstein <bright@rush.net>, freebsd-advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG, "'Mark L. Holloway'" <mlholloway@yahoo.com>, kahn@deadbbs.com
Subject:   RE: Windows NT and it's use in the business world
Message-ID:  <199907071615.MAA14859@freedom.cybertouch.org>
In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.3.96.990526224414.9491q-100000@cygnus.rush.net>
References:  <000501bea7d6$552cec80$a4f40518@cx273271-a.pwy1.sdca.home.com>

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Hello all,

After reading the mail below, I must agree with Alfred with respect 
to microsofts marketing. Face it, Gates is the marketing man of 
the century (for $$). Although I don't really know if FreeBSD per se 
has a clause regarding a guarantee or non-gurantee, the NT 
system constantly needs to be rebooted when you install most 
software. Which, in a corporate environment, could be a real pain. 

As for exchange, I know nothing about it. I just use plain 'ol 
sendmail but then I only have 3 stations here at home. 

In the business world, I am told by a person who sells networking 
for company of about 50 employees, they (the big shots) will ask 
there buddies "hey what are you using.." "NT" one will reply the 
other.. "novell". So it's more like keeping up with the "Jones" as the 
big wigs are into business deals and are for the most part, totally 
computer illiterate (yes even more than me..as I can hardly believe).

Also in the real business world, where I can think of a true 
example. Someone very close to me works for a major Canadian 
financial institution. In a large capacity. They use windows9.x for 
managers workstations, Novell for groupwise and maybe some 
other applications like shares. But the backbone of the whole place 
is AIX on AS400's. So once again, it's a flavor of Unix that is the 
Supreme OS. 

I certainly agree and understand with companies using ms 
products for workstations. If I owned or managed a company that 
needed employees to use programs like Office, I would think it is a 
lot more common. To train employee's to use FreeBSD 
workstations could be very expensive and I would imagine a lot of 
people quitting over it. They don't want to learn (the employees ..) 
new (ok not so new but new to them) OS's and how to run Xemacs. 
Not only that, most companies I have sent resumes to, expect it in 
ms .doc format. Why? So they know you at least can use ms word.

But all that led me to start to learn Samba. Samba with FreeBSD 
and you pro's know can out preform NT. It's a matter of marketing 
on a personal level to get it going.

I wonder if any of you have done it. If so, can you tell me your 
success story?

Regards,

Lanny

> On Wed, 26 May 1999, kahn wrote:
> 
> >
> >> I'm not trying to start a flame war..I am just curious. If NT is as
> >> horrible of an OS as everyone claims then why do web sites like
> >> Barnes and Noble, Ebay, CDW, and BuyComp (among others) use it?
> >> 
> >> I'm not trying to praise NT - just wanting some information
> >> explaining why people should choose one OS over another.
> >> 
> >> 
> >> Regards,
> >> Mark
> >> 
> > I would have to say NT is not as bad as I would like it to be. Granted I
> > have to restart it more then any of my UNIX machines, It is still not that
> > bad. I use NT to host my web-based email, beacuse I use exchange as the
> > server. I use FreeBSD as the host for my main pages.
> > 
> > Most companys use NT simple because it is expected of them, or just simpler
> > to setup. Even better for the big companies, It seems better to go with a
> > product that has a responsible company behind it. This is not to say that
> > Micro$oft is a responsible company, just responsible for their product. For
> > the systems I have setup here and there, I use what ever the customer wants.
> > 
> > Hope this helps.
> 
> It doesn't help, and you are perpetuating a total lie, ever notice the
> the "License Agreement" the you always click "yes" to whenever you install
> ANY aplication or are bound to by simply open the shrinkwrap.
> 
> it goes somewhat along the lines of:
> 
> ---
> 
> "We ain't responsible if this stuff falls over and makes you go broke
> cause you loose all your customers, or if the machine catches fire, etc,
> etc, etc..."
> 
> Do you agree to this absurdity? (YES) (no)
> 
> ---
> 
> Microsoft may support you if you pay them _enough_, but purchasing
> MS software in no way insures you against a blue screen of death.
> 
> They are not "responsible for their product", they make sure you sign
> off to that whenever you install or open one of their products.
> 
> NT is just used because of marketting, NT is used because because
> the lowest commmon demoninator in computing is sliding away from
> us.  NT is used because people are just damn lazy and would rather
> be stuck in GUI hell than have the flexibility offered by unix.
> 
> rant rant etc..
> 
> sorry, I just hate the "well it's a commercial app, the company will
> stand behind it" speel, it just doesn't happen except in IT people's
> fantasies.
> 
> How is MS ever going to recoup you for downtime in the real world?
> 
> -Alfred
> 



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