[Info-vax] Should Oracle buy OpenVMS?

[Bill Gunshannon]

In article <iIuHl.16569$8_3.14630 at flpi147.ffdc.sbc.com>,
	Michael Austin <maustin at firstdbasource.com> writes:
> Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>> JF Mezei wrote:
>>> Richard B. Gilbert wrote:
>>>> The last time I looked, there were several levels of support 
>>>> available; the cheapest $0.00 being web access to security patches 
>>>> only. For some money you get access to a database with patches and 
>>>> solutions to common problems.  For more money you get questions and 
>>>> answers via e-mail.  For lots more money, you get telephone support 
>>>> and, for REALLY big bucks, you get priority telephone support; e.g. 
>>>> someone will talk to you right away.
>>>
>>> But the question is whether outfits like RedHat, IBM etc can provide
>>> comparale Linux support for much less than what Sun charges for Solaris
>>> suport or whether they are all more or less the same.
>> 
>> Good IT people cost what good IT people cost rather independent
>> of the OS.
>> 
>> The advantages for Linux are just:
>> - competitive market meaning that the vendor can not
>>   make an over normal profit
>> - some of the providers has support as their core business
>>   meaning that it gets priority
>> 
>> The move to Linux are not driven by low support cost but by:
>> - cheap HW (x86-64)
>> - cheap SW
>> - lots of software available
>> - lots of people with Linux skills available
>> 
>> Arne
>> 
>> 
> 
> lots of software available != lots of good software available

Maybe so, but the more there is the more likely some of it will be good.
The inverse is really bad.  Or have you already forgotten: "It's the
applications, not the OS that sells boxes."

> 
> lots of people with Linux skills available != lots of good people with 
> Linux skills available

This I definitely agree with.

bill
 

-- 
Bill Gunshannon          |  de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n.  Three wolves
billg999 at cs.scranton.edu |  and a sheep voting on what's for dinner.
University of Scranton   |
Scranton, Pennsylvania   |         #include <std.disclaimer.h>