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From: Stephane Russell <sstef@sprynet.com>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Linux vs. FreeBSD ...
Date: Thu, 09 May 1996 04:32:32 -0400
Organization: MSI Bureautique Inc.
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Bryan J. Smith, E.I. wrote:
>
> Re: Linux vs. FreeBSD ...
>
> This is really the only advantage to FreeBSD -- they are a controlled
[...]
> Linux, since it is written from the ground-up, is a much more efficient OS
> than FreeBSD (which has been written somewhat from the ground up, to prevent
> a lawsuit from BSDI, is still a lot of legacy OS code). And FreeBSD v2.1 is
> a little dated (late '94) and the current test version is still quite buggy.
>
[...]
> Downloading a complete FreeBSD system along with a good number of packages
> took me 16 hours @ 28.8Kbaud (saving me the CD-cost and the agony of messing
> with an alpha-quality IDE/ATAPI CD-ROM driver) and takes up only about 150MB.
>
[...]
> In essence, Linux has the latest and greatest software and drivers (only a
[...]
> If you can run Linux, it's the better choice unless your going to run a lot
[etc, etc, etc, ...]
>
> BRYAN J. SMITH, E.I. b.j.smith@ieee.org
> Systems Engineer http://www.sundial.net/~bjsmith/
When I read this and all the other news articles alike, I
understand more why Windows is selling better than Unices. It's
amazing to see how every Unix groups are fighting against each
others all the time.
I'm a DOS/Windows programmer that have turned to Unix. I don't
understand how such a small market can allow itself to fight like
that instead of teaming up. The only true winner in all of this
will be Microsoft.
I have FreeBSD, and I'm very happy with it. And I would bet that
any Linux/NetBSD and other free Unices users feels the same about
their own OS. What's the problem?
Every time another Unix user wan't to make me feel I've chosen the
wrong operating system, it makes me feel bad. In Windows, at
least, you always have the feeling you're working in the same side
than the others Windows users. Fustrated together, but working
together!
Windows is not that a bad operating system, and I know for sure
that if the Unix world don't stop their internal unuseful fights,
they won't have a bright futur when Windows NT will be a more
competing and lower cost product.
Don't forget that Microsoft target is to see one day Windows NT on
every desktop computers of the world. And Microsoft certainly have
the resources to do so.
To really take the pulse of the market, I recommend the reading of
the may Byte issue (http://www.byte.com). The article «Unix vs
Windows NT» really shows the weaknesses (and strongness) that ALL
Unices are stuck with. Division, Lack of graphical, available,
tools of any kind, lack of strong Unix standards, especially for
the GUI apps integration, and the like:
« NT is winning more mind share among users. It's new, it's
hot, it's from Microsoft, and it has "Windows" in its name.
Unix suffers from discrimination against old age and from
disunity among vendors. People who cut their teeth on
Windows are moving into authority and will increasingly
look toward Microsoft for solutions. »
[...]
« Microsoft has strong tools strategy with Visual Basic, VB
for Applications, VB Script, Visual C++, and OLE. However,
as users become more Internet-savvy and
multiplatform-minded, that strategy must become less
proprietary and Window-based. Sun has blazed a path with
Java that Microsoft needs to follow.»
Mike Nash, the group product manager for Windows NT Server, is
shortly pointing the specific division problem very well in the
«Unix vs Windows NT: The (Edited) Vendors' View» article (May
Byte, p. 44-45):
« All attempts have failed to deliver the promised Unix
integration. These efforts will continue to fail. Giving
customers the freedom to switch between Unix systems would
eliminate the competitive edge these companies have over
each other. »
This holds also for the free Unices, it seems.
And what about Windows 95, OS/2 and MAC computers? Are they
leaving room for those fights? All of them have strong features
that Unices have to compete with.
Why fighting then? After all, the multiplicity of Unices is
probably it's best asset. Every kind of Unix exist for every kind
of needs. BSDI is compatible with FreeBSD? Good! Corporate users
who wan't business support will prefer BSDI and home computer
users will love FreeBSD for it's low cost. Those who need wide
hardware support will take Linux while those who needs protability
will take NetBSD. In Windows NT, your stuck with Windows NT.
That's it, that's all! And even there, isn't Microsoft now
offering 3 different versions of former unique Windows product?
Multiplicity is not necessarly a market killer.
Every new Unix user is, before all, a new Unix user. It always
have been more easy to port a program from SCO to FreeBSD than
from Windows to FreeBSD. It always have been more easy to switch
from one Unix to another than from Windows to Unix. That's why I
don't care if there is more Linux users than FreeBSD users. Each
of them are on the same side, but have different needs.
Above all, I am sure that Free Unices are originating from a group
of people (makers and users) who have fun with what their doing.
That's probably why free Unices are the right product for all of
us. The day the fun will be over, free Unices will be history. So,
let's not make it a more serious thing than it should be with
those argues.
Let's continue to have fun! :-)))
Stef
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