Xiaofan wrote regarding 'Re: [OT] Top-posting, is it really that bad?' on Fri, Nov 25 at 08:24:
> Redhat and Novell Linux are both more expensive than Windows. A Dell
> Linux desktop will also be more expensive than a Dell PC. Linux Desktop
> is fine and I am using it, but only at home.

You haven't researched this, have you? :)  Here's the actual costs,
for future information.  The upshot is that Redhat and SuSE both cost
less than the cheapest Windows Server 2003 option and can do more out
of the box.

Ubuntu Linux:
    purchase cost: $0
    paid support: $100/$250 desktop, $400/$700 server
    http://www.ubuntulinux.org/support/supportoptions/support/supportoptions/paidsupport/
    Note that you get support for *everything* - mail, web, DNS, SQL, OS,
    etc.  Not just support for the OS.

SuSE/Novell Enterprise server:
    purchase cost: $349/year with support

RedHat EL
    Purchase cost: $349 with basic support, $799 with 24x7 support
    http://www.redhat.com/en_us/USA/rhel/compare/server/

Microsoft Windows:
    Windows 2003 server: $999 for 5 clients, plus $199/5 extra clients
    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensing/pricing.mspx
    Windows Support: $245/call
    http://support.microsoft.com/?LN=en-us&x=8&y=10&scid=gp%3Ben-us%3Bofferprophone
    Exchange server: $699 plus $67/user up to 500 users
    http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/howtobuy/medium.mspx
    Exchange support, $245/call
    SQL server: $3,899 plus $739/5 users plus $146/additional user
    Support: $245/call

So, let's see.  I can get Novell linux, for $349 which includes web,
mail, database, and OS.  I can get Ubuntu Linux, which includes web,
mail, database, and an OS for $0.  Both have *unlimited* client access
licenses, so more than 5 people can use all services.  Or I can get
Windows 2003 server with an SQL server and mail server for $5597, and
only 5 people can use it.  Say I have to make 25 support calls, which
is what Ubuntu's most expensive $700 option gives.  Linux - $700.
Windows - $6125.

Even if I run Apache and MySQL on my Windows 2003 server, it still
costs $999 to have an unsupported Windows server which will be slower
than a $700 *supported* Linux server.

I can't see a single way that a Windows server costs less than a Linux
server, unless you use Windows XP as a server.  Buy Windows XP
professional for $299.  You now have a desktop OS, which is
unsupported, and you've saved $50 over SuSE - but you didn't get any
server software.  For another $100, you could've gotten a supported
Ubuntu system with all server software.

Windows is *not* cheaper than Linux at the software licensing level.
Not even close.  There are situations where Windows makes sense, and
where it's actually a good solution (MS SQL server is really a very
good DBMS, and you need Windows to host it), but there aren't any
situations where comparable Windows servers cost less than Linux.  In
the worst case, buy your Dell machine with the cheaper Windows
installed (which isn't the server, but a workstation install) and put
$0 Ubuntu on, buying support as necessary.

> Just to get MPLAB work under Linux will be long long time to wait.

All of my PIC development happens under Linux.  http://www.gnupic.org/
is a good place to start looking. :)

--Danny
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