Michelle,
Linux is a BSD-lookalike with its own flavor. Solaris is based
on System V Unix (SVR4). Solaris is designed to operate in
high-powered enterprise & internet markets where there are
requirements for high-speed/high-volume data processing, with
RAS, and security. Solaris scales from 2-64 SMP's with a
relatively flat response. This makes it a good choice for
middle-to-high-end servers and workstations. However, it
runs equally well on low-end servers (for the intranet) and
workstations (like the Ultra 5 & 10).
What Solaris lacks are personal productivity applications,
the kind that normally run on PC's and seem to be so popular
in the front office. Linux is well-suited for this market.
I can see Linux as an NT-alternative, and in some cases
a Solaris alternative in the low-end enterprise market.
Linux, in my opinion, has an excellent future ahead of it
as long as it has the apps to sell it in the desktop market.
Since it is far superior to NT as an O/S, and MUCH cheaper
to purchase and maintain, corporate IT managers will see
it as a credible alternative to MSFT, if it supports their
apps and doesn't require a lot of re-training to use. This
is do-able, and we'll have to see if companies like Red-Hat
can deliver the goods. If they can, NT is in serious trouble.
IBM & SUNW have a number of projects in Java they are co-
producing, but I can't see big blue selling Solaris to its
customers who are now using AIX. Lou Gerstener (CEO) has said,
recently, that the era of the PC is over, and that IBM will
be re-doubling its efforts toward the internet and use its
manufacturing capacity in PC parts to be a primary supplier
for DELL etal. I really don't know what IBM is doing with
Linux. I do know that DELL has recently announced that they
will be shipping Linux pre-installed with their PCs.
BTW: SUNW supports Linux and will sell you a workstation or
server with Linux on it, if you want it, rather than Solaris.
cherylw |
