Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 14:43:46 +0000 (GMT) From: Jan Grant <Jan.Grant@bristol.ac.uk> To: Anthony Atkielski <anthony@atkielski.com> Cc: Argo Direct Ltd - Mark Roach <info@argodirect.com>, freebsd-questions <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: FREEBSD Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.31.0111151423010.26038-100000@mail.ilrt.bris.ac.uk> In-Reply-To: <008f01c16ddc$de12a0c0$0a00000a@atkielski.com>
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On Thu, 15 Nov 2001, Anthony Atkielski wrote: > > Can FreeBSD overwrite Windows Back office on > > our server ? > > You can delete Windows and install FreeBSD in its place, if you wish. This is a somewhat disingenuous answer; see below. > > If so, how can we get a cost for the software and > > how do we set up users etc. > > The software is free if you download it from the Internet; you can buy boxed > sets of installation CDs at a very reasonable price. > > Setting up users is accomplished through utilities provided with the operating > system. > > > We already have 10 pcs running Win 98, networked > > to our Back office server. > > Now for the obvious question: If you have ten users networked > successfully with each other with and via a BackOffice server, why > do you wish to replace the server with FreeBSD? You're going to have a lot of trouble replacing BackOffice (depending on how much and which bits of the functionality you use) seamlessly, particularly if you've got a Unix* learning curve to climb at the same time. See recent threads regarding looking for replacements to Exchange (depending on which pieces you want); SQL Server replacements are going to be a lot of effort, etc. Basically, you need to consider the hidden costs. It's generally considered that you're paying for people to be at work, so their time is free. That's not the case - if you work out hours required to retrain, develop** replacement solutions and (heaven forfend) retrain your users, you'll probably find that it's cheaper to keep forking out cash hand over fist to the MS resellers. If, on the other hand, you just want some shared filespace, a web proxy and firewall and a PDC, then you might be on to a winner. You'll have trouble hiring folks to stoke it, though. jan * Unixalike, whatever ** or "implement", which is a word that's bandied about too much these days, in my opinion. "I'm just implementing DHCP". Really? You ought to give lessons to the ISC then. "I'm just clicking through the DHCP wizard" is what you mean. Leverage, my foot. -- jan grant, ILRT, University of Bristol. http://www.ilrt.bris.ac.uk/ Tel +44(0)117 9287088 Fax +44 (0)117 9287112 RFC822 jan.grant@bris.ac.uk Strive to live every day as though it was last Wednesday. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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