Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 20:13:50 +0100 From: "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com> To: "Jan Grant" <Jan.Grant@bristol.ac.uk>, "freebsd-questions" <freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Cc: "Argo Direct Ltd - Mark Roach" <info@argodirect.com> Subject: Re: FREEBSD Message-ID: <001a01c16e09$acad63d0$0a00000a@atkielski.com> References: <Pine.GSO.4.31.0111151423010.26038-100000@mail.ilrt.bris.ac.uk>
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With open-source UNIXoid operating systems, you essentially trade your time and effort in exchange for a savings in cash outlay. If you have a lot of very competent geeks on staff, FreeBSD (or any flavor of UNIX, actually) may work out well; if you have no geeks but a reasonable budget, Windows is probably a better choice. I'll agree that if you already have BackOffice in place, there is no really compelling reason to change to FreeBSD. ----- Original Message ----- 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> Sent: Thursday, November 15, 2001 15:43 Subject: Re: FREEBSD > 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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