| William H. Magill on Thu, 17 Oct 2002 13:44:05 -0400 |
|
On Wednesday, October 16, 2002, at 01:26 PM, Paul wrote: I definitely think that you're on to something. Many small companies could really benefit from the cost savings of Linux, but would definitely want support and training. Offering them the support in migration and especially after could just be the push they need. For most small companies, the "cost savings" of switching to Linux simply do not exist. Any savings really are tied strictly to the difference in licensing costs. In anything but a server situation, end-user re-training (and continued training of new hires) is an ongoing cost, as is training in the use of the Linux versions of applications. For "stand-alone" severs, Linux requires a different skill set than is required to support the desktop which means a different Sys Admin for the Server than for the desktops. But since the Linux/desktop interface is foreign to the skill set of a desktop administrator, it means that the cost of the Linux SysAdmin skyrockets. These are exactly the same reason that for years Apple has had trouble converting people from the PC to the Mac... it's not simply a "cost savings" issue. And in the case of Microsoft vs Linux, the fact is that both run on exactly the same hardware, so that there is zero "OS premium" as their is with Apple. Cost savings associated with on-going operational reliability may be an entirely different story, but it is going to be a very case by case determination. T.T.F.N. William H. Magill magill@mcgillsociety.org magill@acm.org magill@mac.com _________________________________________________________________________ Philadelphia Linux Users Group -- http://www.phillylinux.org Announcements - http://lists.netisland.net/mailman/listinfo/plug-announce General Discussion -- http://lists.netisland.net/mailman/listinfo/plug
|
|