On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, Fred W. Noltie Jr. wrote:
> In the month or two I've been on this list (ditto when I was monitoring some
> comp.os.linux.* groups), I have yet to see (so far as I can recall) any
> comparisons of Linux to Netware. So if you're reasonably familiar with both:
> how do the two compare? Does Netware have any strong points in comparison to
> Linux? Is it universally inferior (and if so, why)? Is it universally
> better?
>
> Why doesn't anyone grump about Netware the way they do about NT?
>
Since my Netware experience is somewhat limited (A 3.1x CNA course a few
years back, and mostly user experience rather then admin experience) I
thought about your question for a while before responding.
0) You're comparing apples and oranges.
1) Netware is a >Network< Operating System. It provides file and print
services. Linux(distributions) and NT are >Operating Systems< that also
include networking. You could do lots of useful work on an NT or Linux
box that has no network connection.. I can't really envision what kind
of useful work you could do with a Netware server with no clients.
90% or more of the interaction needed to get everyday work done by the
user is between the user and his client machine's operating system
(Win3.x, Win95, DOS, Mac, etc). If they didn't read the boot up messages,
most of the users wouldn't even know Netware is there.
2) Netware has been around a long time, and is more mature as a product
then NT. Netware does what it claims to do; it doesn't claim to do or be
what it isn't. Linux has more people working on system/apps development
then Netware and NT put together. It's evolving at a rapid rate in a
multiplicity of directions.
3) Linux and NT are often run directly by users on their own machines.
Even in situations where Linux or NT are functioning primarily as a
network server and the users are running something else on their client
workstations, I feel they are more likely to,at some point, run
Linux/NT apps directly in the course of accomplishing useful work
(especially in the case of Linux distributions, which come with FAR more
tools and apps then NT does off-the-shelf).
4) NT has Bill Gates. Nuff said. Linux has a cast of thousands, headed (in
the loosest possible sense) by Linus (who works for a living, like the rest
of us). I can't even remember who's running Novell (I guess he's neither
annoyed or impressed me very much lately).
5) Linux is cash cheap (purchase, licenses, subscription/per-incident
support fees) and sweat equity expensive. NT and Netware are NOT
cheap and are also sweat equity expensive. It has been my impression that
hardware expenses are higher for NT/Netware, but this may a matter of
brandname marketing/retail markup rather then intrinsic.
I don't see Netware, NT and Linux as tools competing for the same job. I
see them as tools with 3 different intended uses (yes they overlap some).
Other folk's mileage may vary...... ;-)
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