Linux also is cheap--but you may not realize how cheap. Install Linux
on a server, and all of your customers can access that server for free. By
contrast, nearly all other server operating systems require client access
licenses. Those licenses can cost anywhere from $30 to $40 per desktop.
Multiply that "per seat" license by 50 users, and suddenly the price tag
for a non-Linux environment jumps from $1,500 to $2,000.
Your customers can't beat Linux when it comes to hardware costs,
either. With Linux, any low-end Pentium server (heck, even many 486s)
still can be a workhorse. Try any of the other major network operating
systems on an aging Pentium box and see how far you get. Not even
Microsoft has the guts to begin a Windows 2000 discussion here. Although
Linux is considered a potential Windows killer, it's important to remember
that it's also a threat to Unix variants. There's a reason why IBM, SCO
and Sun Microsystems are moving quickly to Linux compatibility. All of
those vendors have no choice, since many Unix resellers are taking the
Linux plunge--at least on the low end.
Part of the reason for that is Linux already has many of Unix's
client-server and host-based applications. With almost all major DBMSes
now shipping, at least their database engines on Linux, the future looks
especially bright for e-commerce, vertical-market resellers and even
application service providers.
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