“When PC Week Labs held its head-to-head tests of Windows NT and
Linux, comparing them as Web server and file server platforms, we
only expected to measure performance of software. When the work was
done, however, we found that the Labs had measured much more.
“… we measured the gap between wish and reality… Our results
don’t throw buckets of cold water on the promise of open source
code: It is more than impressive that Linux held its own, often
delivering almost half the performance of an NT-based solution. On
a price/performance basis, this is no cause for shame.
“But it is clear that open-source advocates have not discovered
the software equivalent of cold fusion, or even of free beer. It is
vital for IT buyers to examine their options in the light of
realistic knowledge, rather than the rosy glow of wishful
thinking.