OSNews: Sun Solaris Vs Linux: The x86 Smack-down

“Sun has really shifted gears lately with regards to Solaris,
SPARC, and x86. For many years, Sun seemed to relegate Solaris x86
to the status of red-headed stepchild, undeserving of attention,
nurturing, and support. It furthered this perception when in
January of 2002, Sun announced it would not release Solaris 9, the
newest upcoming Solaris operating system, on the x86 platform.
Solaris 9 was to be a (more lucrative) SPARC-only platform
release.

“However, Sun has since changed it’s tune by releasing Solaris 9
x86. They are now pushing Solaris for the x86 platform, in an
attempt to regain market in the low and mid-level server market, as
the Intel/AMD systems have been decimating SPARC sales. While this
move might signal capitulation, or at least compromise, on the x86
question, they are now engaging in a full-fledged battle with
Linux.

“Sun’s new story is that Solaris x86 is a better, safer, and
more stable alternative to Linux. Sun has even gone so far as to
offer a a couple of top-of-the-line Intel-based x86 systems in
single and dual processor configurations. The systems currently
include at no extra cost licensed Solaris 9 x86 pre-installed
(no-cost up until January 4, 2004), with an option to purchase Red
Hat Enterprise Linux for an additional cost…”

Complete
Story