“As with productivity applications, like word processors and
spreadsheets, the choice among network operating systems (NOSes) is
smaller than before. Banyan Vines, Artisoft Lantastic, and IBM OS/2
still exist, but have ceased to be important in the small business
market. Today there are three major choices: Microsoft Windows
NT/2000, Novell NetWare, and Linux…”
“Linux too is moving rapidly. New kernels seem to be appearing
at the rate of about two per year. Linux is already an extremely
stable environment, and performs well on comparatively modest
hardware. However, it lacks support for features that are important
in the enterprise, such as clustering support (none), SMP (limited)
and RAID (limited). It needs to support more hardware, and to be
friendlier to users who don’t have a UNIX background…”
“One by one, the reasons for not using Linux as a server are
being addressed. Computers with Linux installed can be purchased
from IBM, Dell, and Compaq, among others. Support contracts can be
purchased. There’s finally “someone to sue if things go wrong,” or
at least to blame. The largest remaining hurdle for Linux to
overcome is lack of familiarity and knowledge.“