“Everyone likes a good fight, especially if it’s won by a
beloved underdog taking on an impossible task. Thus has emerged
dear Linux, the “little OS that could.” More folklore surrounds
this OS than just about anything I’ve ever witnessed in this
industry. But what is Linux’s real potential? Unlike most
observers, I see no evidence that Linux can take on the big server
chores. Its real potential may lie in the cheapest low-end
desktops.”
“Where Linux shines today is in medium-strain server systems.
It’s a near-perfect solution for the Web site on a budget. It’s
close to free, and when combined with the famed Apache server
software, Linux can handle almost any medium-size page service
chore. This is probably adequate for most uses today, but ask the
true networking superstars about Linux on big systems under big
loads and they all shake their heads.”
“Ask Linux advocates exactly why no IRC (Internet Relay
Chat) server runs Linux. One of my networking gurus said that he
has never seen any Linux system on the IRC-probably the roughest
networking environment on earth-hold up to the strain. In this
instance, we’re talking about the three major IRC networks: DALNet,
Efnet, and Undernet. With tens of thousands of users logging on at
once with numerous clients and multiple con nec tions and with
constant attacks from sources around the world trying to shut down
the service, Linux can’t cut it-period. Why is this never mentioned
by the Linux proponents who flood the critics with e-mail anytime
anyone says anything to disparage the OS?..”
“On a $199 machine, the OS can’t cost more than a few bucks.
Microsoft will have to shoot the OS cash cow if it wants to play.
Microsoft won’t be able to bundle its suites down there either, and
it won’t give Win CE away. So Microsoft’s out of the picture. This
new market has Linux written all over it. Get ready.”