NewsFactor: Showdown: Solaris vs. Linux

Sun Microsystems has jumped into the low-cost computing arena
and, like every other vendor, has Linux in its sights. Sun has
waffled on its commitment to x86 computing in the past, but last
week it announced an ‘assault’ on the low-end market with the
introduction of two Intel Xeon-based servers, the Sun Fire V60x and
V65x, starting at a price of US$2,450.

“In addition, Oracle agreed to port its software–including the
Oracle 9i Database, Oracle 9i Application Server, and the Oracle
E-Business Suite–to Solaris x86, Sun’s low-end version of the
Solaris operating system.

“With the way enterprises are buying these days, that all makes
sense. But underneath the public-relations hoopla lies a crucial
question: Can Solaris x86 actually compete against Linux? Can Sun
keep enterprises from defenestrating their Sun installations
altogether and moving to open-source APIs? The answers are
complicated, but one thing seems certain: Sun has a fight on its
hands…”

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