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You'll Pay Too Much for Windows Vista
When you are considering the value of Linux vs. Vista, you need to weigh many factors. Let's start with cost. Cost is not always the most important consideration when you look for a Vista alternative, but if you are purchasing hundreds or thousands of desktops, it becomes a vital part of the equation. The total cost of desktops stretches far beyond the initial licensing fee.
In the past, you were forced to spend much more for desktops than you should have because you were buying them from Microsoft*. When the high licensing fees of Windows* desktops are accompanied by additional costs -- including Software Assurance (SA) for maintenance, office productivity tools and new hardware to run the memory -- and processor-hungry Windows desktop systems -- the price of your Windows desktops quickly becomes excessive. And that's before you add the costs of a System Management Server to manage your desktops, and of Client Access Licenses (CAL) that allow you to access server software such as Exchange Server.
Moreover, even if you sign up for a three-year SA agreement, you might not actually receive a new release of desktop Windows because Microsoft innovation and development are so slow. (More than five years passed between the release of Windows XP and Windows Vista.) When you use Windows desktops, you are using software that lags behind the competition in innovation. For instance, only recently has Microsoft added functionality to Internet Explorer (IE) to make it somewhat comparable to Mozilla Firefox. When you consider the loss of business due to numerous Windows security flaws and the required System Management Server to manage your desktops, it's no wonder that IT managers worldwide are clamoring for a lower-cost alternative.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is the compelling alternative to Windows Vista and is available for just US$50. Pricing for Windows Vista is not only more complex, but it's also considerably higher, as shown here. The cost of a Windows Vista license with one year maintenance is more than seven times the cost of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and more than four times that of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop over a three year period.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Ultimate License/Subscription Fee US$50 US$299 US$399 Maintenance (per year) Included in subscription fee US$87
(29% of license) US$116
(29% of license) Total (one year) US$50 US$386 US$515 Total (three years) US$125 US$559 US$746
Microsoft Office 2007 for Windows Vista costs about US$400–US$500 per user, making the cost of Windows Vista with a single productivity tool US$700–US$800 per user. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop comes bundled with OpenOffice 2.0 so you basically get 90 percent of Vista's functionality at 10 percent of its cost. Buying a Windows Vista license and Microsoft Office 2007, along with paying for maintenance, is not the end of your costs. You will almost certainly have to buy new hardware to run some of Windows Vista's new features (such as Aero Glass). And if you have not upgraded your hardware in the past year, you may have to buy new hardware just to run Windows Vista, even without Aero Glass.
Nigel Page, a Microsoft Technical Strategist, has given his hardware requirements to take advantage of Aero Glass, Microsoft's new graphical interface: Dual-core CPU running at 4GHz to 6GHz, 2GB of memory, a large hard disk, a graphics card with 256MB onboard memory and a high definition monitor. But even non-power users will likely face the expense of new hardware. Microsoft's published minimum hardware requirements to run Windows Vista are as follows:
You should also consider the cost of managing Vista environments with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003. With a mere 25 desktops, the management software cost reaches $6,055:
ZENworks Linux Management augments YaST tools, provides centralized control over enterprise systems, desktop lockdown, imaging, remote control, inventory, and software management. Includes a subscription to the Novell Customer Center (integrated with ZENworks Linux Management). ZENworks patch management capabilities exceed those of SMS while supporting third party and non-Microsoft patches. SMS can only patch Windows systems. Novell has very efficient rollback, backup, and migration capabilities.
If you need Security, Windows Vista is Risky Business
When you think of Windows security, famous viruses, worms, and long delays in patching often come to mind. Security flaws are costing users hundreds of millions of dollars per year as they patch Windows and install new service packs (SPs) marketed as providing better security. Gartner estimates that Windows security vulnerabilities have increased desktop TCO by as much as US$200 per user per year.
Microsoft does not have security technology to compete with Novell AppArmor™. Vista's User Access Protection (aka User Account Control) reduces the likelihood that an intruder can gain control of an entire system, but according to Vista beta users and a survey completed by the Yankee Group, this feature and others do not perform quite as well as advertised.
Features Like Those in Windows Vista
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop already compares favorably with Windows Vista in terms of usability/functionality while gaining the lead over Microsoft in desktop innovation. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop delivered functionality in July 2006 that Microsoft has been trying to include in Windows Vista during the five or more years since Windows XP was released.The following table provides a quick and easy comparison of bundled functionality:
Functionality SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Windows Vista Usability-tested user interface "Design first" methodology Extensively tested interface Integrated search Beagle® Vista Integrated Search Complete Web browsing Firefox Internet Explorer Multimedia support RealPlayer from RealNetworks Microsoft MediaPlayer
Macromedia Flash Player Microsoft Photo Editor
Totem Windows Movie Maker
Helix Banshee™ RealPlayer from RealNetworks
F-Spot
3-D rendered interface 3-D desktop effects Aero Glass Productivity applications OpenOffice.org with Visual Basic support No Office suite included.
Gaim The standard choice is Microsoft Office 2007 at an added cost.
Novell iFolder®
Collaborative applications Novell Evolution™ Outlook Express
Tomboy
SOURCE
When you are considering the value of Linux vs. Vista, you need to weigh many factors. Let's start with cost. Cost is not always the most important consideration when you look for a Vista alternative, but if you are purchasing hundreds or thousands of desktops, it becomes a vital part of the equation. The total cost of desktops stretches far beyond the initial licensing fee.
In the past, you were forced to spend much more for desktops than you should have because you were buying them from Microsoft*. When the high licensing fees of Windows* desktops are accompanied by additional costs -- including Software Assurance (SA) for maintenance, office productivity tools and new hardware to run the memory -- and processor-hungry Windows desktop systems -- the price of your Windows desktops quickly becomes excessive. And that's before you add the costs of a System Management Server to manage your desktops, and of Client Access Licenses (CAL) that allow you to access server software such as Exchange Server.
Moreover, even if you sign up for a three-year SA agreement, you might not actually receive a new release of desktop Windows because Microsoft innovation and development are so slow. (More than five years passed between the release of Windows XP and Windows Vista.) When you use Windows desktops, you are using software that lags behind the competition in innovation. For instance, only recently has Microsoft added functionality to Internet Explorer (IE) to make it somewhat comparable to Mozilla Firefox. When you consider the loss of business due to numerous Windows security flaws and the required System Management Server to manage your desktops, it's no wonder that IT managers worldwide are clamoring for a lower-cost alternative.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is the compelling alternative to Windows Vista and is available for just US$50. Pricing for Windows Vista is not only more complex, but it's also considerably higher, as shown here. The cost of a Windows Vista license with one year maintenance is more than seven times the cost of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop and more than four times that of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop over a three year period.
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Windows Vista Business Windows Vista Ultimate License/Subscription Fee US$50 US$299 US$399 Maintenance (per year) Included in subscription fee US$87
(29% of license) US$116
(29% of license) Total (one year) US$50 US$386 US$515 Total (three years) US$125 US$559 US$746
Source: Microsoft and Novell, January 2007 1
*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/Hardware: a Hidden Cost of Using Windows VistaMicrosoft Office 2007 for Windows Vista costs about US$400–US$500 per user, making the cost of Windows Vista with a single productivity tool US$700–US$800 per user. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop comes bundled with OpenOffice 2.0 so you basically get 90 percent of Vista's functionality at 10 percent of its cost. Buying a Windows Vista license and Microsoft Office 2007, along with paying for maintenance, is not the end of your costs. You will almost certainly have to buy new hardware to run some of Windows Vista's new features (such as Aero Glass). And if you have not upgraded your hardware in the past year, you may have to buy new hardware just to run Windows Vista, even without Aero Glass.
Nigel Page, a Microsoft Technical Strategist, has given his hardware requirements to take advantage of Aero Glass, Microsoft's new graphical interface: Dual-core CPU running at 4GHz to 6GHz, 2GB of memory, a large hard disk, a graphics card with 256MB onboard memory and a high definition monitor. But even non-power users will likely face the expense of new hardware. Microsoft's published minimum hardware requirements to run Windows Vista are as follows:
- A Vista-capable PC will require at least an 800MHz processor, 512MB memory, a DirectX 9- capable graphics card, a 40GB hard drive, a DVD drive, and audio and Internet capabilities.
- A Vista Premium Ready PC requires a 1GHz x86 or x64 processor, 1GB memory, a graphics card with 128MB of onboard memory as well as a 40GB hard drive, a DVD drive, and audio and Internet capabilities
You should also consider the cost of managing Vista environments with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003. With a mere 25 desktops, the management software cost reaches $6,055:
- $3,999 for a Windows Server 2003 license to manage 25 Vista desktops (Windows Server + 25 Client Access Licenses)
- $2,056 for a SMS 2003 license to manage 25 Vista desktops (SMS + 25 Client Management Licenses)
ZENworks Linux Management augments YaST tools, provides centralized control over enterprise systems, desktop lockdown, imaging, remote control, inventory, and software management. Includes a subscription to the Novell Customer Center (integrated with ZENworks Linux Management). ZENworks patch management capabilities exceed those of SMS while supporting third party and non-Microsoft patches. SMS can only patch Windows systems. Novell has very efficient rollback, backup, and migration capabilities.
If you need Security, Windows Vista is Risky Business
When you think of Windows security, famous viruses, worms, and long delays in patching often come to mind. Security flaws are costing users hundreds of millions of dollars per year as they patch Windows and install new service packs (SPs) marketed as providing better security. Gartner estimates that Windows security vulnerabilities have increased desktop TCO by as much as US$200 per user per year.
Microsoft does not have security technology to compete with Novell AppArmor™. Vista's User Access Protection (aka User Account Control) reduces the likelihood that an intruder can gain control of an entire system, but according to Vista beta users and a survey completed by the Yankee Group, this feature and others do not perform quite as well as advertised.
Features Like Those in Windows Vista
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop already compares favorably with Windows Vista in terms of usability/functionality while gaining the lead over Microsoft in desktop innovation. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop delivered functionality in July 2006 that Microsoft has been trying to include in Windows Vista during the five or more years since Windows XP was released.The following table provides a quick and easy comparison of bundled functionality:
Functionality SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop Windows Vista Usability-tested user interface "Design first" methodology Extensively tested interface Integrated search Beagle® Vista Integrated Search Complete Web browsing Firefox Internet Explorer Multimedia support RealPlayer from RealNetworks Microsoft MediaPlayer
Macromedia Flash Player Microsoft Photo Editor
Totem Windows Movie Maker
Helix Banshee™ RealPlayer from RealNetworks
F-Spot
3-D rendered interface 3-D desktop effects Aero Glass Productivity applications OpenOffice.org with Visual Basic support No Office suite included.
Gaim The standard choice is Microsoft Office 2007 at an added cost.
Novell iFolder®
Collaborative applications Novell Evolution™ Outlook Express
Tomboy
SOURCE
