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From: ghelmer@dsuvax.uucp (Guy Helmer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.novell,comp.dcom.lans
Subject: Re: Netware 386 NFS capabilities
Message-ID: <1991May8.184807.29998@dsuvax.uucp>
Date: 8 May 91 18:48:07 GMT
References: <1991May7.170934.18198@amd.com> <42116@cup.portal.com>
Organization: Dakota State University
Lines: 31

In <42116@cup.portal.com> Will@cup.portal.com (Will E Estes) writes:

>I'd say a UNIX bigot is someone who would rather spend $80,000 or more
>for a Sun server that is out-performed by a less-than-$10,000 '486
>machine running NW/386 and NFS.

If you only want file services, NW/386 is great.  I think you've understated
the price, since NetWare 386 is now priced at $12,000 (+$3K to $8K for a 486,
$2K to $3K for 16 to 32Mb memory, and $5K for disks) for 250 users, and
Novell is going to get you again someday with expensive upgrades when
the next big revision of NW/386 comes out or when you need to add
services to complement the file services.  (NetWare is going to be a big
thorn in my side until a solid network name service exists for it,
and when it becomes available you can bet it's gonna cost bucks).

On the other hand, buy an $80K Sun server and you get an order of magnitude
more functionality (compute services, database services (for some $$), backup
capabilities, mail services, and so on), with the advantages of being
able to upgrade a good share of the network services by just compiling
new sources.

You've got to match the server with the needs, and if you're a bigot
for either solution, you're probably doing your users a disservice.

>Will Estes        Internet: Will@cup.portal.com
>                  UUCP: apple!cup.portal.com!Will
-- 
Guy Helmer, Dakota State University Computing Services
helmer@sdnet.bitnet, dsuvax!ghelmer@wunoc.wustl.edu, wupost!dsuvax!ghelmer
"I'm a cowboy, on a keyboard I ride..."
                                        -- with apologies to Bon Jovi