249. Tjones
January 7, 1999
tjones@blackhole.ddns.org
I say bet on Linux. It's fast, flexible, and free. Best of all, the ISP doesn't have to worry about if the maker of their particular distribution goes under, there's plenty more waiting to take his place.
Plus, with the source, if there's something the ISP needs fixed. NOW it can be done, and the fix sent back to the author of the particular program for inclusion in the next release.
Second choice is one of the *BSD's. Same reasons as above, just that the availability of these is somewhat tighter, since not as many people are trying to sell them.
Third, commercial Unix. While you don't have access to the source in most cases, if you need to change vendors most of the code you've written will still work without having to rewrite from scratch.
Last, WindowsNT/2000. No access to source, no migration path (except to other MS products), single vendor controls the Windows OS market (And they say they're not a monopoly. *chuckle*). All said, it looks like the worst of all possible deals for the ISP. True, MS can claim "ease of administration" which is a good thing in and of itself, however, it does not make up for the other shortcomings I and others have pointed out. Stick with a platform that is scalable, stable, and that you can move away from without too much pain when you outgrow it. The Unixes(en?) have it, MS-Win doesn't.

248. Y Godbole
January 7, 1999
ygodbole@hotmail.com
New features in Linux as well as firewall installations, low hardware requirements will make Linux win over Sun Solaris as a better choice for ISP OS ISPs should stay with Unix/Linux. Here's why:
1. More stable and better performance, as is well-known. It is difficult or impossible to find a systems professional very familiar with both Unix and Windows NT who will disagree with that.
2. Microsoft wants to eat your lunch and dinner eventually with MSN. A smaller and weaker Microsoft years ago did precisely that to Lotus and Borland.
3. Meena Ganesh offers some decent references of organizations using WinNT. Here are some better ones sing Unix: Yahoo, Amazon. Yahoo is a great example of an organization that uses open source software brilliantly: FreeBSD, Apache, and Perl.
Not to mention that Microsoft's web site tends to be sluggish compared to Yahoo's, even though Yahoo is the busier site.
4. Another reason to avoid Windows NT. With open source software you can save money.

 247. Rajesh Varma
January 7, 1999
varmar@psi.com
My choice for the ISP platform is UNIX. The whole world knows that Internet is run mostly by UNIX servers; and also UNIX has been the most robust, scalable, and efficient operating system. Most of the big businesses have UNIX as servers today, a testimony to the reliability of UNIX. Another point to favour UNIX is that it is an open system. There are more than one vendors for UNIX such as Sun, Digital, IBM, SCO, etc. This will not let anyone monopolize the market like Microsoft has done with its Windows for desktops. Linux is just another version of UNIX which is freely available with source code.

 246. Vikas Chowdhry
January 7, 1999
vikas_ajmer@hotmail.com
Commit on NT and get strangled later on by Mr. Gates. No way.

245. Curt Wuollet
January 7, 1999
cwuollet@ecenet.com
Linux, because it works! Also new developments show up on Linux first.
UNIX is good too, but can't change at Internet speed. NT is a joke in this arena, people who use it deserve to babysit it 24 hrs a day for boots at all and any hours.

 244. Yogesh Godbole
January 7, 1999
ygodbole@hotmail.com
Linux will win over Unix for ISP solutions. I am an ISP license holder on SSA, Maharashatra. I am implementing Linux over Unix.
Any more information pl. contact on ygodbole@hotmail.com 

243. Scott Anderson
January 7, 1999
none@nospam.com
Linux, all the way. NT doesn't have a chance until they fix the stability and performance. Linux *is* Unix, so if Linux wins, Unix wins.

 242. Mike Farrow
January 7, 1999
farrow.1@osu.edu
Linux's price, scalability, stability and security make it the best choice for implementing in new markets. Additionally the operating system is structured in a manner such that users have a more intuitive grasp of the computers functions. This makes the users and system administrators less helpless in the event of any problem. As a chemist I find the variety of software program choices, most of which are free, to be more than adequate at meeting my concerns.  

241. Paul Ferris
January 7, 1999
cv@jbic.com
Linux - or any Unix - Solaris for example.
Why?
Unix is better. More robust, scalable etc, but that's not all. Unix plays by the rules. Standards are lived by that are open, and guarantee interoperability that NT/Microsoft wishes to destroy. Choose NT, and you vote to have your freedom removed in the future.
As Internet service providers, you hopefully want a system by which, you, the providers, control the maximum amount of protocols, and programs. Buy NT, and Microsoft gets control. They have already expressed wishes internally to turn IP into something proprietary that they only control. Don't let them.
Linux, FreeBSD, Unix. These choices are not about power, and flexibility, although it's obvious that Unix and Linux provide the optimal amount of both.
These choices are about freedom. No one company should ever control your lives. Microsoft's reign will be over soon anyway- as soon as stockholders realize what they are holding stock in. A company hell bent on world domination through broken promises.
Don't inhale the wind coming from Redmond. Do some investigative work, and you will find that the majority of web servers and ISP machines on the Internet are NoT NT. Pay attention to NT advocates in a different way. Are they ever Really Technical? I have yet to meet one. Look at the source of dis-information closely. In this case - a Microsoft representative!
Microsoft recently paid a public relations firm in America to generate "atro-turf" (false grass-roots) support for it's products. Why? Because the public is not giving them the press they want. NT pushers in my experience are people with little technical understanding of IP, and computing in general. They like NT, because it holds the promise of them using computers, without having to understand them. They want shortcuts, at any cost. Don't let that cost be yours too. Keep your freedom. It's worth it.
Linux!!!  

240. Sanjay Chander
January 7, 1999
sanjaychander@hotmail.com
With the attitude that MS is displaying. I am betting on Linux to be the main contender to take over the OS market in next few years. Technically more sound, it needs more backing from a few more top players to role out some office automation and home base tools like word, excel, spreadsheets i.e. GUI based tools.

 239. Mike Funk
January 7, 1999
java_werks@yahoo.com
Based on technical merit, Linux or any Unix wins on all fronts compared to NT.

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