It seems that every time that IBM releases a new server line, Timothy Prickett
Morgan and itjungle.com releases a series of articles comparing IBM i
price/performance against Unix, Windows, and Linux alternatives. IBM i
platforms normally take a beating in terms of price/performance. TPM is
continuously hammering IBM on it. One notable exception is the new model 720,
which beat Unix and Windows alternatives in recent comparisons. But when it
comes to Linux, TPM makes a point about IBM i user based licensing driving up
the cost of a model 720 against Linux, Intel, and open-source databases, which
don't have user based pricing.
http://www.itjungle.com/tfh/tfh110810-story01.html
I think I understand what a user is under IBM i. It's an individual who
exchanges credentials with IBM i; one who has a user profile, or authenticates
against a validation list or LDAP entry. And one who is entitled to use software
like IBM i Access, Navigator, Systems Director, Web Admin, TCP/IP servers, etc.
But what is a user under Linux and say Postgre SQL? Is TPM's comparison
valid?
-Nathan
midrange.com
