"Should I Switch to Linux?"

At a business development seminar this morning I got asked a familiar question and I thought I would take the opportunity to document my response.

We’ve heard the question in one form or another for the last twenty years now. I think our answer seems to have stood the test of time and will continue to remain true for the foreseeable future.

First let me say that we are not experts in any Unix based operating system and have chosen to remain in the Microsoft world. So please make sure you seek additional opinions.

Is a Unix based system more stable? Yes it is.

Will it cost less to implement and keep running? Yes it will.

Won’t I be able to almost ignore virus alerts? That’s true too.

And I won’t have to upgrade the operating system and my products constantly? That’s right and when you do upgrade it won’t cost as much.

Well then isn’t this a no-brainer?

It’s not quite that simple…

Before we go into why it’s not that simple, understand that it is possible to run both Windows and Unix systems on the same network. This is particularly true if you structure your network environment to isolate functionality on separate servers. The most obvious examples are email, web hosting and database servers. Each of these computer applications can be isolated and dropped neatly on a Unix server. That is because the protocols, the methods and rules by which these applications communicate, are carved in stone and agreed to by all parties. Unlike many other standards in the IT world, almost all vendors ensure compatibility and don’t try to provide additional features by extending the system with an additional set of proprietary functionality. For example, an email server needs to receive and send mail. It has a well-defined primary mission. Vendors’ marketing efforts would not be helped if they supplied additional features that only worked for Windows or Unix users. Where there is no business development benefit to supplying operating system distinguishing features none arise. That’s surely not surprising.

Which operating system is better, Windows or Unix? First let me say that almost anything that can be accomplished on one can be accomplished on the other. There is almost no business application that cannot be constructed with similar functionality on either. Any operating system must supply a similar set of functionality. The operating system needs to load and run programs, read from and write data to various devices, manage communications and efficiently allocate hardware resources among the many demands being continually placed by each running application.

Okay. So why Windows? The key to the success and strength of the Windows operating system is Microsoft. Many people bristle at the name. And surely there are many things that Microsoft could have done and could now be doing better.

But there is something that our customers have obtained and continue to gain. That’s a simpler and more productive way to use technology. Despite their faults Microsoft continues to advance and better integrate their products. For any size business, that translates to greater productivity. It also means that workers relentlessly increase their skill levels and find quicker, better ways to do things. And that translates into progress for the individual and the business.

If you look at your ongoing computer expense as an investment in technology, then when you invest in Microsoft technology you are investing along with a company that is committed to giving you better products and ever increasing your ability to benefit from technology.

The Unix world lacks that organizing power.

And there are two other quieter less obvious dynamics that keep the Microsoft world energized. The first is a network of support services that go hand in hand with the technology. These include hugely profitable developers, developer organizations, trainers and inexhaustible reference materials all contributing to the advancement and success of the products. The second critical support mechanism is the fact that I know if (and when) I get to a problem that I need to solve to make your system work correctly, I have an organization that appreciates that I have promised to give you, my client, a working solution.