Why is Oracle unaffordable?

Hi,

I don't want to initiate a religious war. I have been using MySQL since last two years in production environment. I used SQL Server Express and Oracle Express before. I have no complaints with either of the databases, except that Oracle is over expensive and the architecture is unnecessarily complicated. I want to know whether the complexity of the Oracle architecture and its ever demanding need for a dedicated DBA is worth paying or not. If you are an Oracle disciple, I don't want to hurt you and my views here are totally unbiased.

I need an embedded database for a shrink-wrapped application. I looked around for the alternatives. I read about SQL Server CE, SQL Anywhere and BerkleyDB. I want to try BerkleyDB, but the prices are too high. You could afford and enterprise class IBM DB2 or Sybase Adaptive Server or SQL Server with a far lesser amount.

Oracle is a good product but it is beyond the reach of customers other than big giants who pump in too much money just to keep those DBAs happy, who sit around that black dump command line screen. Why it can't be GUI and simple and affordable?

...............
Rohit.                                                

--
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/oracle-l