RE: Why is Oracle unaffordable?

    There is an old saying that "one gets what one pays for". That goes for database software as well. Sql*server is "nice", but it doesn't have a lot of the fault tolerance and features of Oracle. MySql is a toy that got promoted to something it was never designed for. BerkelyDB is similar, it was designed for small projects, but then got promoted to larger things. DB2 and Oracle are "similar" in robustness though feature sets are different as well as packaging. PostgreSql is somewhere between Oracle and SQL*Server, though a lot closer to Oracle.  

    The bottom line is that a db is dependant on what you the developer want. If your looking for an imbedded DB, then I suggest you try a Google search, or possibly a visit to your local bookstore. I will agree that as an embedded db Oracle is a poor choice and there are a number of better ones out there, but many lack the recoverability, flexibility, and possibly ACID compliance of Oracle, but then maybe you don't need that. We have one application designed to reside on a laptop that uses the Java Based Apache Derby database which is open source. Fits nicely on a 8GB memory stick.  

Dick Goulet
Senior Oracle DBA  

From: oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org
[mailto:oracle-l-bounce_at_freelists.org] On Behalf Of RP Khare Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 4:31 AM
To: oracle-l_at_freelists.org
Subject: 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.

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