Re: SQL server Vs Oracle

Arvin Meyer <a_at_m.com> wrote in message news:7hemup$i6k$1_at_esinet2.esinet.net...
>
> Not at all, the equipment does wear out you know. the 486 is almost 7 years
> old now, and while it still runs Office 97 (slowly compared to the others)
> it can't run multi-tasked operations quick enough to be useful. The printing
> on the keyboard is gone for several letters, and thin for others, the
> monitor blinks on and off, and there is only about 90Mb of hard drive space
> left. It is still being used, but will soon be relegated to print server
> status, replacing a 386SX16 that's over 8 years old. As my business grows, I
> need new machines. Buying older technology (when it is even available)
> doesn't make sense.

OK, here you have a number of good points. Thanx for a good argument. But I'd like to draw your attention to the following:

Why did you have to upgrade to O97 for your 486? Is there anything that you're doing in it that SPECIFICALLY requires that your 486 run that version? I'd more think that you upgraded because you thought that it would be better to have all your systems running the same version of software. Ie, you were sucked in to the upgrade spiral via the software avenue instead of the incompatible hardware avenue. Same thing, just a different approach.

Read on please, it will become clearer.

Your point about your business growing and needing new machines is a very good one and IMHO a VERY GOOD reason for getting them. Provided you still make good use of the old ones. As for availability of hardware, I dunno where you are but where I am, getting a new keyboard, monitor and a larger/additional disk for a 486 would probably cost me less than US$400 in total. Much less than buying a new system to replace it. With full warranty and easy to find too. No downtime to upgrade the software and 0 (zero) cost in software upgrades.

Keep reading, please.

>
> No, but reports (pure processing power) that tooks 50 seconds to run on the
> 486, run in 7 seconds on the P200, and 3 seconds on the PII400. That's by
> themself on the 486, and with other things happening on the P200, and a lot
> of other things happening on the PII400.
>

Good. EXCELLENT. Very good point. Now, do you think that there is ANY feature in O97 that has caused that improved performance? Because if not, your upgrade to O97 was wasted, wasn't it? See what I mean? You might want to get better performance. You get a faster machine. VALID! Now, why on Earth do you have to also MANDATORILY get a software upgrade?

But wait, there is more.

> >recommending
> >"addon hardware". Bingo...
>
> Survival is not the same as growth, is it?
>

Sorry, don't follow this. Having existing structures of business stay with what works
instead of spending unnecessary money to unnecessarily upgrade them is survival?

Of course new stuff will be needed in case of growth. Problem is: the way MS has
things now, you can't really get new PC's and software versions for your growing business without looking into upgrading software that runs fine now. Like it or not, need it or not.

Great situation, isn't it? See what I mean by "forced upgrade spiral"?

> >Great "value for money", ain't it?
>
> I sure think so. The tools of other professions are far more expensive. Even
> a carpenter is likely to spend more per year on tools than a programmer. And
> far more, relative to the income produced.

Completely wrong. Don't confuse amateur carpenters with professional ones. The ones that rely on their tools for their living buy them once and use them for years and years on end without the slightest need for an upgrade. They are the best examples of squeezing out value of a tool purchase you can find anywhere. Even I, an amateur woodworker, am using hand tools that were made more than 100 years ago. Quite successfully and without the slightest problem. Although I don't make a living out of it, it's just a hobby.

Now if you tell me that one can also have computing and PC's as a hobby, 100% in agreement and not a single utterance against from me. Let's just call it what it is: a hobby. Not a market or the future of computing. --
Cheers
Nuno Souto
nsouto_at_nsw.bigpond.net.au
http://www.acay.com.au/~nsouto/welcome.htm Received on Fri May 14 1999 - 06:35:12 CDT