Re: Oracle 8i or 9i vs SQL Server

Nuno, you're such a cynic!!

I have a similar CD, called 'SQL Server for Oracle Users' that (if memory serves) compares SS2K with Oracle 8i.

I think I posted here having just watched it (always a bad move): I rarely scream abuse at my monitor, but I was doing so that day. "See how easy it is to create a database in SQL Server <click, click, click>. Now see how hard it is to do in Oracle
<click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,click,cli ck,click,click,click,click,click,>.

'Course, never mind that what the guy was creating in SS2K was the equivalent of an Oracle schema or a tablespace, not a database. The man had a bushy beard, too, which is always worrying. And glasses. (Have I offended enough people yet? Sorry Jonathan!!).

I feel for anyone who wants a truly objective comparison of the two products, because you just can't get one without this sort of marketing spin (ie, crap) thrown in to confuse the issue. I see someone's recommended Tom Kytes first three chapters, and that's about a good as recommendation as I could've come up with, though it only addresses one narrow -though vitalissue  (namely, data concurrency and multi-versioning).

For the record, I used to use SQL Server to store my own (Oracle!) course notes in. I found the SS 'identity' feature much easier than the Oracle sequence business for knocking out a quick and meaningless primary key. (Gosh.. now there's a compelling reason, if ever I saw one). But I decided this was nonsense, so I bit the sequence bullet (ably assisted by Norman Dunbar's 'teach the instructor basic PL/SQL' lessons) and I haven't needed SS ever since. I miss the proper Windows GUI, and I wish Oracle didn't use Java for its own (though I can understand why it does). But honestly, if you've got a choice, I can't think why anyone would want to go the SQL Server route. Money might have something to do with, I suppose.

Anyway, enough rambling. All I can suggest Mr Foote can do to resolve his particular issue is go out to Dymocks and purchase the SAMS 'Teach Yourself SQL Server 2000 in 21 Days' book (AUS $77.95). It took me all of three days to read it from cover to cover, and isn't a half-bad introduction to a product which has its strengths in the right circumstances. Oh, and subscribe to the SS2K newsgroup -they're quite a friendly bunch, and don't tend to pop off "RTFM" every time you post.

Regards
HJR "Nuno Souto" <nsouto_at_optushome.com.au> wrote in message news:dd5cc559.0207171859.7ddb55f9_at_posting.google.com...
> "Richard Foote" <richard.foote_at_bigpond.com> wrote in message
news:<9heZ8.37175$Hj3.109754_at_newsfeeds.bigpond.com>...
> >
> > Any help would be muchly appreciated.
>
> Here is something I suggest you try:
>
> M$ currently has a campaign to woo people away from Oracle.
> They distribute free a CD pack with two CDs.
>
> The first one has some marketing drivel on how much better SS2K
> is compared to Oracle V7. (!)
> Or at least that's the featureset they claim as Oracle's...
>
> The other CD has an evaluation copy (120 days) of SS2K.
> I loaded that in my PC at work. Contains a full set of doco
> where you can find all sorts of precious snippets of exactly how
> does SS2K "work".
>
> I found it invaluable in trying to understand how can M$ claim it is
> ready for "enterprise wide" databases with a product that has the same
> recovery capabilities of Oracle Version 4.
>
> Overall, it's a great educational tool. Call M$ and ask for
> one of those things. Great stuff. It helps if you tell them you're
> working for "so and so who wants to move away from Oracle". Immediate
> co-operation!
>
> :-D
>
> Cheers
> Nuno Souto
> nsouto_at_optushome.com.au
Received on Wed Jul 17 2002 - 22:28:40 CDT