Following the various threads about future MPE licensing, I would like to
add my own Euro 0,02 (yes, we have cents, here).

The current proposition that's floating around is NOT to get MPE for $500 or
$1,000 or whichever amount is achievable. Instead, it is to get a COMPLETE
TOOLBOX that includes MPE/iX itself, for that same amount. This is a very,
very different proposition.

We've tried time and again to compare with Linux, and here is what we have,
to the best of my current knowledge. I'll let other contributors fill in the
blanks.

Item                    MPE item        MPE price       Linux item      Linux price
                                        (proposed)      (suggested)

Operating system        MPE/ix  $500            Linux           $0
Data integrity  XM              $0              N/A             N/A
Posix compliance        1003.1, .2      $0              ?               ?
Serial printer  DTC             $0              N/A             N/A
Database 1              Image/SQL       $0              N/A             N/A
Database 2              Allbase/SQL     $0              PostGreSQL      $0
Access layer    ODBC/SE $0              ODBC ?  ?
Backup tool             TurboStore      $0              Several $xxx
Spooler         MPE spooler     $0              ?               ?
BMUI                    VPLUS           $0              N/A             N/A
(BM=block mode)
GUI                     N/A             N/A             Several ?
Cobol                   Cobol/iX        $0              Several $xxx
Pascal          Pascal/iX       $0              ?               ?
Transact                Transact/iX     $0              N/A             N/A
Report writer   BRW             $0              ?               ?
MPE networking  NS Services     $0              N/A             N/A
(NS, NetIPC ...)
Internet Ntwking        Inetd           $0              Inetd ? $0 ?
(Telnet, FTP...)
Web (unsecure)  Apache  $0              Apache  $0
Web (secured)   Webwise $0              SSL ?           $ ?

I could go on forever like that, until we reach ...

Total :                         $500                            $ xxx

As we can see, MPE competes very favorably with Linux on the following terms
:

1) Price : $500 gives it ALL. Nothing else necessary. In these
cost-conscious, TCO-oriented times, that deserves some in-depth
consideration.
2) Features set : MPE is equal to or better than Linux on all fronts, except
GUI. But do we REALLY need a GUI on a server ? Don't we only really NEED a
GUI on a CLIENT ?
3) Stability : After trying for 22 years, I still find it hard to break MPE.
AFAIK, Linux does not have anything even remotely approaching the MPE/iX
Transaction Manager. Nor has any other OS, for that purpose. Perhaps VMS ?
XM has now been around for 15 years, and it's probably one of the best-kept
secrets CSY has ever had !
I could go on forever preaching about the obvious and hidden virtues of the
Transaction Manager.
4) Performance : In terms of transaction throughput, an MPE box with a
paltry 550 MHz CPU easily ridicules any 2 gigs (or more) Linux server. Isn't
that what servers are done for ? Crunching transactions ? Even with the
added overhead of the PA-RISC emulator, no doubt MPE can (and will) maintain
its edge.

Now, I can tell a bargain when I see one. This one is clearly the best
bargain you'll ever get.

Enjoy. It's Christmas.

Christian Lheureux
Responsable du Département Systèmes et Réseaux / Head of Systems and
Networks Department
APPIC R.H.
business partner hp invent
Tel : +33-1-69-80-97-22   /   Fax : +33-1-69-80-97-14 / e-mail :
[log in to unmask]
AIM nickname : MPE Evangelist
"Le Groupe APPIC recrute, contactez nous !"