From: keith@ksmith.uucp (Keith Smith)
Subject: a LONG TIME? ( was Re: Xenix considered harmful ...)
Organization: Keith's Computer, Hope Mills, NC
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 92 01:09:49 GMT

In article <1190@consult.UUCP> bob@consult.UUCP (Bob Willey CDP ) writes:
>The whole discussion started to discuss the idea that someone should not
>even recommend Xenix as an option, but rather to force them into
>SCO UNIX because it is the only O/S they should even consider.

First of All I've been doing SCO for about 5 years.  I like SCO products
in general for their stability, and availability of software and
hardware (driver) products.

>UNIX has its place and so does Xenix.  And Xenix will continue to be
>appropriate for a lot of sites for a LONG time to come.
                                      ^^^^
How LONG is Long.  While I agree Xenix is useful, read on ...

Although the current BEST solution for a *IX and mission critical app
(ie Small Business accounting, etc) is SCO anything, I do not believe
SCO Xenix will continue to be a viable product for a LONG time, LONG
being for more than say another 5 years.  Why?

Several reasons.  The small monolithic kernel of Xenix is currently
great and very fast, but the install and admin is STILL a bit much for
the average Joe Shmoe.  Same holds true for Unix too.  The current crop
of SVR4 stuff is even worse, and slower.  So what we have is a product
for the average small business that requires (as we move up from Xenix)
increasing amounts of outside support & maintenance.

This may indeed change as new products begin to take the market.  The
current big pluses of Xenix over Unix are Price and size.  But Wait. 
Coherent is out and now runs a WHOLE BUNCH of SCO stuff right out of the
box.  Eeps, It's only $100.  Eeeps, It's just as small too! SVR4.2 is
gonna be small cheap and easy to install.  It will run some SCO apps
right out of the box, and have simplified adminstration.  Eeps.  Now, as
these smaller lighter *IX variants get out on the market they will
mature as Xenix has over the years.  I'd say within a year or 2 they
will be as stable, and with the price/performance of these products
hardware vendors will be forced to take notice.  These are also pushing
some of these same standards that you are dismissing so lightly.  Now
now, as Joe Newapplication porting something to *IX I'm of course
looking at market share for sales potential.  As these less expensive
alternatives start to get some market penetration due mainly to price 
SCO is gonna be in REAL trouble IF they don't do something about their
pricing.  They are rapidly going to become the IBM of the Unix Software
market.  (Way over priced)

Additionally Hardware just keeps getting cheaper & cheaper & cheaper, so
for the same money as the SCO sofware ALONE you may be able to buy say
Coherent with a platform like a 486/66 EISA & CD-ROM & 200MB disk on an
"eazy-install" cd-rom disk.  Hmmmmm.

Someone mentioned in the thread about SCO Authorized resellers.  This is
some more happy SCO horseshit.  They are trying to patch the leaks in
the damn with this.  I started looking for alternatives to SCO products
as soon as this mandatory crap started.  I'll be damned if I'm gonna pay
over a grand for the priviledge of selling 3 copies of SCO a year with some
customized application I have written.  If that is the case then I'd
just as soon write it on top of a $100 OS like Coherent or a $200 os
like Destiny, Rather than pay 15% off of retail for SCO .4 like upwards
$1000 getting it from an "Authorized Reseller".

So when you start thinking a LONG time, some of these young kids like
Marc will start eating up all the NEW market with inexpensive
alternatives to SCO products and shrink-wrap applications that WILL
start coming around.

This longevity reminds me of a discussion I had with a MIS guy in a
mainframe shop about PC's in the early 80's.  He said they'd make great
toys and entry stations for mainframes, but they'd never do any serious
work.  BWAhahhahahaha.  This is 92?  Of course in the computer business
1 year is a LONG time eh?
-- 
Keith Smith          uunet!ksmith!keith            5719 Archer Rd.
Digital Designs      BBS 1-919-423-4216            Hope Mills, NC 28348-2201
Somewhere in the Styx of North Carolina ...
Xref: sparky comp.unix.xenix.sco:2911 comp.unix.sysv386:14393