Re: XPS

Obnoxio The Clown wrote: > Data Goob wrote: > > >>How much longer do you think your favorite "commercial" >>database >>has a chance in this market? Not long unless it goes open systems/open >>source. > > > As long as it takes the purveyors of free software to match the feature > list of actual, working features, and to build up a reliable, accountable > support mechanism. Which means it's no longer free, which means it's no > longer quite so desirable. > I don't think most of the open source shops that I actively work with use "free" as a sole argument to use MySQL or other open source products, not to mention many even prefer more restrictive licensing like FreeBSD. MySQL isn't exactly free, it's just not pay-before-you-play. Most of these shops are also using third-party support, not just for the OS, but also using products that enhance the base product. For MySQL, there are companies like EMIC application clusters, basically taking db replication and making it better. But it isn't as much about free as it is about "upfront". And really, not one of those shops has ever even looked at the source code to MySQL, they could care less, nor do they really care that it's "free", it works very well, and developers are everywhere for it. Thus from a business standpoint the pieces fit together nicely. They see a need for a support contract, and voila, the product is supported. What would be good is to see a MySQL-vs-Informix-SE comparison. IBM could compete directly in this space, the real question is why they don't just rename SE to DB2-ISAM, and get on with it. It has all the stuff "coming" in MySQL. MySQL is coming out with partitioning, and it has the shared-nothing NDB clustering. This is space SE should own, but we know that it will never happen. Too much pride on the table I'm afraid. The big players will be coming to open source willingly or unwillingly but they will be there one way or another...