Oracle/Sybase/Informix/MS-SQL Server

billy@west.co.za ("Billy Wheeler") wrote: here, here well said. >On 23 Dec 96 at 17:09, Cynthia Merritt wrote: > >> We are going to be purchasing an RDBMS sometime in 1997. > >Well, choose a database first, and *don't* run on NT. NT Sucks. And >before everyone starts flaming me: get knotted! I don't care if Bill >Gates has won the desktop war, a database doesn't belong on a desktop >and "departmental computing" does not mean that you automatically >have to run NT. NT is fine when it works automagically, but if things >go wrong I'd rather support Unix any day! <wipes froth from mouth, >takes necessary medication> > >All the databases you listed should do the job (any job :-) one way >or another. > >I've worked with Oracle and Informix. I found Oracle really horrid: >system admin was a confusing mess and the tools were appalling. I >really enjoy working with Informix: it has great technology, >outstanding performance and it's relatively fresh (rewritten in 1992 >from the ground up, just merged with Illustra). > >But I'm equally sure all the other bigots of other databases will >tell you how inept Informix is... :-) > >From a "big picture" perspective, consider the following: >1. Oracle are trying to be all things to all people - they are more >than a database vendor, which, IMHO, is a bad thing. A lot of >Oracle's size and revenue derives from non-database sources, such as >consulting and Financials. This means that they are losing / have >lost focus. >2. Microsoft are even more "all things to all people". I would >imagine that SQLServer is less important to MS than Word 7. Also, >you're limited to platform choice with SQLServer. >3. Sybase have lost their lead over Informix and, last I heard were >being mentioned frequently in the same sentence as "Chapter 11". >4. Informix have a stated corporate policy to become the biggest >database vendor in the world. They have a handful of (carefully >chosen?) tools and they partner with people to provide end-to-end >solutions. > >FWIW. >-- >Ciao, > >Billy > >I'd be in favour of apathy, but I just couldn't be bothered... _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Gordon E. Hooker MACS PCP 25 Clarke Street Ripley Queensland Australia Phone 61-7-32940555 Email gordonh@thehub.com.au _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ We are just two lost souls living in a fish bowl Year after year Pink Floyd