Unix vs. Linux: Which One Costs Less?

Clearly, the Linux enterprise platform is enjoying plenty of buzz and robust momentum. But does it actually offer lower cost of ownership than Unix? Paul Rubens looks at the issue.

Reports of the death of UNIX, as Mark Twain might have said, are greatly exaggerated.

That’s the message HP is going to great lengths to put across right now, backed up by some research it commissioned Forrester Consulting to carry out.

The research aimed to answer the basic question “Why do users of current RISC/UNIX platforms continue to use UNIX in the face of increasingly robust Linux offerings, often from the same vendors that provide RISC/UNIX platforms, running on less-expensive x86 platforms?”

It’s an interesting question because while some companies have moved from UNIX to Linux, enjoying lower costs, increased performance and high reliability, others have steadfastly resisted doing so. The latest IDC statistics show that UNIX sales were flat in the last quarter of 2010, while Linux jumped by almost 30 percent. Windows server sales were up 17 percent in the same period.

Read the rest about the Unix vs. Linux debate at ServerWatch.