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Linux: Linux Community Leaders Challenge Recent Benchmark Tests Supporting Microsoft - Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 versus Linux OS - Software Review - Evaluation

Recently, Mindcraft, a Silicon Valley-based independent testing organization, and PC Week Labs, released results from their benchmark tests comparing the performance of Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to the latest version of Linux. The studies concluded that Windows NT shows superior performance to Linux.

Sam Ockman, a leading Linux expert and president of Penguin Computing said, "The tests provide useful data but there is still room for improvement. Imagine, for instance, that there was a test that proved that a Ford could corner better than a Chevy at 120 m.p.h. The result of such a study, while technically accurate, would not be relevant to many customers. That is just the sort of study that we have seen this week."

Ockman adds, "Both Windows and Linux are fast enough for normal corporate users, but Linux is far superior to Windows NT in four very important categories that were not considered in the tests: reliability, stability, security and expandability. These are some of the most important factors for any IT manager in making a purchasing decision."

In 1998, the Linux market grew from 7% to 17% of all operating system shipments, while the Windows NT market remained steady at 36%. Linux is favored for mission critical operations because Open Source software, by its nature, is more adaptable than proprietary software. Said Mark Willey, Director of Technical Staff for Penguin Computing, "With an open source operating system like Linux, there are tens of thousands of people working to fix bugs. Whatever weaknesses there are in the Linux kernel are being addressed by a world full of computer programmers as we speak. The recent tests underestimated the significance of this aspect."

The Mindcraft and PC Week tests compared the Windows NT Server 4.0 versus Linux with regard to e-commerce performance, static web server performance and file server performance. Neither test, however, closely analyzed the price/performance ratio of the two operating systems, a comparison Linux advocates like to emphasize. Because it is free, the Linux operating system has no licensing fees, a fact that makes it the system of choice for many e-commerce and IT solutions.

Ockman emphasized that the most important benchmark for him is customer satisfaction. By this measure, Linux seems to be beating out Windows in almost every category, according to Ockman. "Penguin Computing has become one of the fastest growing Linux solutions vendors in the world. The reason for our success is that we have been recognized by major American companies as a provider of outstanding Linux-based business solutions." Penguin Computer's customers include Motorola, Excite, Cisco, Boeing, Paramount Pictures and NASA. Penguin Computing also sells to numerous universities nationwide and has more than 1000 customers nationwide.

Ockman points out that many of Penguin's customers have migrated from Windows machines. This, he claims, is because the business community has discovered the many advantages of Linux over Windows NT for their enterprise needs. Chad Dickerson, Vice President of Technology for Salon.com, a satisfied Penguin customer, points out, "Despite more than five million hits a month, our Penguin Linux server has not crashed since the day we bought it."

Ockman is confident that the business community will continue to migrate from Windows NT to Linux. "Penguin Computing," Ockman says, "has demonstrated that Linux is completely reliable and enterprise-ready. We look forward to working with many more corporations as they design their information technology infrastructure. As I think our thousands of customers will agree, Linux is the best choice of operating systems for most enterprise requirements." FMI: http://www.penguincomputing.com.