Revant wrote:
Cost of windows xp:
- OS cost is Rs. 7,000 for first copy and 5,000 for paper licenses
If you are talking volume license (any office with over 20 pcs can otp for it), you will get WinXP for 5-5.5k, not OEM, but corporate floating license (can move from one pc to another when you change / discard pc).
- Office 2003 isn't free!! it costs Rs.17,490 1 user license!!!!!
can go as low as 11K per pc. But this comes without access database. However, comes with MSDE / SQLServer desktop edition.
- With windows you MUST use Antivirus/Spyware/Adware removing tool it
costs --> Rs. 1,675.00 for Norton AV 2005 1 user license
for costs go to http://ebay.in
and remember the post-installation and setup costs too. Windows needs frequent format-installations too, Most virus screw your system
I have been using winxp for 3 years now and we dont need to do format installtation. That is the excuse normally given by hardware vendors who dont know what they are doing. The only 2 times I did a format and install was once when i did something really stupid with the service manager configuration and messed up the entire thing (will also happen on linux if you play around with config files or kernel without knowing what you are doing.) and once after I installed service pack 2 and then realised that i didnt want the changes it made.
Virus attacks are a different ball game. Here again, if the users are careful and sensible, most virus will not have an impact. If the user is stupid (like running linux desktop as root), then you are in for hell even on linux. There are some free antivirus software on windows, AVG being popular among them.
Also remember that if you are willing to use Open Office in place of MsOffice, then you can also do it on WinXP. There are similar tools for other things. It can come to this actually that you only pay for WinXP platform (5.5K per user) and use everything else free.
Please know all these arguments since there will always be someone who will come up with them. If you have not explained these possibilities in your presentation, once they get a different view, the management will simply classify you as biased and ignore the rest of your paper irrespective of its merit in other aspects.
Make sure you talk of support and cost of support. If anyone says that windows is supported by microsoft please be ready for details on that. Microsoft does not provide support on windows (except to very large companies) and they will charge you for all support calls made, even if the problem was due to their software bug. There is very little documentation available on windows per se. Most support, documentation and newsgroup / usergroup help is only on programming.
Also explain that support on windows from the hardware vendor or the neighbourhood computer shop is a bad idea. Most of them have no idea except to reinstall the software, or solve absolutely basic problems. In most cases, they are really useless. I speak from experience.
Be very clear on what support you need on Linux, where it can be obtained from (how much you can provide on your own, how much it will cost them to get from someone else if you leave the job), how much support will cost, what learning curve will be faced and finally, what happens to customised softwar that the company may be using.
The managemnet will want to ensure that they do not get into a situation where they are dependennt on you and therefore subject to commercial blackmail / bargainng leverage. So make it clear in the paper that there are people who can do it (apart from you) and that there are commercial support companies.
<< Shameless Plug of commercial opportunity === We can also provide support, we have a linux team in our company === >>
You will have only one chance to get your message accross. ensure it does not show bias and has full disclosure of cost, benefit, opportnity, threat and potential problems. Have a separate section in your paper for "CounterPointer" and your reply to each.
Regards Saswata