Which Operating System is best?

The answer lies not in the operating systems themselves, but in the applications.

Don’t take the great Operating System Debate too seriously. Windows, Linux, Solaris, AIX, HP MAC – all have their unique features, as well as some very hardened enthusiasts. But the reality is, your business relies on applications, not any particular operating system.

Operating systems and other network systems (routers, switches, cabling, etc.) are really the support infrastructure for the particular business applications you use, such as accounting, point of sales, cad cam, design, etc. If starting from scratch, you want to select these applications first, and this will usually lead you to the appropriate operating system.

Sometimes the ideal application choices don’t all dwell on a common OS. Marketing may need an application that is best supported by the MAC operating system; Finance might prefer a financial tool best hosted on Solaris (Unix); your customer facing Extranet site may be best served by a Linux server; and so forth. The good news is that these environments can and do work together if configured appropriately. Some applications will run on multiple platforms but the vendor will always have a preferred operating system that they support.  As a rule of thumb, you should use their preferred operating system whenever possible.

TCO

With this concept in mind, there is another factor that should be considered from an overall systems perspective – total cost of ownership or TCO.  This takes into consideration the initial hardware, software and licensing cost as well as ongoing maintenance and support. 

According to a recent survey by the Yankee Group¹, "One of the things that was apparent was that when you strip away all the hype, all the server operating systems and platforms we have now reached a level of maturity to the point where they do offer a very respectable level of reliability, scalability and performance. That's whether you're talking Linux, Unix or Windows".  The Report continues to point out, "The real premium for the server operating system is going to be the applications that you run on them, particularly if you are in a specific vertical market where there are particular custom applications or vertical applications".  They also note that, “Skilled Linux administrators demand a salary from 20 per cent to 30 per cent higher than their Unix and Windows counterparts, and Linux networks generally require 25 to 40 per cent more fulltime specialists.”

The conclusion is that although the upfront costs of Linux may be lower than UNIX or Windows, the TCO is roughly equivalent between the operating system options.  If you choose a software vendor's second choice for an operating system after selecting the software that best fits your business, the cost of supporting the application on a second choice platform could be much higher.

1 Study author Laura DiDio, senior analyst, application infrastructure and software platforms at the Yankee Group in Boston

Scott Murphy is a Consultant at Data Perceptions. Scott helps companies select best available technologies to meet their business requirements.  Scott’s education, IT and business experience allow him to understand clients’ needs and translate them into solutions.