--- In ib-support@y..., Marco Lauria <mslauria@s...> wrote:

> At 15.26 07/11/2002 +0000, you wrote:
> Only a few words....
> >Well, you are a strange looser.
> >- Open source is ruling the world (Linux...)
>
> Open Source has a part of the world is not "ruling the world"....
>

Of course, but it's becoming more and more important, not only it's cheap (=
fere as beer), but because it's free (free as speach).

> >- Firebird is also supported by IBPhoenix. They are among the best aroun=

d

> >if you need professional support
> >- If something wrong is going with Firebird, you could fix it by yoursel=

f.

> >Tell your consultant to do the same with MSSQL, please.
>
> Please tell me how many developers are able to fix firebird by themselves=

....

Well, tell me what can you do with MSSQL, please!
And about how many, well, I think many all over the world. You can pay them=
if you can't do it by yourself. You are never "on a corner", you own the so=
urce!
And if your business depends heavely upon some tools, you MUST have access =
to the sources.
I use IBO, and I have the sources. Every time I had probems, I fixed them b=
y myself if were not fixed by the author or by other in the IBO comunity. Wi=
th VisualBasic I could not do so. The same for VCL, I had a problem long tim=
e ago with DbCtrlGrid and I fixed it. It's not easy at the beginning, but I =
could do it.

>
> >- How much does your company cost MSSQL compared with Firebird? Does it =

> >run on a (cheap) server with a free OS (Linux )? ;)
>
> Price is not the most important factor in a company investment.

Not the most important... but very important! Why pay if you can get the sa=
me for free? And why closed source if you can have it with open source?

>
> >- How long does it takes to MSSQL to fix a problem, compared with Firebi=

rd

> >comunity (and CVS repository)?
>
> I remember you that we are currently using a bugged optimizer and I am
> currently spending several days optimizing
> queries that would run smoothly and with correct indexes on other servers=

.....

Oh, yes, MSSQL is perfect... in fact, no service pack were released since i=
t's introduction... right?
You could help Arno Brickman to improve the optimizer (he is working upon i=
t, with very impressive results). Could you help M$ as well?

>
> >- How secure are your information on MSQSL? Are there backdors? None
> >(anymore) here ;)
>
> Do you know any back door on MSSQL?

And you? Can you tell "no" for sure? Have you checked the sources? Is anybo=
dy you know that can do it? What about MediaPlayer telling M$ what songs you=
listen?

>
> >- How many headaces (apart from money) for licensing MSSQL and clients?
>
> You can license it for a processor if you need many users....
> and also it hasn't a too big cost per user.....

How many $$$? And what version of Windows is necessary? How many $$$? And u=
pon what hardware? And just to do file server, mail server, print server and=
all the stuff that comes free with Linux? How many $$$?

>
> >- Will Delphi run good as it does with Firebird (supposed you are using =

> >direct connection layer, like IBX or,that I use, IBO)? Ok, your consulta=

nt

> >will tel you to drop Delphi and go to VisualBasic, I suppose ;)
>
> I developed serveral Delphi Applications that uses ADO or DbGO or whateve=

r

> is now his name!

Mmmm... I dubt that you can fine tune them like with IBO. And IBO is really=
optimized for client-server, reducing at minimum network traffic and server=
work...

>
> >- Could you tell your boss to sent me all the money you are saving with =

> >Firebird? The day he will need MSSQL to replace Firebird because Firebir=

> >is dead, I will give him back sure!
>
> Marco I think that Tobias has his right to be angry, but I think that
> firebird is not the panacea....

Who told that?

> I am a strong user of Firebird since its birth, but I also use MS SQL Ser=

ver.

> All depends on the customers and on the applications that I need to write=

....

Well, he has a program that is very important for his company, so much that=
they call another people to learn it and to be able to mantain it if he has=
some problems... do you think that the right suggestion is "use MSSQL"?

> I'm sorry to tell you that SQL Server has a more powerful language for
> Stored Procedures
> and also I can tell you that SQL Server is as stable as firebird with som=

e

> exceptions...

Well, we will all wait M$ to fix them... if them are important for them. I =
had Word with problems in the ortographic corrector (italian) starting from =
version 2.0 to 2000... No fix available, only upgrades... with the same prob=
lem. And Word crashes often during my work, too often. Of course, it will be=
in the next release, but it will require the next Windows version, and of c=
ourse the next window version will be very protect... not from internet atta=
cks, but from every use of MP3, OpenOffice or rival of M$ programs, and so o=
n...
Yes, I use OpenOffice now :)

> SQL Server runs smoothly on multiprocessor machines using every processor=

> for its task...
> it runs smoothly on clusters etc etc...

Well, you pay for quality, don't you? <g>

> I think that everything depends on the customer needs....
> but now for big customers SQL Server is a better choice than FB...

it could be, and it could change. But free software is a philosophy, a styl=
e of life/work/program. Don't sell your soul! ;)

> This is my opinion of course...
> My two cents,
> Marco

And these are mine, of course, Marco :)
(ciao, bella fatica mi fai fare a scriverti così tanto in inglese! ;))