[thelist] crash course in PHP/MySQL

[Ken Schaefer]

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From: "Erik Mattheis" <gozz at gozz.com>
Subject: Re: [thelist] crash course in PHP/MySQL


: > I'm not familiar with the best places in the US to buy computer stuff,
: > but a quick browse around:
: > An OEM version of Windows2000 Server (with 5 CALS, which is 4 more
: > than you need if you're running web apps) is approximately $570
:
: See, that's about what I paid for "Win2K Server" on my development box.
: I've not heard why I had to pay that price instead of half that for
: Win2K Developer - I use "Win 2K Server" on the box in this room for
: development and development alone (and Win 2K Developer won't work as I
: need it to in order to do "development") (despite the fact I _could_
: when I was using NT 4 Server) (Me feel bad man thinking new way to
: being take me money!).
:
: To come up with the above tally, I went to microsoft.com and it seemed
: obvious that Win2K for a production server cost $1200. If what you say
: is correct, the fact that it wasn't easy for me to find out the actual
: pricing for what I need (me need much VERY!) is a testament that they
: don't care for my business. So without going into MS bashing more than
: I already have, they don't want or deserve my business. And I'm fine
: with that.
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Very quickly:

I don't know what "Win2k Developer" is, there is no such Microsoft product.

The price you saw on the Microsoft website would be:
a) recommended retail (so you can get cheaper by calling your channel
supplier)
-and-
b) the whole boxed version.

Additionally, I'm not sure that Microsoft is in the business of selling
direct to consumers. They aren't in my country. To get the price you need to
know:
a) how many licences are you going to buy
b) what else are you buying (eg hardware wise)
and you need to talk to your channel supplier to see what they charge for
the config.

If you are buying a new machine, you can get an OEM version (original
equipment manufacturer), which is substantially cheaper, partly because:
    - large numbers of boxes don't need to get shipped all over the world
    - they don't sit on shelves of stores taking up expensive retail real
estate that needs to be recouped in the price. It works the same way for
just about every other piece of software (notice how you get a "free" copy
of CD burning software (Nero, Easy CD Creator) that would otherwise cost you
about the same as the cost of a CD-burner if you bought it in a box?

Cheers
Ken