None of these companies offer what SUN does. The only way to get Linux from IBM, HP, and Dell is by buying their hardware.
Hmmm.... I would actually go another way. Install Linux and then run VMware on top of it. (VMware is a simulator to run Windows emulation on another operating system). Why would I do this? First: for all the software that will only run under Windows. Second: The OS is under my control (Linux) and VMWare is "dateless", meaning that I would not require to upgrade (and/or patch) it. I can run DOS, Win95, Win98, NT, Win2000 and XP (and servers / workstations ) all transparantly on one machine. Can in this way isolate software incompatibilities etc. Have two instances of the same trading software running, one for testing, the other for real trading. Next - if I need to get onto another machine I can just take the "images" and migrate those with very little effort. At the same time I can slowly become more and more familiar with Linux. I know this is not the "true hardcore Linux approach" but it is a rather painless approach. Pluss ypu pay only once for the VMWare license and you can migrate from a PC platform to some "heavier, commercial" platforms should your wallet allow it and you requirements demand it. This VMware in my not so humble opinion offers a far greater paltform independdency without the steep learning curve. Nice thing too is that MS does not earn another license fee every time you buy another machine.... Peace (Do not feed the trolls, trolls live off negativity)
The Sun machine is great if you have an IT department to run it for you. Linux is great if you want to become an IT person. If you want to dabble in Unix but get useful non-IT work done, buy a Macintosh. Sun makes great hardware and software, but you get the most out of it only if you have a staff of professionals. I prototype my trading systems on my powerbook and then dump them onto one of my Linux servers. I rarely need to make any serious changes to complete the port. That having been said, I've been running various unix systems for about 10 years and was a full time coder for about 2.5 years.
b1tr0t, I see that you express some healthy reservations as to Sun's Linux entry. Let the reader recognize that nanja thinks exactly the other way around. I for myself would be very reluctant to recommend any branded solution at all. Let me add, many valid options exist. As to your reference to Sun I repeat my already posted ref: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1407872,00.asp You can learn a bit about Sun's intentions, hidden or not. A further, not too expensive way to get your feet wet on almost any existing hardware is to install Lindows. I wouldn't think a professional would want this, but for a starter it may have merit. nononsense
To all Posters: I am not a sophisticated user, but would be interested in any systems improvement that would help me avoid some of the problems associated with Microsoft. I am particularly interested in whether or not Linux based systems are susceptible to virus the same way that Microsoft systems are? I look forward to all comments. Regards, Steve46
The issue with Microsoft systems is that they are by far the vast majority of desktops worldwide: People target these systems for attacks and they recognize that casual users dont use security products - hardware and software firewalls - and that there are many manual security steps that must be taken to make a Windows OS secure. Linux has fewer virus writers targeting it but has many security holes - as do all major commerical versions of UNIX I might add. If you fail to set up a Linux/Unix system with the proper security it can be breached - same as windows - although the odds are less simply because fewer people know how to compromize Linux/UNIX systems. However, many many people still will try - enough that you absolutely need security products in place.
Nononsense, before I respond, I'd like to recognize that this forum has an unusually insightful group of participants. Sun's foray into the Linux and x86 market is very interesting, but I stand by my comments that Sun equipment is best when you have an IT department available, and Linux best when the user's objective is to become an IT expert. However, I'm not sure that I agree with your classification of this observation as a reservation. The trading system that I mentioned in the previous post will need an IT department to support it at some point. Having such a support team on hand from the beginning would have greatly facilitated development of the same system. The white-box linux system that I think you are suggesting is a great way to save on initial cost of the system. However, there is a cost associated with learning and maintaining the Linux system. In both cases, the staffing or education costs are offset by the extreme stability and reliability of Unix/Linux. Linux and Unix systems suffer much less from the viruses and worms that plague Windows systems, and they have an excellent memory and process protection system. These points can be illustrated by the current Uptime report from one of my webservers: [james@trogdor james]$ uptime 07:56:48 up 178 days, 23:01, 0 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00 [james@trogdor james]$ This system sits directly on the internet, hosts close to a dozen web sites and performs automated financial analysis as well. A user familiar with Linux systems will note that it doesn't even break a sweat -- the load average (a measure of system resource usage) is 0. That having been said, there is a learning curve associated with most Unix systems and it is steep. For a trader, I recommend Macintosh OS X because it is literally ready to go out of the box. High quality commercial and open source software is available and the build quality of the hardware is excellent. The initial cost is much higher than a white box linux system, but learning the underlying Unix is an option rather than a requirement. As a result, the Mac should enahnce your trading more than hinder it. Again, thanks for the insightful commentary.
Hi All, I just came across another piece on Sun's JDS that I would like to share. As I stated before, I think it is very false to push one particular system as a troublefree piece of cake for newbies. The article also points out that the Sun system is in fact a rework of the Suse system. Better read it yourself: http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=5286 Another useful url is a 7-part series by IBM on a Windows-to-Linux Roadmap. This gives in fact a lot of information relevant for this thread: http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-roadmap.html Be good, nononsense