Screaming Penguin

Microsoft has revealed its pricing "strategy" for the hotly anticipated and overdue new NOS, Windows2000. The details are in the Cnet link. The base price of 5 user version of Win2K server at $999 is still semi-obscene to me, but failry normal in the current marketplace. The crazy thing is that Microsoft is going to require a CAL for each client that connects (they currently require CALs for only Named-Pipes, file and print users, SQL, etc), now they want to charge for every client that hits the server and authenticates, no matter what. This means your Win2K webserver running secure e-commerce will require CALs for your customers. Uh, yeah whatever Microsoft, next operating system please. If you ask me this is ludicrous, another knock against Microsoft. Besides being unstable, buggy, and slow it is now more expensive than ever. There is an "unlimited" license called the "Internet Connector" for $2000, but come on, they cant be serious. The other kick is that they do offer an upgrade plan for exisitng NT servers. This upgrade is also available for current Novell customers, yes Novell. Market share mayhem. They obviously want to gain ground on the eroding server market, but they certainly did not price aggresively. This will be interesting. MINI-RANT: Besides the CAL cost factor there is also the hassle factor. Who needs a CAL again? DO you need one for SQL server named-pipe connections, I mean do you need an NT CAL or a SQL CAL, or both? What about the Terminal Server, SQL server published application enabled users (dont laugh, I have this scenario at a current customer location.) That means the NC users need an NT Workstation CAL, an NT Terminal Server CAL and a SQL server CAL (along with Metaframe licenses???) Yet the NT workstation users only need 2 CALs, but the 98 users need???? , I give up. Why dont we just buy each user their own Terminal Server running SQL server, then what, are we compliant??? Somebody show me the flowchart and the formula, are we legal or what? AS you can see, and as many Microsoft customers have complained, this licensing "seat" scheme is not only expensive, its confusing. I am still not sure what is required, and that is after a lecture by a Microsoft rep (who was also confused herself at times.) SOLUTION: Get a free server operating system where the EULA reads "Alright tough guy, connect as many damn machines as you think you can, you want one thousand users, pshaaw, come one, you can do better than that! cost==0", its called Linux. News on Win2K pricing