W3bbo wrote:
But what's the point of upgrading to an OS that customers may never need? If NT4 does everything fine on a private network, what's the point of upgrading?
Odd question, given
this, but I'll bite.
Ignoring for a moment issues of security and manageability (it's easier and hence cheaper on more modern OSes) then are plenty of other reasons.
Perhaps the most compelling is that one day the box will die and at that point it can be costly trying to migrate to a new system when you find it impossible to run the old one (I've seen this first hand with both OS2 and Mac boxes). Even if you can buy a new machine that can still run NT4, having to keep NT4 experience in your admin staff can cost too.
It the function of the box is so trivial that old hardware can manage it, you can probably consolidate roles, again cutting costs. if not, then faster hardware might well pay for itself anyway.
What's more, something that "works" may not necessarily be the most productive solution. For example, sharing documents via an NT4 smb share works, but moving to Sharepoint may well allow office workers to operate more effectively.
That's not to say its always best to jump on the latest bandwagon, but blindly sticking to a solution can be equally unwise. The older the tech, the more likely that there is a better way.