IBM i vs. Microsoft Windows

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
IBM i
Score 7.1 out of 10
N/A
IBM i is an operating system for IBM Power Systems and IBM PureSystems.N/A
Microsoft Windows
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Windows is an operating system with editions to support business workstations.N/A
Pricing
IBM iMicrosoft Windows
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
IBM iMicrosoft Windows
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
IBM iMicrosoft Windows
Best Alternatives
IBM iMicrosoft Windows
Small Businesses
Ubuntu
Ubuntu
Score 8.7 out of 10
Ubuntu
Ubuntu
Score 8.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
Enterprises
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
Score 9.3 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
IBM iMicrosoft Windows
Likelihood to Recommend
10.0
(0 ratings)
8.5
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
7.5
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
IBM iMicrosoft Windows
Likelihood to Recommend
IBM i is well suited for the Banking Industry, Manufacturing Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry and many more. Most major ERP solutions run on IBM i these days due to its proven capabilities of handling large transactions. A lot of banks have been relying on the IBM i platform for running its core banking solution as the technology offers capabilities to safeguard their data.
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I highly recommend it because it's the most used operating system in the world. If you work with other organizations or share info, it's easier if you have the same system instead of Linux, for example. Also, a large number of employees know how to use it, but not so many know how to use Linux or macOS.
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Pros
  • Database Management
  • Security
  • Logging
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  • Great integration with my business accounting software Quickbooks
  • Great integration with Microsoft Office 365
  • Easy to find files that I haven't used in awhile with search feature
  • Simple, easy to find listing of programs available
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Cons
  • Needed more CASE tools like RDi on IBM i to be developed.
  • The webSphere-related hosting procedure needs to improvised for quick turnaround or setup.
  • Just like XML-into, JSON based parser will be helpful to deal with modern data sets.
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  • Forced updates occasionally have bad timing when ignored for too long
  • Microsoft Edge Web Browser is a bit clunky
  • The 3D desktop still needs some improvement
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Usability
No answers on this topic
An all-purpose operating system for business or personal users. Overall, the OS is very user-friendly and intuitive, enabling even new users to quickly utilize the system. The same can be said about the apps within Windows. There is also good cross-functionality between applications, although the ease of use could be improved.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
support remains spotty, researching online articles are a pain
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
MDT helped deploy OS to users machines via PXE boot.
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Alternatives Considered
IBM i platform is single shop solution for multiple business requirements. Its database architecture and security options made it dependable among multiple business domain entities. IBM i is IBM's well-told and well-known system. IBM i is popular in companies in the manufacturing and supply chain business. Thanks to IBM that it kept IBM i (AS400) ever-evolving so far.
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We selected Microsoft Windows because of the user friendly nature of it and a big factor is that other user never used macOS or Ubuntu so the productivity will decrease a lot because you have to explain a whole new OS. I always only recommend macOS or Ubuntu if you are a graphic designer of a developer. But for the day to day office work Microsoft Windows is the way to go.
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Return on Investment
  • Low cost on IBM i server maintenance.
  • Easy to move on cloud based system.
  • Data migration is easy between applications as well as servers.
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  • As a a windows-based app, with a windows-using customer base, working in the environment is extremely helpful.
  • Relatively easy to develop on, there is documentation and support widely available.
  • VERY wide hardware compatibility, any replacement parts we need for our machines are easy to use.
  • Windows updates frequently fail requiring our MSP or more often one of our customer support staff to intervene to get them running again.
  • Poor performance and inefficient resource utilization requires frequent upgrades.
  • Windows 10's service ending next year has required company-wide hardware upgrades due to the Windows 11's excessive requirements.
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ScreenShots