Original URL: http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2005/11/01/oracle_gives_it_away/
Oracle offers free beta
Free as in beer...
Posted in Software & Security, 1st November 2005 10:34 GMT
Oracle is offering a free, beta version of its XE database product. The "Express Edition" is available as a free download for developers and students to play around with. But software vendors can also distribute it.
Oracle says it is based on the same Release 2 code base and is fully-compatible with other Oracle databases. It runs on 32-bit Windows or Linux. Red Hat and Novell will distribute the database.
Although the database is not an open source application the move is being seen as a counter to the threat from open source databases like mySQL.
More details, and download link, here. (http://www.oracle.com/corporate/press/2005_oct/103105_databasexe_finalsite.html)®