Daniel Grim, executive director of network and systems at the University of Delaware in Newark, called on Schwartz to improve independent software vendor (ISV) support for Solaris running on the company's Opteron systems. Those systems can run Solaris, Linux and Windows.

"My main message to him would be [that] I would like to have a better understanding of what their strategic directions really are relative to Sparc versus Opteron," said Grim. "We're excited about the Opteron-based systems, but we also like to run Solaris and we don't see ISVs following Solaris on to Opteron. We can buy machines that can run Linux from lots of people," he said.

Another Sun systems user, Neal Tisdale, praised Schwartz's selection. "I think it's a great change," said Tisdale, vice president of software development at the Atlanta-based subsidiary of Siemens Power Generation. "He's not trying to go up against Microsoft, which is smart -- I think he's dialed into what drives this industry." Siemens Power Generation, which conducts analytical testing for the natural gas industry, has been using Opteron-based systems.

Tisdale's only recommendation for Schwartz is to make sure the company improves its x86 support.

Lisa Saichompoo, the software and systems manager at the University of Nevada at Reno, wants to see Sun continue its focus on developing its x64 server line, which covers the company's x86 systems. "I don't think there will be much of an alarm over this change" in management, she said. "I feel it would have been quite the opposite if the new CEO was coming from outside of Sun."