hello - i'm just about to order my new dedicated server @ ev1, and i'm wondering what you guys think about these 2 control panels..
Plesk 7 and Ensim Pro 250 v3.7

From my research it seems that they are the best options currently on linux, on terms of user-friendliness and set of features.. so, what have you encountered while using them? what do u suggest?

thanks in advance..

Both are very good programs. I personally prefer Ensim. I'd look at the features and see what matches your business plan. Both offer scalability options, but I think that Ensim's may be a bit better.

Have no real experience of Ensim but I have heard that it is hard to upgrade PHP and such things and is reliant on the vendor. Sounds strange and not sure if that's true but if it is, would be a huge drawback.

As of 3.7 that's no longer an issue.

I have experience with Ensim, it breaks easily. Slow. And sometime when you create a new domain name in Ensim it freeze or httpd has to be restarted. You cannot use the email hosting account straight away after creating it, somehow it will be ok the next day or after sometime. If you want immediately, restart sendmail, appliance or the server.

You need a server with lots of ram if you want to put many client on Ensim. Those who like a secure CP Ensim is the one, but it pain when you want to work fast on Ensim, it lock you out from one screen to another. So enjoy the pain if you are using Ensim.

Do give Plesk 7 a look. I have enjoy it since I installed it on a P4. GUI is fast, run smoothly, no tweaking of config file so far. If I have a chance I will update my experience with plesk after I have all my clients move to plesk server.

I've never broke Ensim, but I also don't install all the hacks that are out there.

Ensim seems no slower then any other panel I've used. I've used some very loaded servers and it responded much faster then H-Sphere under simular load.

Ensim has been good on RAM use also.

Thanks,

Neofree

Check out the sw-soft forum for Plesk:
http://forum.sw-soft.com

you may be interested.