From owner-freebsd-questions Wed Mar 8 21:35:26 2000 Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mail.alpha.net.au (mail2.alpha.net.au [203.41.44.8]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B386437B6C9 for ; Wed, 8 Mar 2000 21:35:20 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from dannyh@idx.com.au) Received: from freebsd.freebsd.org (surry-pool-129.alpha.net.au [203.41.44.129] (may be forged)) by mail.alpha.net.au (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id QAA22793; Thu, 9 Mar 2000 16:35:35 +1100 From: Danny To: Bob Martin , Sebhat_Tenna Subject: Re: Very New User.... Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 16:36:29 +1100 X-Mailer: KMail [version 1.0.21] Content-Type: text/plain Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG References: <38C7282A.BD06D2FC@buckhorn.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: <0003101637460E.00345@freebsd.freebsd.org> Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG Yes, you can run a graphical user interface Yes, there are good software developed for FreeBSD. Unlike paying for licences to use software in a company most FreeBSD software comes Free and you can do twice the job of the products you pay for. On Thu, 09 Mar 2000, Bob Martin wrote: > Sebhat_Tenna wrote: > > > > I am 17 and have been a Windows user since I started to use PCs 1 1/2 years > > ago. I have never used UNIX. I have taught myself Java programming for 3 or > > so months, and I am learning C++ now. > > I just ordered FreeBSD 3.4 Power Pack. > > > > My questions are: > > 1)Does it take a computer scientist to install it? > > It's actually quite easy to install. Read the directions at > http://www.freebsd.org/handbook first > > > 2)What are the major benefits of UNIX over Windows NT? > > This is a hotly debated issue. It's more stable, has much better > documentation, and doesn't need as much RAM or CPU to do the same amount > of work. > > > 3)I hear UNIX is open source. What does this mean? Can I change my > > operating system? Is my operating system one big application to be tinkered > > with? > > Unix is catch name for a lot of different operating systems. FreeBSD is > open source. Like all OS's, it's hundreds (and potentially thousands) of > programs that work together. And yes, it can be tinkered with. That is > the point of open software. > > > 4)Can I get software for UNIX for a reasonable price(word processors, > > editors, compilers, etc...)? I mean, do many people use UNIX? If so, who? > > There are thousands of free software programs available for FreeBSD. > Unix is now where near as common as MS Windows, but there are hundreds > of thousands of users. Unix has long been the favorite of scientists, > engineers, and graphics specialists. And Unix is far and away the > favorite OS of internet service providers. > > > 5)I hear UNIX has a big following with crackers and hackers. I don't want > > to be a hacker or anything, but they are the ones that seem to know the > > most. Can I be part of their group to learn about UNIX and programming with > > out being dubbed a hacker and end up on the eleven o'clock news? Will they > > receive me with open arms or shun me? > > In the Unix community, the term hacker is used to describe programmers, > and crackers are the ones that the media calls hackers. Both groups will > welcome you. Your being on the news will ultimately be your choice. > > > thanks allot > > showing > > I sponcer a local organization that teaches Unix to teens. If you are > expecting Unix to be like Windows, you're in for a suprise. Learning > Unix will take time. And a lot of reading. If you are looking for quick > and easy, you won't be happy with Unix. But if you are willing to make > the effort, you'll be rewarded with a computing environment with almost > unlimited capibilities. > > Bob Martin > -- > "I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World > War IV will be fought with sticks and stones." > -- Albert Einstein > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message -- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message