Date: 24 Apr 2003 07:53:36 -0400 From: "V.M.Smith" <vmsmith@grokking.org> To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD in General Message-ID: <1051185215.591.10.camel@thoreau.sohotech.ca> In-Reply-To: <5.1.0.14.0.20030423124008.00a6dc30@mailhost.mad.ameritech.net> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20030423124008.00a6dc30@mailhost.mad.ameritech.net>
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Thanks for the lengthy (and largely hollow) diatribe. Well, at least you thanked us for enduring it :) On Wed, 2003-04-23 at 15:53, Gerald H. Kruchten wrote: > Dear Sirs, > > First, a little about my background in UNIX and computers in > general. Basically, I am highly qualified as pretty much of a complete > idiot when it comes to Unix and not much better regarding the rest of the > field. That pretty much covers my background. As for details, I am not > computer illiterate, nor am I any where near to being an export on any > operating system or computer. I get by. I presently run Windows NT 4.0 on > one computer and Windows XP pro on the other. I make use of system > commander as a boot loader on both computers because I have messed around > with various different operating systems. At one point in time and when I > only had one computer with a ton of hard drive space, I had the following > operating systems loaded up and working on this computer at once: DOS 5.0, > WindowsNT4.0, OS/2Warp 4, Mandrake's Linux 7.3, FreeBSD 4.2, and BeOS. Of > all of them, I liked BeOS about the best and next after that was OS/2 as a > close second choice because it was so fast. But one can no longer get the > necessary drivers to get anything to operate correctly. I am not a > programmer and I don't intend to be a programmer because it is too late in > my life to try to teach this old dog a new career. I was able to get BSD > going as well as the Mandrake-Linux. Mandrake's manuals left a lot to be > desired and the operating system often hung. I prefer GUI because I am not > a geek; never was and don't care to become one. A person's memory is made > to be used for more important things than to remember UNIX commands. The > prospect of sitting in a nursing home in my late years endlessly repeating > and reciting useless UNIX commands while sitting in a wheel chair in a > catatonic state sends shivers up and down my spine. That thought alone is > repulsive. It is just that I am so frustrated with Microsoft's mode and > method doing of business. I would probably feel different about it if I > felt that they had the most reliable and efficient product, but we all know > that this isn't so. They do have the easiest operating systems to > use. Though I am not a programmer, I am convinced that Microsoft is more > concerned about snooping into my business than they are in providing the > fastest and most efficient software product available. I am looking for an > operating system that will smoke MS in efficiency and productivity without > being required to have a PHD, Master's or any other college degree to > operate a computer system. BeOS and OS/2 Warp came closest to meeting my > desired requirements, but neither of them are any longer being worked on or > written for. Both OSes were truly fast and were multitasking. > > These days, Linux and FreeBSD seem to come closest to meet what I would > like see in a computer operating system. But the three main vendors of > Linux software, Red Hat, Mandrake, and SuSE all seem to be trying to follow > the Microsoft business model of marketing. In the process, all of them, > especially Mandrake, seem to be putting out crap versions just so one > vendor can claim one-upsmanship over his competitor in having the latest > version on the market. While this is transpiring, MS still having all the > morals of a serial rapist, is working on its next big screw job. Most > likely, a lot of us will be sucked in again. The only people of this > industry that I'm not hearing a lot about is FreeBSD. I haven't seen a > FreeBSD stable pack box at Comp USA in months, though they are still listed > on your site as being a retailer. > > If your going to continue having them as a retailer, rather than putting > out a FreeBSD v4.8 in a box, I think that you ought to get crackin' and get > a relatively bugless or debugged version of 5.0 out there. The other thing > that I am looking for is a GUI windows emulator that will operate "ALL" > windows applications. I request that because I am presently forced to use > a charting system that is programmed and designed only for the later > versions of Windows. This is because companies that offer this kind of > specialized software are usually very small and simply can't afford the > capital costs that go with developing applications for multiple > platforms. They develop applications for Windows because most of the > businesses in the stock market industry still use MS operating > software. It ends up being a vicious circle that leaves you guys, Linux > and me out in the cold. I do like the simplicity with which one can > usually operate a Microsoft OS. It's designed with the simpleton in > mind. That's me. However, I personally also like some of the (I think > the term used is platforms) GUI platforms that Linux uses, especially the > use of multiple open windows. I never got far enough with my 4.2 BSD > version to put any type of windows on it. I want to also say this about > Linux. There is just something about the way that the Linux vendors are > operating that goes against my grain. For pretty much that reason alone, I > don't like them. Maybe it's like Microsoft and dejavu all over again. I > can not say the same though for some of the people that use it. They say, > "It rocks and that Linux has much better support than BSD." I can't say > "yea" or "nay" to either claim. I just think and feel that you guys are > probably the last good hope of having a "One size fits all, super speedy, > super reliable operating system. I know that BSD is used under MAC X > OS. But some questions: #1, Who can afford to buy a Mac computer at the > prices that they want for them? #2; I know that Mac is used quite > extensively in publishing businesses, but do you think that MAC is going to > continue or be able to remain in business? I seriously doubt it because > they can't seem to get past proprietary issues. That's the mode of > thinking that got them into trouble in the first place. How many years has > that been the case and how far have they moved off of dead center to > resolve that issue? What I perceive as an answer to that question is, "Not > very far." So, unless something really Earth shattering and great suddenly > begins to happen, you are left as the last hope for the average Joe hope to > obtain a simple, fast, and dynamite operating system that works with > virtually every application ever made. > > I would suspect that by now, it is quite obvious from what I have written > that I have little or no clue as to what is required when it comes to > writing a software program and/or application. But I shouldn't need to > have one. All that I, the everyday customer, should have to tell you is > what I want. Once having done so, most any engineer/technician worth > his/her salt, will readily be able to figure something out design it > according to those specs. I just hope that it happens before I'm returned > to ashes. I would like to be able to use and enjoy a universal operating > system that will be able to handle anything that I load onto it and that I > won't have to ready manuals for the next ten years just to power up and > sign on. I don't think that I am wishing for too much here. After > all, when one people of the industry told other people at seminars just a > few years ago that the average household would have a computer and many of > them two or more, the majority of people scoffed at that idea. I say, "Go > for all the marbles." But don't go so slow that we can sit here and watch > the snails race by or watch the paint peel. Thankyou for your time. > > > Sincerely, > Gerald Kruchten > > _______________________________________________ > freebsd-questions@freebsd.org mailing list > http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions > To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe@freebsd.org"
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