Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 21:58:24 -0600 From: Alan Weber <aaweber@austin.rr.com> To: Peter Luna Altberg <peter@altberg.nu> Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Freebsd what is it like? Message-ID: <19990102215824.A19502@austin.rr.com> In-Reply-To: <01C5CFD59D5AD1118AA400805F14B8F9231781@bollnt04.BOLLNAS.KL.SE>; from Peter Luna Altberg on Sun, Jan 03, 1999 at 02:35:55AM %2B0100 References: <01C5CFD59D5AD1118AA400805F14B8F9231781@bollnt04.BOLLNAS.KL.SE>
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On Sun, Jan 03, 1999 at 02:35:55AM +0100, Peter Luna Altberg wrote:
--> Well, if you have a laptop, the choice is simple: Linux! I installed Red
--> Hat Linux on my Compaq LTE5400 w/o no problem, including my 3Com
--> ethernet and TDK 3600 ISDN pccard (made my ppp connection with a
--> "point-and-a-click"), but after installing FreeBSD, I'm still in the
--> dark when it comes to serial communications... RedHat's installation
Read the documentation.. A very clear explanation of how to create PPP connections is on the FreeBSD web site. You wont get very far with Linux unless you read the documentation. BTW, waht do you actually do with a laptop in unix?
--> beats FreeBSD by a million miles, but in the world of free effort s/w,
I prefer the FreeBSD setup program. Much more is actually acomplished during the setup and the setup program remains a useful administrative tool for newbies.
--> I'm not complaining...
Seems like it to me.
-->
--> But no desktop user who is supposed to do anything but PLAYING with free
^^^^^^^
bullsh*t
You are extremely limited if the only spreadsheet you can run is Excel. I have used all versions of excel, lotus, quattro pro as well as the original visicalc. There is very little functionality in Excel not in the prior versions of the other software for the average user. I doubt that you are sufficient a power user to need the fractional extended functionality that Excel has. I am assuming that you are not solving nonlinear quadratic equations in excel. Have you looked at Staroffice and Applix products before deciding that PLAY is the only functionality for a unix desktop. Wordperfect 8 brings a standard word processor to FreeBSD. Netscape provides web browser and email functionality. X windows and a window manager will provide the required "poke the screen with a mouse" functionality. Tell me what you need from Micro$oft that is not available in unix. I dont think that animated paper clips are required for a productive desktop experience. You need to separate the user inte!
rface from the functionality of the program and understand that tools can come in many shapes and sizes. I have seen users build systems with an editor, sort and copying files to the printer when they could not get the required programming help.
--> s/w, should abandon "Micro$oft". You teenagers out there can talk all
I am no teenager (mid 40s) and have been using computers since 1971 including several years doing operating system programing. I have used more than ten different operating systems in several versions of each operating system.
--> you want about "free BSD" for desktops. It's still an illution. There's
The only illusion is that unix systems dont slavishly copy M$ look and feel. you seem unwilling to use anything that is not M$.
--> just not the software out there for it. You can't make a livin' by
--> running spreadsheets the latest "Deamon News Style": Emacs => awk => ss.
--> Three programs instead of one: Excel...
Read carefully why someone choose three programs instead of one. Excel is a lousy word processor, clumsy programming environment and a wimpy data base. Having a collection of tools instead of one very large swiss army knife is a much more flexible solution. If all you have is a hammer then every problem looks like a nail.
-->
--> On the other hand, FreeBSD seems very good for enthusiast's and servers.
--> But, as I said, not for people who wants to improve their
--> productivity...
-->
--> - Peter Altberg, Sweden
-->
<< snip >>
--
When I was a kid I had to rub sticks together to multiply and divide numbers.
A calculator was a job description.
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