From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Jun 16 11:59:44 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 14D6F37B401 for ; Mon, 16 Jun 2003 11:59:44 -0700 (PDT) Received: from thor.65535.net (thor.65535.net [65.214.160.96]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 74BDF43F85 for ; Mon, 16 Jun 2003 11:59:43 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from rghf@fsck.me.uk) Received: from thor ([65.214.160.96] helo=localhost) by thor.65535.net with esmtp (Exim 4.12) id 19RzDT-000IB4-00; Mon, 16 Jun 2003 20:00:31 +0100 Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 20:00:31 +0100 (BST) From: Rus Foster To: mell miller In-Reply-To: <20030616185536.95983.qmail@web80304.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <20030616195820.O98274@thor.65535.net> References: <20030616185536.95983.qmail@web80304.mail.yahoo.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII cc: FreeBSD-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: software/hardware question X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2003 18:59:44 -0000 On Mon, 16 Jun 2003, mell miller wrote: > hi all, i've just recently heard of bsd and am seriously considering > going that way, but before i go much further i have what is likely a > stupid question but since in the past i've disregarded such questions > thinking they were unimportant or that the answer was obvious only to > later regret it i shall ask my stupid question. nearly all software and > hardware is window compatable and most require a windows o/s, does this > mean bsd users are left out in the cold or are there alternative > releases or is most software/hardware also compatable with a bsd o/s? Hi, There are things called winmodems and winprinters which do require Windows as some of the work the hardware would normally do is handeled on the CPU. However I've found FreeBSD to work on 99% of the hardware I've chucked at it without any problems. sometimes its take a bit of work to but normally it will be fine. If you let us know what sort of hardware you have got I'm sure we can help you Rgds Rus -- www: http://www.65535.net | Hosting - Shell Accounts MSNM: support@65535.net | Virtual Servers from just $15/mo e: rghf@65535.net | Community: http://www.65535.org t: +44 (0) 7092016595 | 10% Donation on every FreeBSD product