Date: Sun, 20 Aug 1995 12:13:09 -0400 From: dennis@et.htp.com (dennis) To: Joe Greco <jgreco@brasil.moneng.mei.com> Cc: hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FreeBSD in a Windows World Message-ID: <199508201613.MAA01700@mail.htp.com>
next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
>> >FreeBSD has done a lot to make that easy should I choose to use their >> >package-ized or port-ed versions - so I feel that the FreeBSD team has >> >an answer for an ISP who does not want to roll his/her own system. >> >(I nearly sh***ed bricks when a friend told me he installed CERN httpd on his >> >system by doing little more than typing "make; make install" and installing >> >his home page) >> >> Yes, you're right. But the problem is that NOBODY knows about these things, >> and it very difficult to find out that these things are available unless >> someone in the inner circle feels like telling you about it. THATs the >> problem. And you can't count on anyone to tell you anything. The only time >> anyone ever responds to me is when I say something inflamatory....so I have >> to word my questions in a way thats going to piss someone off in order to >> get an answer. It's a helluva way to do business. > >I thought all this stuff could actually be done right off the boot floppy? >Again, I guess I haven't tried, but it seems to me from what I've heard from >others that people DO know about these things, and they are very actively >using them. I guess that's only a real small sampling based on the >discussions that I have had with others, but I am having some trouble seeing >the picture you are painting - even just a casual look around the FTP site >reveals references to ports in README.TXT, not to mention the ports and >packages directories (and I didn't look too hard). >> They're not ready to chase after the next market. They need market exposure, >> and the best way to get exposure is by focusing on their strengths. They >> can't compete with Macs or Windows, at least not yet. And if they try to >> market by bashing accepted platforms they're just going to shoot themselves >> in the foot. > >Hey, come on, it's cool to do it. I mean, look at OS/2, Windows NT, >Solaris, SCO, etc. Everybody bashes on DOS and Doze because even most of >the people who DO accept them do so largely out of necessity. THAT's a >damn shame. :-/ I'd rather see WINE up and running... then some of that >goes away. >> It's like the old UNIX guy who arrogantly says "DOS is not an >> Operating System, and neither is WINDOWS". > >Truth is truth. And generally it's not just the UNIX folks - it's every >serious CS person who has ever worked on a real operating system of any >type. However, the market doesn't necessarily care. I watched what >happened with VHS and Beta. Myself, I still like 3/4" tape. > A real operating system is one that provides a computer with usable services, which both DOS and WINDOS (as it should be called) do. Academically, it may be the truth, but the point is that its irrelevant. The market is driven by functinality, and UNIX is light years behind Windows and likely will stay that way for the foreseeable future. I don't care how cool unix is, but you're not going to get me to switch my DTP system with PageMaker, PhotoShop, 3D rendering, support for every printer conceived, etc. to XWINDOWs or WINE. Ever. Not in my lifetime. And I know Unix. People who don't know UNIX just can't deal with it. Its still way to difficult. Ever since BSDI started advertising their Internet server as a plug-and-play product that you can run "even if you don't know unix"....I've had more returned boards in the last few months...I think I had 2 in 7 years before. Its people who buy it and realize it "ain't that easy"...that they're in way over their heads. It unrealistic to think that people who don't know unix are going to use it as a general purpose operating system. The market today is convertees (from other Un*x type OSs) and simple canned functionality (like routers). You've also got new ISPs who WANT to learn it...now that BSDIs prices are out of sight there's a chance to get them with decent support channels. But they're still afraid that it doesn't work. The goal should be to change that thinking. Dennis
Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?199508201613.MAA01700>