Date: Sat, 20 Jun 1998 17:58:39 +0100 From: Russ Paton <russ@l-p-b-central.demon.co.uk> To: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Cc: dhw@whistle.com Subject: Windoze vs FreeBSD Message-ID: <19980620175839.21109@l-p-b-central.demon.co.uk>
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Apparently David Wolfskill once scribbled: > >Date: Wed, 17 Jun 1998 23:28:41 -0400 (EDT) > >From: James <dominus@minos.dyn.ml.org> > > >However, like it or not, windows DOES have one thing over UNIX. That is > >the interface. > > Do you find it so? I find it quite the opposite. > Agreed, as a great deal of UNIX (not just FreeBSD) is configured in plain text it seems to be a much simpler system to understand and the interface fine. > >How hard is it to learn when you turn the thing on and > >you see a little yellow arrow moving across the bottom of the screen > >saying click here to start? > > With which button? What do you mean by using a mouse with only 2 > buttons? Which button is missing? How do I get the missing button's > function? > > The few times (< a dozen) that I've tried to get anything done in such > an environment, I'd generally get an interface I couldn't understand, > applications or machines that would hang, or some combination thereof. > How stuff could be sold that does that is something that I find mind- > boggling. That folks would actually spend money to acquire something > that does that is truly incredible. > Undoubtedly windoze greatest failure is its uncanny ability to hang at the most inopportune moments, take Mr Gates recent CNN appearance where he was demonstrating Windows 98, did you see what happened, Instant Blue Screen of Death and an embarressed "Bill" tearing towards the monitors power button. > And the goofy little meaningless icons on a low-resolution display don't > help, either. [Ref: "low-resolution" meaning that I'm not real happy > with the resolution on my ancient Sun 3/60, which is 1120x900.] > > And the ability to use forms of regular expressions on command lines (in > UNIX) is quite useful, powerful, and -- once you get used to it -- > inuitive. > > >I know all the arguments about KDE, CDE, > >FVWM95, and such but how many machines have you seen preloaded with those? > No, but part of the challenge of running a UNIX system is to become a sysadmin yourself even at a basic level so if a few binaries require your compiling them so what, if you don't want to do it, why use FreeBSD (or any other flavor) in the first place. > Well, as a UNIX sysadmin, it's my job to make sure things like that are > set up for my colleagues. > > >How many people ask questions about setting them up? What about just X > >alone? > People always ask for help with something that they do not understand, it is part of human nature...I don't see that it is a problem if I am asked or need to ask for help. > X *is* complicated; no question. It's also more than just a little > configurable.... :-) > > I generally invite folks to copy any files in my home directory that are > world-readable, including any "dot files" there. > Another major plus for X is it's ability to run reasonably well on low spec machines. > >Then how many people have problems with PPP user or god forbid kernel > >mode. Then you have to think about PAP and CHAP vs. plaintext passwords. > Again, it's part of being a 'sysadmin' if you don't like it, don't do it. > If you're using passwords *without* thinking about them, that's a > significant concern.... > > >Modem init strings? god forbid we use those they came from DOS. > I work in the IT support department of an ISP and believe me the initialisation that windows provides built in are invariably crap, strings are always absolutely specific to the modem being used, yes strings can be written to the nvram, but strings are a necessity in making sure your modem/ta can connect to your isp effectively. > I used MODEMs prior to Microsoft's existence (when "DOS" referred to > "DOS/360").... But a "MODEM initialization string" should be used for > precisely the function described by the name: it's a string to use to > initialize a MODEM. Normally, I'll initialize the MODEM for "normal" > use (and write that configuration to the MODEM's memory -- NVRAM). > Then, if a particular use of the MODEM requires something different, the > "chat script" or whatever the application uses can set that.... > > >These are the issues that should be addressed before something like BSD or > >Linux appears in a common household. > > Well, I could probably be convinced that my household isn't all that > "common" -- the machines my wife & I have & use are Suns.... :-) [My > involvement with FreeBSD is strictly here at work. And lest I be > accused of not being a true "newbie," I've only dealt with FreeBSD since > the end of February. I do have a fair amount of other UNIX experience, > as well as IBM mainframe experience. IBM PC-type hardware continues to > baffle me -- if anything drives me away from FreeBSD, that will be it. > By contrast, the Suns are so much easier to work with -- plug things in, > and they just work....] > > david > -- > David Wolfskill UNIX System Administrator > dhw@whistle.com voice: (650) 577-7158 pager: (650) 371-4621 > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message -- Russ Paton russ@l-p-b-central.demon.co.uk http://www.thumbs.org eThay ibesVay areway owlay andway ethay assbay isway oundingpay --RAA13307.898361730/l-p-b-central.demon.co.uk-- -----End of forwarded message----- -- Russ Paton russ@l-p-b-central.demon.co.uk http://www.thumbs.org eThay ibesVay areway owlay andway ethay assbay isway oundingpay To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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