Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 13:25:07 -0800 From: Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com> To: Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@ceid.upatras.gr> Cc: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org>, chip <chip@wiegand.org>, David Schultz <dschultz@uclink.Berkeley.EDU>, "f.johan.beisser" <jan@caustic.org>, freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Why dual boot? Message-ID: <3C51CD33.4E69B204@mindspring.com> References: <3C4FBE5C.2AE8C65@mindspring.com> <20020123114658.A514@lpt.ens.fr> <20020123223104.SM01952@there> <3C4FBE5C.2AE8C65@mindspring.com> <4.3.2.7.2.20020124213809.00e6e5d0@localhost> <20020125131659.GB7374@hades.hell.gr>
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Giorgos Keramidas wrote: > On 2002-01-24 21:40:17, Brett Glass wrote: > > At 07:21 AM 1/24/2002, chip wrote: > > >I think I'll do a dual-boot setup just for the experience. > > Friends don't let friends dual-boot. > > True, I don't let my friends dual boot. Of course, this ignores the fact that most people *must* use Windows for certain tasks, because the software for those tasks is simply *nonexistant* in FreeBSD. My own recent dual-boot setups were because it was either that, or purchase two more Windows XP systems when I had need of standard clients, that I expected customers to be using, to test against the software I'm in the process of developing. I think the most common case of a new FreeBSD user is one who is going to "try out FreeBSD" with some of the free space on their (probably new) computer. For this to work out in FreeBSDs favor, the fear-factor has to be removed, which is that you can undo the FreeBSD installation once it has been done, and that you won't trash your Windows XP (or other Windows) system. The problem with this process right now is that the reason for fear is very real. As my experience demonstrated, though, it's very real no matter what OS you are going to try to install to "try out". Nevertheless, we can expect that any reduction in the rate of "try out" is going to reduce FreeBSD adoption by new users, proportional to its current market share. This is a real concern. It's really tempting to call Microsoft on some of thier recent engineering to lock people into a Windows world, particularly since the Tunney comment period on the settlement is still open. But that coses on Monday, and I rather think that a well-thought-out argument would take more effort than most peope think it's worth. 8-(. Requiring Windows XP to include a repartitioning facility; they already have the defragger code, and the partitioning code (the former is there in the disk properties, the latter in the installation) to take the fear out of it. -- Terry To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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