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Date:      Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:14:29 +0200
From:      Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To:        "Charles Oppermann" <chuckop@gmail.com>
Cc:        'Steve Bertrand' <steve@ibctech.ca>, freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Subject:   Re: please help to uninstall FreeBSD!!!
Message-ID:  <20090816181429.7a2d4e73.freebsd@edvax.de>
In-Reply-To: <003601ca1e89$deda1ef0$9c8e5cd0$@com>
References:  <980215.56754.qm@web58307.mail.re3.yahoo.com> <20090812130546.GA3672@marge.bs.l> <4A82C3DD.7040209@ibctech.ca> <002701ca1b59$b3e132c0$1ba39840$@com> <20090813040701.34245f03.freebsd@edvax.de> <003601ca1e89$deda1ef0$9c8e5cd0$@com>

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On Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:54:41 -0400, "Charles Oppermann" <chuckop@gmail.com> wrote:
> I get the humor, but based on this and your previous remarks regarding
> Windows, you're not an authority on Windows or its users - average or
> otherwise.

I may apologize for that not being the case, sadly, at least
according to the last point, but it's very selective to
Germany. I can't tell if "Windows" users in other countries
behave in other ways. In my family and for friends, I'm often
the "computer guy" and have to deal with their problems, which
are usually related to "Windows" in many different ways. But
still, my observations are quite individual, so I don't talk
for "everybody".



> It does FreeBSD a disservice when its supporters slam other platforms and
> implicitly (and explicitly on occasion) denigrate users of such.

This may be, I agree, but hey, at least I didn't start! :-)



> > > Since Windows 2000, the
> > > Setup program allows for deletion of partitions, creating one or more
> > > new partitions, formatting them, etc.
> > 
> > Even DOS could do that.
> 
> That is correct.  However, in an earlier message you wrote:
> 
> >"Usually, any MICROS~1 operating system attempts to completely wipe the
> disk it wants to install on,"
> 
> That might give the impression that the Setup procedure was inflexible.

In DOS, deleting partitions involves reading the screen (in textmode)
and pressing keys (on the keyboard); in "Windows" setups, those
tasks can usually be achieved by repeatedly pressing the Enter
key. There is a default action that usually leads to destruction
of any other OS, or at least of the start sectors of the disk so
other operating systems can't be booted anymore because the boot
manager is gone. This is quite different to installer of other
operating systems that require some knowledge about what to do,
and the person who does the install is responsible for taking
decisions. The "Windows" installer, however, replaces them by
(for "Windows") reasonable defaults, and that is to free the
way for "Windows" by all neccessary means.



> I assume your use of "MICROS~1" is some sort of clever dig at Microsoft, but
> this is 2009 - not 1995 - and for the "average Windows user" it's
> meaningless and confusing. 

Meaningless? Sure. Confusing? Surely not more than "Windows" itself.
And finally, "MICROS~1" is an invention by Microsoft. So simply
take it as a very individual nuance of expression by the means
of the language. I know it's a VERY special kind of humour, and
of course not everyone's case. :-)



> For those who do understand it, they know having
> 8dot3 filenames was a FEATURE, a benefit of the platform to allow
> applications that weren't aware of long file names to continue working.

GeoWorks Ensemble had >8.3 filenames even in DOS.



> Just my thoughts,
> -Chuck

Confirmed.



-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...



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