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Date:      Sat, 26 Jan 2002 07:47:55 +0100
From:      "Anthony Atkielski" <anthony@atkielski.com>
To:        "Terry Lambert" <tlambert2@mindspring.com>
Cc:        <freebsd-chat@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: Why dual boot?
Message-ID:  <001b01c1a635$636a4170$0a00000a@atkielski.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> <3C51CD33.4E69B204@mindspring.com>

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Dual-boot configurations are really not necessary today.  Even the cheapest
second-hand PC will run FreeBSD quite nicely, so there isn't any reason not
to run it on a separate, dedicated machine.  If you need both Windows and
FreeBSD, just use one machine for each.

Additionally, no production system can be a dual-boot system, since
production systems by nature are up 24 hours a day.

I've never run multiple-boot configurations on any machine.  Nowadays there
is no significant cost advantage, and it's a real pain to stop the system
and reboot each time you want to use one system or the other, and getting
both systems configured to boot on a single hardware configuration can be
problematic.  Additionally, I prefer that the FreeBSD machine be _pure_
FreeBSD, and that the Windows machine be _pure_ Windows.  Finally, when you
have two machines running simultaneously, you can use both operating systems
as intended: Windows for the desktop, and FreeBSD as your server.  My
FreeBSD system handles e-mail, prototyping of my Web site, DNS, and so on,
for example.

----- Original Message -----
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>
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2002 22:25
Subject: Why dual boot?


> 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
>
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