Convince me, please!

[Michael K. Smith - Adhost]

Hello Some Person who may Be "Robert"

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org [mailto:owner-freebsd-
> questions at freebsd.org] On Behalf Of Latitude
> Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2007 9:22 PM
> To: freebsd-questions at FreeBSD.org
> Subject: Convince me, please!
> 
> I'm interested in changing over to FreeBSD from Windows, but I'll have
> to say, you guys don't really present a forceful argument to Windows
> users of how easy the switch may be.  I get knee-deep in FreeBSD jargon
> the second I get to your webpage. I need to see an overwhelming
> argument
> that FreeBSD is a perfectly acceptable alternative for home desktop
> users who have previously known only Windows.
> 
> For instance, if I download and install FreeBSD, will I instantly have
> a
> desktop windowing environment that I can navigate in while I figure out
> what's going on?  Will I have a browser and way to setup an internet
> connection right off the bat?  How will I migrate files from other
> operating systems?
> 
> I understand you guys have been around for a while, but you don't seem
> to understand the monumental "fear" involved in switching operating
> systems.  You need to address those concerns head on from the start.  I
> need to see several screenshots of apps that I can use as alternatives
> to what I have.
> 
> Help me (and yourselves) out.
> 

What problem are you trying to solve?  I wouldn't go into any conversion of this sort unless I had a specific reason, even if that reason is "because I'm bored with Windows."  Each OS out there has a bunch of stuff the others' don't and each user decides what they need from a particular OS and picks the one best-suited to the task.  In general, I would say that FreeBSD is not the appropriate choice for a "user" who is not at least somewhat interested in the how's and why's of the OS.  

It sounds like you've already got a firm handle on Windows (if you're like many of us you've been using it for years) so you're probably on the tail end of the learning curve.  If you elect to go with any other OS (FreeBSD OS X, Linux, etc.) there is going to be a whole new learning curve to accommodate.  If you want to delve into FreeBSD then the learning curve is going to include quite a bit of time in front of the CLI.

Regards,

Mike Smith
mksmith at adhost.com (work)
mksmith at mac.com (!work)