re changing from vista

[Da Rock]

On Fri, 2008-11-14 at 11:58 +0100, peter wrote:
> Dear sirs
> 
> please can you help me i am totally confused i want to change from 
> windows vista
> 
> but i cannot understand which system to use
> 
> i am not sure if freebsd will work with my hardware and software
> 
> kind regards
> 
> Peter

Welcome to the free world Peter!

FreeBSD is a very powerful and stable system, but that said it is also
very hands on - the opposite extreme of vista which is all hands off.
This means that you will have a very steep learning curve.

This list is /very/ helpful, others may not be so friendly or helpful.
This is great for newbies who need some real help in getting to know
their system and fixing problems, but there are times when even this is
not enough if you don't have enough experience with the system.

My advice is this: get used to the *nix (linux, unix and other
derivatives) systems and how they do things, and the best way to do this
is to use linux which is like a halfway house for windows users. The
software available for all systems is HUGE. And all this software will
usually run on both systems. The difference is linux will take care of a
lot of maintenance for you (like vista), but still allows you to get
your hands dirty hacking the system to your hearts content.

This is not to deter you from using FreeBSD - linux is a tough system
when compared to windows, but FreeBSD is even tougher; bit like
comparing a tank to fort knox. But the ease of use and experience you'll
gain from using linux will be more forgiving than using FreeBSD.

My suggestion would be to get used to the *nixes with Ubuntu or even
PCBSD (which is a FreeBSD variant for newer users), once you have gotten
used to that give yourself another steep learning curve and jump to the
final level of FreeBSD straight-up :)

Keep in touch with this list and you'll get all your questions answered
no matter how ridiculous they may seem to the seasoned users here, and
the Ubuntu list is nearly as helpful from my observation (hence my
recommendation).

Once you have the experience you'll definitely want FreeBSD for its
security, stability, and more. You can run a desktop, a server, or just
about whatever you want on it. The possibilties are endless with nearly
any *nix system, but the stability can only be found with BSD.

Good luck with your endeavours and welcome, again