FreeBSD I LOVE YOU

[Jorn Argelo]

On Thu, 20 Jan 2005 02:55:39 -0600 (CST), Scott Bennett wrote
> On Wed, 19 Jan 2005 15:26:49 -0500 daniel quinn <freebsd at danielquinn.org>
> wrote:
> >On January 19, 2005 03:06 pm, Anthony Atkielski wrote:
> >> Freebsd0101 at aol.com writes:
> >>
> >> Fac> I think the "junky old PC" market is just what the current FreeBSD
> >> "team" Fac> is targeting.
> >>
> >> At least someone is thinking of it.  There are a lot of PCs out there
> >> that are still in perfect working order, but are too slow to run the
> >> hugely bloated desktop operating systems (and the "server" versions
> >> thereof) that are popular today.  Efficient operating systems like UNIX
> >> can give these machines new life and purpose and save tremendous
> >> resources in the process.
> >>
> >> Indeed, someone in the Third World without the means to buy a new PC and
> >> an expensive Windows license could find a junk PC and install FreeBSD on
> >> it for nothing, and be up and running in no time.  While UNIX doesn't
> >> have the advantages of Windows on the desktop, you can't beat the price,
> >> and it'll run on anything.
> >
> >not to mention the huge environmental implications of producing newer 
hardware 
> >every year to support said bloated hardware.  if the same job can be done 
> >with a 10 year old box, i'm glad freebsd is here to help me do it.
> >
>       The recent discussion in this thread causes me to wonder 
> whether FreeBSD's performance on older, slower equipment could be a 
contributing
> factor to why hardware vendors like Dell and ATI are willing to 
> provide only limited support for LINUX and none at all for FreeBSD.  
> After all, if FreeBSD lets a Pentium II w/MMX handle, for example, a 
> moderately loaded web site or large network firewall or some other 
> reasonable use and thereby obviating many purchases of hardware 
> upgrades, why would they want to encourage its use?

AFAIK Dell only provides support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Which is a 
company. There's probably profit in it for Dell as well. So why would a 
company that want more money give support for an operating system where is no 
money to be gained from? 

Of course, I could be completely wrong in here. So feel free to correct me if 
I am :)

Cheers,

Jorn