Very Computer

1. KDE on FreeBSD or Linux as (Microsoft-free) end-user workstations

Excuse me here, here's a post I recently posted in CUBFM, and I though
I might bring it over here for discussion.  That's why I mention
FreeBSD so much here, although it's equally applicable to Linux (I
think).

Although I could never see myself using KDE, I was thinking about
setting up KDE on machines with FreeBSD installed as an end-user type
of configuration.  The "end users" in question would not be very
experienced for the most part, except for some knowledge of Windows.
The purpose of using such a KDE-FreeBSD workstation is that I find
Microsoft's licensing ridiculous.  Windows 98 SE edition costs more
money than it would cost me to upgrade my P166 MMX to an AMD 450 MHz
K6/2 w/ 3D NOW.  

By using good 'ol Open Source KDE w/FreeBSD end-user workstations, one
can save quite a bit of money over using Windows 98 workstations.  A
lot of Windows advocates will tell you, oh, it isn't that bad, just
download an ISO of Windows 2000 from alt.binaries.whatever illegally,
and install Win 2k on all your workstations from the CD.  OR, they'll
tell you, what the hell, Microsoft isn't gonna know, just install
Windows 98 from your own personal CD.

Well, you could possibly get away with this, but remember that MS
would have a shit fit if they found out.  Microsoft likes to hunt
people down who do this.  With Open Source, there's no strings
attached.  I don't have to buy the FreeBSD CD's if I don't want to,
and I can can just download the FreeBSD boot floppy and suck down the
FreeBSD install right off the net.  I can install KDE as well without
without a company breathing down my neck.  If you talk to Windows
lovers, they view MS software the same way we Open Source advocates
view free software.  "I just copied MS Office from my buddy, and I
illegally downloaded an ISO of W2k from
alt.binaries.software-pirates."  Yeah, it's free in that case, but
it's both unethical and illegal.  It's not playing fair, and as much
as I hate defending MS, they have a right to get paid according to
their license.

So, that's what I would use KDE for -- on top of FreeBSD as an
alternative for end-user workstations.  But, Unix really does need
such end-user environments.  The rest of us can just use command-line
if we wish.  With KDE or GNOME, you don't have to type a single
command.  But even if us Unix heads never use KDE, it's still a big
triumph for open source if we can deploy KDE in end-user type
environments.  For me, though, KDE and environments are nothing more
than a set of nifty gadgets.  It's pretty nice, though, and lets
non-computer savy types use a Unix box.

- Donn

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