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Old 18th August 2008
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TerryP TerryP is offline
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: USofA
Posts: 1,547
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Now, I really don't mean to be rude (especially since I don't have time to read every post twice across both pages).


But I think everyone should forget the distinction between "Server OS" and "Desktop OS", it doesn't matter.


Server:

Must be stable
Must be easy to work with
Must be secure
Must run owners services

Desktop

Must be stable
Must be easy to work with
Hopefully considers security
Must run owners applications


FreeBSD is a unix like operating system, so it is portable, multi-tasking and multi-user. One could argue that the level of multi-user features present in unix like systems is overkill for a "desktop" --> Coming from a Win 98/XP background I find it superior to comparable features in the leading desktop OS. FreeBSD furfills the needs of *both* server and desktop well, so does GNU/Linux, so does OSX, so does Windows Vista. The proper question to pose, is "can I use X system as Y?".


I need decent clients for smtp, imap, pop, http/https, and ftp (e.g. a MUA, WWW Browser, and 'ftp'). Plus vim, instant messengering for the major networks, pdf/ps and image viewers, a type setting system that can yield PDF/PS documents (e.g. *tex /or groff), and playback support for many audio/video formats. With strict requirements for decent multi-tasking capability, >=20GB of file system, and obeying my concept that a "reboot means something huge" and not a fresh coat of paint.


Thus I can use just about any operating system that has the ability to display images. Some people have different needs, who knows, maybe someone *must* have some advanced program for chemical analysis or something; that means they need a system that meets there needs and supports that software. Some peoples needs for a desktop OS might still fit on a PDP-1, others might be beyond mans current reach....


But it's not the operating system that makes a server or a desktop, it's the purpose it serves. What system is used, depends on need and choice. If you can do the same things on OSX as you can on Vista, choose the one you like... There isn't *that* much difference, as far as regular users are concerned.




(Point of reference/hypocritic note: I do know a few people using windows server installs as a 'desktop os', for one reason or another.... and personally find it strange)
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