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+<!-- $Id:$ -->
+<!-- The FreeBSD Documentation Project -->
+
+<sect><heading>FreeBSD in a nutshell</heading>
+
+    <p>FreeBSD is a state of the art operating system for
+      personal computers based on the Intel CPU architecture, which
+      includes the 386, 486 and Pentium processors (both SX and DX versions).
+      Intel compatible CPUs from AMD and Cyrix are supported as well.
+      FreeBSD provides you with many advanced features previously available
+      only on much more expensive computers.  These features include:
+
+    <itemize>
+      <item><bf>Preemptive multitasking</bf> with dynamic priority
+	adjustment to ensure smooth and fair sharing of the
+	computer between applications and users.</item>
+      <item><bf>Multiuser</bf> access means that many people can use a
+	FreeBSD system simultaneously for a variety of things.  System
+	peripherals such as printers and tape drives are also properly
+	shared between all users on the system.</item>
+      <item>Complete <bf>TCP/IP networking</bf> including SLIP, PPP, NFS
+	and NIS support.  This means that your FreeBSD machine can
+	interoperate easily with other systems as well act as an enterprise
+	server, providing vital functions such as NFS (remote file access) and
+	e-mail services or putting your organization on the Internet
+	with WWW, ftp, routing and firewall (security) services.</item>
+      <item><bf>Memory protection</bf> ensures that applications (or
+	users) cannot interfere with each other.  One application
+	crashing will not affect others in any way.</item>
+      <item>FreeBSD is a <bf>32-bit</bf> operating system and was designed
+	as such from the ground up.</item>
+      <item>The industry standard <bf>X Window System</bf> (X11R6)
+	provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for the cost of a
+	common VGA card and monitor.</item>
+      <item><bf>Binary compatibility</bf> with many programs built for SCO,
+	BSDI, NetBSD, and 386BSD.</item>
+      <item>Hundreds of <bf>ready-to-run</bf> applications are
+	available from the
+	FreeBSD <bf>ports and packages</bf>
+	collection.  Why search the net when you can find it all
+	right here?</item>
+      <item>Thousands of additional and <bf>easy-to-port</bf> applications
+      	available on the Internet.  FreeBSD is source code compatible
+	with most popular commercial Unix systems and thus most
+	applications require few, if any, changes to compile.</item>
+      <item>Demand paged <bf>virtual memory</bf> and `merged VM/buffer cache'
+	design efficiently satisfies applications with large appetites
+	for memory while still maintaining interactive response to other
+	users.</item>
+      <item><bf>Shared libraries</bf> (the Unix equivalent of
+        MS-Windows DLLs) provide for efficient use of disk space
+        and memory.</item>
+      <item>A full compliment of <bf>C</bf>, <bf>C++</bf> and
+        <bf>Fortran</bf> development tools.  Many additional
+        languages for research and advanced development are
+        available as well in the ports and packages
+        collection.</item>
+      <item><bf>Source code</bf> for the entire system means you have
+	the greatest degree of control over your environment.  Why be
+	locked into a proprietary solution and at the mercy of your vendor
+	when you can have a truly Open System?</item>
+      <item>Extensive <bf>on-line documentation</bf>.</item>
+      <item><bf>And many more!</bf></item>
+    </itemize>
+
+      FreeBSD is based on the BSD 4.4-lite release from Computer
+      Systems Research Group (CSRG) at the University of
+      California at Berkeley, and carries on the distinguished
+      tradition of BSD systems development.  In addition to the
+      fine work provided by CSRG, the FreeBSD Project has put in
+      many thousands of hours in fine tuning the system for
+      maximum performance and reliability in real-life load
+      situations.  As many of the commercial giants struggle to
+      field PC operating systems with such features, performance,
+      and reliability, FreeBSD can offer them <bf>now</bf>!
+
+      The applications to which FreeBSD can be put are truly
+      limited only by your own imagination.  From software
+      development to factory automation. Inventory control to
+      azimuth correction of remote satellite antennae, if it can
+      be done with a commercial UNIX product, then it's more than
+      likely that you can do it with FreeBSD, too!  FreeBSD also
+      benefits significantly from the literally thousands of high
+      quality applications developed by research centers and
+      universities around the world, and often available at low
+      (to no) cost.  Commercial applications are also available
+      and appearing in greater numbers every day.
+
+      Because the source code for FreeBSD itself is generally
+      available, the system can also be customized to an almost
+      unheard of degree for special applications or projects, and
+      in ways not generally possible with operating systems from
+      most major commercial vendors.  Here is just a sampling of
+      some of the applications in which people are currently
+      using FreeBSD:
+
+    <itemize>
+      <item><bf>Internet Services:</bf> The robust TCP/IP networking
+	built into FreeBSD makes it an ideal platform for a
+	variety of Internet services such as:
+	<itemize>
+	  <item>FTP servers</item>
+	  <item>World Wide Web servers</item>
+	  <item>Gopher servers</item>
+	  <item>Electronic Mail servers</item>
+	  <item>USENET News</item>
+	  <item>Bulletin Board Systems</item>
+	  <item>And more...</item>
+	</itemize>
+	You can easily start out small with an inexpensive 386
+	class PC and upgrade as your enterprise grows.</item>
+      <item><bf>Education:</bf> Are you a student of computer science
+	or a related engineering field?  There is no better way
+	of learning about operating systems, computer
+	architecture and networks than the hands on, under the
+	hood experience that FreeBSD can provide.  A number of
+	freely available CAD, mathematical and graphic design
+	packages also make it highly useful to those who's
+	primary interest in a computer is to get <em>other</em>
+	work done!</item>
+      <item><bf>Research:</bf> With source code for the entire system
+	available, FreeBSD is an excellent platform for research
+	in operating systems as well as other branches of
+	computer science.  FreeBSD's freely available nature also
+	makes it possible for remote groups to collaborate on
+	ideas or shared development without having to worry about
+	special licensing agreements, or with limitations on what
+	may be discussed in certain forums.</item>
+      <item><bf>Networking:</bf> Need a new router?  A name server
+	(DNS)?  A firewall to keep people out of your internal
+	network?  FreeBSD can easily turn that unused 386 or 486 PC
+	sitting in the corner into an advanced router with
+	sophisticated packet filtering capabilities. </item>
+      <item><bf>X Window workstation:</bf> FreeBSD is an excellent
+	choice for an inexpensive X terminal solution, either
+	using the freely available XFree86 server or one
+	of the excellent commercial servers provided by X Inside.  
+        Unlike an X
+	terminal, FreeBSD allows many applications to be run
+	locally, if desired, thus relieving the burden on a
+	central server.  Additionally, FreeBSD can boot
+	"diskless" making individual workstations even cheaper
+	and easier to administer.</item>
+      <item><bf>Software Development:</bf> The basic FreeBSD system
+	comes with a full compliment of development tools
+	included the renowned GNU C/C++ compiler and
+	debugger. </item>
+    </itemize>