Introduction

     This is a blog about my migration from Windows to one of two other operating systems I'll be using over the next 30 days.  I've chosen Kubuntu and PC-BSD as the two candidates for reasons we'll get into later.  First a little about me...
     I've been a Windows user (thief) since 1996.  It started with my first computer.  I had an off brand pc that crashed.  I looked into purchasing Windows 95.  It cost $90 or $100 if I remember correctly.  Now I think I was making $4.50 an hour back then.  $100 investment in a machine I couldn't define yet didn't make sense when it meant no food or gas for a week or two.
    A friend had just purchased the new Windows 95 CD installation and wouldn't shut up about how easy it was.  He offered it to me without even considering the legality of multi end user licensing. (I hate that phrase)  I installed the OS, gave the disc back to him, said "Thanks man.", and went on my merry way enjoying the brilliance of the Start Menu.  The brilliance of my tiny ass hard drive?  Not so much. 
    This is where I tell you I was already a thief.  I had a copy of a copy of Office from when I was in the military.  I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume the statute of limitations has expired on that one.  Sorry SSG. Davis.
    A few months later 2 things happened to solidify my 24 year career as a digital thief.   I upgraded my hard drive and installed a dsl connection in my home.  With faster access to newsgroups and ftp's the world was my oyster.  and all for free!!  I installed Win95, Win98, Win ME and Win XP for friends and family thousands of times.  You want Win 98? Not a problem , I've got a copy of that.  Win ME?  Sure, I have a copied upgrade disc and a copied Win 98 disc.  Win XP?  No prob just remember to set your BIOS clock back every 30 days.  Photoshop?  Quickbooks?  Office?  Got ya covered.  I learned how to use GamePwn, SoftIce, Game Jackal, Daemon Tools, Alcohol, and a dozen other imaging utilities to crack games, mount fake disc images and steal the latest and greatest games daily.  I was an avid Napster user.  I was already a newsgroup troll.  I jumped to eMule and eDonkey when I saw the death of Napster coming.  I was an early adopter of the torrent protocol when everybody else was using virus laden downloads from Limewire and Frostwire.  If you needed it, I was the guy to get it from.  Legitimate copies of the software you needed illegitimately installed  without viruses or malware.  That latest movie?  No, I won't charge you anything for it, that's a crime.  Just bring me a DVD, I've already got the image ready. 
     I had 10,000 justifications.  I've still got a couple good ones for the music industry, but that's another topic.  I have a good friend who, like me, will do anything you ask to your computer.  He says he's the digital Robin Hood to Microsoft's Prince John, or Bill.  We've always told ourselves these are good working people who can't drop hundreds of dollars for software they need.  So, we're doing a good thing , right?   Sure.  Ticket prices were way too high and we didn't have a "second run" theater where I lived.  I'm just helping people see that movie a little early.  They're going to buy the DVD in a couple months anyway right?   Right.  The music companies are charging too much for cd's.  Our vinyl record store closed when we got 2 damn Walmarts.  We had a music store in the mall, but only if you like Top 40.  And besides music is free on the radio anyway, right?  Of course it is.  I had to download TV shows for my family and I because we had jobs and couldn't catch our shows together when they were offered by the networks.  We shouldn't have to pay an extra $20 a month for a DVR to watch something they were showing for free anyway right?  Uh huh.
     I felt a momentary need to go legit in 2005.  I purchased Windows XP Media Center Edition and said "This will be my last and only OS!"  Wow.  What a bloated, ugly, half baked piece of crap.  Lesson learned.  I went back to my old ways.
     I have used Linux and desktop Unix operating systems in the past, always trying to find that substitute for Windows Almighty.  There was always an issue with it.  My family would beg me to go back to Windows after spending hours at my desk cussing my screen.  Whether it be hardware related, or some tool or program I liked in the Windows world, there was always a reason to go back to stealing Windows.
     So, now i pay for online movie and TV streaming services, I'm a Last.fm addict, and I haven't stolen anything in a long time.  The thrill is gone .Hmm.  Now what?  Maybe it's time to try it again.....  This time I'll take you along for the ride.