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Beginning later in the first quarter of 2000, you will be able to download
BeOS 5 -- the upcoming version of Be's acclaimed personal computer operating
system -- free for personal, non-commercial use.
BeOS 5 is the newest version of BeOS, an alternative desktop operating system
designed to deliver the most satisfying experience possible on a personal
computer. BeOS provides a high-performance and robust platform for all
applications, excelling in the areas of audio and video manipulation.
Thanks to innovative new technology from Be, you will be able to download BeOS
5 via a Web browser and store it as a file within Windows. No repartitioning
will be necessary, and launching BeOS 5 will be as simple as double-clicking
an icon on your desktop.
If you would like to be notified as soon as BeOS 5 is available for download,
send a blank e-mail to freebeos@be.com. We will send you an e-mail message
the moment it's ready.
Free BeOS 5 FAQ:
Updated 1/18/2000 9:57 AM PST
Q: Where can I download BeOS 5 for free?
A: You will be able to download it at http://free.be.com/.
Q: Can I download BeOS 5 now?
A: No, BeOS 5 will be available for download later in the first quarter of
2000 (i.e., no later than March 31).
Q: Does this mean BeOS is available to anyone free for any use?
A: No. We will offer free BeOS 5 licenses to individuals for personal,
non-commercial use only. Commercial uses of BeOS 5 require a separate
license from Be.
Q: What will I have to do to download BeOS 5?
A: We'll ask you to register on our website. The registration process will be
quick and painless.
Q: Does BeOS 5 contain everything in the current release?
A: Not everything, no, but it's fully functional and isn't a demonstration
version -- it really works. We do plan to offer for sale an expanded edition
of BeOS 5 containing a variety of special software components and other
valuable utilities.
Q: I'm already using BeOS. Will I be able to upgrade to BeOS 5?
A: Yes. We'll announce availability and pricing details for the upgrade in
the near future.
Q: Will BeOS 5 include development tools?
A: Yes, the free version will include all the development tools currently
bundled with BeOS.
Q: Will Be continue to update BeOS?
A: Yes, we plan on continuing to develop and release new versions of BeOS.
Q: How will Be distribute the expanded edition of BeOS 5? Through what channels?
A: We will offer more details about this version at a future date.
Q: What does this do to the market for third-party products?
A: We hope that users and potential users will react favorably. This shift
should give developers more control over their own marketing because they
will have the ability to bundle BeOS 5 with their applications on extremely
favorable terms, making it possible for them to ship complete, stand-alone
packages at attractive prices. Also, if by offering BeOS free over the
Internet we are able to expand our customer base, then this would benefit
developers as well.
Q: If BeOS is free, how does Be make money?
A: Be charges for all uses of Stinger, its software platform for Internet
appliances. With regard to BeOS 5, it is licensed free to end-users for
personal, non-commercial use only. Be will continue to charge for commercial
uses of BeOS 5 and for all uses of the expanded edition of BeOS 5.
Q: Will BeOS 5 work on my Intel-compatible personal computer?
A: The chances are good, especially if it was manufactured recently. Check
http://www.be.com/compatible for compatibility details.
Q: Will BeOS 5 work on my MacOS personal computer?
A: If you use a Power Macintosh -- i.e., not a G3 or later series computer --
it may work. Due to the unavailability of technical specifications, however,
BeOS 5 is not compatible with current Apple computers. Check
http://www.be.com/compatible for compatibility details.
Q: How large is BeOS 5? How long will it take to download?
A: We don't yet have precise figures, but we estimate BeOS 5 will fit in
somewhere between 40 and 60 megabytes -- about the same as many game
demonstrations available today, and less than twice the size of a complete
Internet Explorer installation. Using this estimate, BeOS 5 should download
in one and a half to two and a half hours over a 56K dialup connection, or a
few minutes over a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or T1 connection.
Q: Will I have to repartition my hard drive to install BeOS 5?
A: No. If you're currently using Windows, you'll be able to download BeOS 5
via a Web browser and store it as a file within the Windows file system.
Downloading BeOS 5 will be no different than downloading any application or
utility. No repartitioning will be necessary, and launching BeOS 5 will be as
simple as double-clicking an icon on the desktop. If you decide to delete
BeOS 5 -- though we hope you don't -- doing so will be as simple as
uninstalling any typical Windows application.
Q: Does this mean BeOS runs "under" Windows?
A: No. Although you can launch BeOS via a file within Windows, BeOS does not
run as a Windows application. Double-clicking the file will exit Windows and
boot BeOS from a large file in the FAT file system which contains within it a
BFS volume.
Q: If I install BeOS 5 within Windows, will I still have the advantages of the
Be File System?
A: Yes.
Q: Will I have to run Windows to run BeOS 5?
A: No. Although we will offer an installation as described above that will
allow you run BeOS from within Windows without repartitioning your hard drive,
you will still be able to run BeOS as a stand-alone operating system.
Q: If I install BeOS 5 within Windows, will performance suffer compared to the
stand-alone version?
A: Assuming your Windows partition is not highly fragmented, in most cases you
probably won't notice a difference in performance between installation methods.
Q: Will I be able to install BeOS 5 within operating systems other than Windows?
A: Not at this time. Note, though, that if you don't use Windows, you will be
able to install BeOS as a stand-alone operating system as described above.
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