> I can (and have) installed a FreeBSD system manually without the
> installer, just as I can (and have) installed a NetBSD manually
> without an installer.  That ability is missing in FreeBSD.  One is
> *very* welcome to avoid a system because it has a feature that one
> won't use and can easily ignore, but I can't understand why.

The point is that NetBSD comes with low-level install instructions
that are sufficiently detailed that a novice can get it up and running
on the network, whereas with FreeBSD, if the slick installer lets you
down, you have to know what you're doing to go any further.   I agree
that presence or absence of a slick installer isn't a particularly
good reason to choose one system over the other.

			       _MelloN_