[lazarus] First contact

[Jacques]

Hello
first, excuse my bad English, I am French and I speak only a 
littleyour language.I have just discovered with 
pleasure the lazarus project :  
Can it be regarded as a complete alternative in Delphi and 
kilix ?
Which are the possibilities of connection to the most 
popular SGBD ?
I use Interbase / Firebird .
Is now or for the future a french version avalaible 
?
I currently work with Jbuilder (Version 5 perhaps 7), 
I have programmed 
a long time with  Pascal 
(P-System UCSD and Borland Turbo Pascal) but
I never used Delphi :  

Do you think  I can use Lazarus easily and quickly 
?  
Thank you very much to answer me with short 
sentences.
 
Jacques