Dell Sells Open Source Computers 341
Lo5 writes with the excellent news that Dell is selling desktop computers without Windows preinstalled. They are called "n Series"; you can choose from Dimension E520, E521, or C521 desktops. The hard drive comes unformatted.
This is not news. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:This is not news. (Score:3, Informative)
Old news (Score:5, Informative)
I've been buying n-series in 2005.
Re:Good News? (Score:1, Informative)
We've got both kinds... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The real question (Score:5, Informative)
Well opening a seperate tab on www.dell.com and finding almost the same system with Windows I get a difference of $185 once you make em exactly equal. But they are running a promo hard drive upgrade on the N servies right now and aren't on the normal Dimension I looked at. But it doesn't matter, when the difference is that big it is clear they are actually taking something off the sticker price when you buy an N series. Finally. Guess that makes this a real news item instead of a pathetic dupe.
Re:This is not news. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:This is not news. (Score:3, Informative)
That's one of the reasons why I bought an Acer laptop. Don't know if they do this anywhere, but in Thailand, it was no problem to get one without Windows. (And yes, they deducted the price of the OS.)
I also had no problems getting in-warranty repairs on it here in Brisbane from Acer Australia.
FreeDOS version is way Cheaper (Score:1, Informative)
Re:The real question (Score:2, Informative)
Re:My recollection is that they AREN'T cheaper (Score:1, Informative)
And if you want a laptop without Windows installed, you might try RJ Tech. They seem to have every generic laptop on the market.
Re:This isn't "open source" computers... (Score:2, Informative)
how PCs shipped without Windows will destroy your (Score:2, Informative)
how PCs shipped without Windows will destroy your life: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/11/23/ms_how_pc
it's (nearly) illegal to buy PCs without Windows: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/11/28/ms_its_ne
is there a web archive somewhere of http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/nakedPC.htm [microsoft.com] ??
Re:This isn't "open source" computers... (Score:5, Informative)
Dell's new open-source n Series desktop solution provides customers with a DimensionTM E520, E521 or C521 desktop without an installed or included Microsoft® operating system. With the n Series desktop, customers have the flexibility to install an alternative operating system (such as a version of Linux® ), and help reduce the price of this system. In addition, the n Series desktop comes with a non-formatted hard drive ready for your custom installation. Dell's n Series desktop ships with a copy of FreeDosTM , an open-source operating system that is ready to install.
Re:Unrelated to Linux (Score:3, Informative)
The N-series selection is so limited that it might as well not be there for a large business/university with diverse needs. It does hurt to pay Microsoft twice for each copy of Windows, though.
-Z
Re:Good News? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:ok, and? (Score:3, Informative)
The machine is rock solid. I added a recent, high-power video card and the stock power supply didn't flinch a bit. This is consistent with a prior Dell machine I used to own (1GHz PIII). The little 200-watt power supply held up and provided stable power no matter what I threw at it, including a Geforce4 Ti4400 (state-of-the-art back then) and filling the machine with 4 hard drives. Meanwhile all my friends were replacing 400-watt power supplies that couldn't keep their machines stable when adding new hardware.
If its your hobby and you get enjoyment out of home-built machines, then thats great and more power to you. But it no longer makes economic sense to DIY machines.
Re:how PCs shipped without Windows will destroy yo (Score:5, Informative)
Why yes. Yes there is.
http://web.archive.org/web/20000818081805/http://
Re:University machines (Score:3, Informative)
Same old BS (Score:3, Informative)
The basic stripped down N521* comes to $749, the basic stripped down E521 with Windows XP Home is $729! So I save $20 if I buy Windows, WTF!!! I have to pay about $70** for NO OS***?
Try again Dell.
* I had to add the 320GB drive to match what is offered on the E521.
** the N521 is $20 and Windows OEM is maybe $50.
*** it comes with FreeDOS, but its FREE, get it!
Re:Actually IBM used to publish complete BIOS sour (Score:1, Informative)
Re:This is not news. (Score:2, Informative)
Re:This is not news. (Score:5, Informative)
Cheapest linux laptops around although R Cubed
is a litte bit more pricey but had better OS selection.
http://www.shoprcubed.com/ [shoprcubed.com]
Re:This is not news. (Score:5, Informative)
Pentium® D Processor 820 with Dual CoreTechnology(2.80GHz,800FSB)
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache
No Monitor
48X CD-RW/ DVD Combo Drive
The big difference in them would be HDD upgrades since the n-series had a free upgrade to 250GB, but I just left the Windows 520 with the default 160GB HDD. Also, the n-series forces you to buy a FDD and a modem. The Windows 520 did not.. if I'd added them to make it more even.. that'd be an extra $50 on the Windows system.
Either way, this is better than in the past when the n-series did appear to cost more no matter what you did. Also, this is a system that's $80 cheaper and it comes with 100 more GB on the harddrive and has an FDD, modem. (not sure what to do with that though).
If you run a cart through the Home section, the price comes to about $609 for the 520 (using the above mentioned setup) with Windows though you do get a 320GB HDD in the deal.
Re:This isn't "open source" computers... (Score:2, Informative)
Step 1)
Get ahold of a Windows XP Pro/Home/MCE (the one matching your license) CD Image. Try piratebay.org, or MSDN if you have a subscribtion.
Step 2)
Modify setupp.ini on the CD, so setup will accept OEM keys (just google for setupp.ini)
Step 3)
Install
Step 4)
Enjoy your Games or work
Re:This isn't "open source" computers... (Score:2, Informative)
You can then install the crap of your choice from the "extras" CD supplied.
Presumably only dell.com sell these? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:This is not news. (Score:3, Informative)
This is just as viable an option as if I had an old computer that lost a mobo to a power surge, and instead of fixing it, I decided to get a new computer. I'm allowed to move my XP license to the new computer, so why pay for a new one through Dell.
"Open Source Computer" would better imply that the computer came with a mobo that supported and had installed OpenBIOS [openbios.info], came pre-installed with Linux and OO.org, had a video card from the Open-Graphics [duskglow.com] project, etc.
This is not an "Open Source Computer". This is a standard PC with an "unformatted hard drive."
Yeah, But It Costs More... (Score:3, Informative)
It would be better to purchase the Windows version, then you could install Linux/Xen and would be licensed to Windows as a guest.
FULL ANALYSIS, IDENTICAL SYSTEM (Score:5, Informative)
It was a pain in the ass slogging through 42 pages of Tax Prep software offers and all sorts of crap, but here's the breakdown between the two systems. The E520n is no OS, the E520 is with Windows & the Windows-tax.
(1) The E520n forces you to take a "free" 90 gig HD upgrade. Upgrade the E520 for $40.
(2) The E520n forces you to take a CD/DVD drive combo. Upgrade the E520 for $30.
(3) The E520n forces you to take an nVidia video card. Upgrade the E520 for $40.
(4) The E520n forces you to take a floppy drive. Upgrade the E520 for $30.
(5) The E520n forces you to take a 56k modem. Upgrade the E520 for $20.
(6) The E520n allows you to take a "free" recycling program on your old PC. Upgrade the E520 for $25.
(7) The monitor pricing is screwy, and I think they may have made an error. One way to look at it is that the E520n gets a $60 EXTRA discount if you actively select the "no monitor" option. The other way to look at it is that the E520n pays an extra $60 (or more) penalty if it takes any monitor. I took the no monitor option to pocket the (possibly accidental) $60 bonus.
Once the systems are made as identical as possible, the final prices are $509 for no OS and $704 with OS.
So you "apparantly" get a $195 discount for taking no OS. However on order to get that $195 "discount", you are forced to pay an extra $185 for mostly unwanted overpriced crap. The actual dollars-paid difference is a $10 less for taking no OS (you could get the E520 with no upgrades for $519), but the no-OS comes with various "free stuff" thrown in instead of the OS. In my oppinion the $40 for an extra 90 gig HD ain't bad at all, the $30 for CD/DVD drive combo and $40 for 3D video card upgrade are maybe reasonable or a total waste depending, the $30 for a floppy and the $20 modem and the $25 recycling deal (which by default is left unchecked and unused) are pretty much rape. IMO.
So we still can't pull out a pure price difference for the OS, because Dell picks your pocket for an uncertain amount of money by forcing you to take that mixed bag of "upgrades" in order to get no OS, but it does look like you are getting a decent discount by taking no OS. No more games with an "OS-free" computer actually costing more than an identically configured Windows system. However a good chuck of that discount only crops up if you actively select the non-monitor option. If you take the default monitor, or if you switch to any of the other offered monitors, you basically get hosed for $60 for takeing no-OS and a monitor. If the $240 discount for the no monitor option is a mistake, or if you take the monitor, then no-OS is still a discount but not nearly as signifigant.
The other differences betwen the systems that cound not be avoided are that the Windows system comes with 6 free months of AOL (value $0), comes with free Adobe Acrobat reader (value $0), comes with free Corel photo software (value $0), comes with free Yahoo Music jukebox (value $0), and 1 year of tech support. That tech support *is* valuable, bot to you as a buyer and as a cost to Dell. If you take the no-OS option, they stiff you on the tech support. The money they pocket there in revoking tech support is signifigant and takes a signifigant bite out of any no-Windows-discount that they are actually giving you.
There is one final difference that I'm not sure if it is a real difference. The no-OS version lists "10/100/1000 Ethernet" whereas the Windows version lists "10/100 Ethernet". If the 10/100/1000 Ethernet is actually a different and better network card, then that maybe that is valuable addition in the non-OS system. However I suspect... and I may easily be wrong here... that it is the same card in both s
Re:This is not news. (Score:3, Informative)
Re:This is not news. (Score:3, Informative)