Dell Thinks Ubuntu Makes Hardware More Fragile? 380
WolfWings writes "Apparently Dell has decided that Ubuntu-based computers are ineligible for their famed CompleteCare service, or any form of hardware warranty what-so-ever. The news has only recently hit Dell's own IdeaStorm website, via a forum post describing an interaction with the company's customer service. Says the customer, 'I am looking for protection from bricks. The laws of physics do not differ from one OS to the other...do they?' After so recently decided to support Linux on their machines, including limited technical support, Dell seems to be squandering any possible good-will with this decision to leave purchasers of these machines high and dry for hardware warranty coverage." Update: 06/05 23:40 GMT by KD : many readers let us know that Dell has said that the omission of extended warranty and CompleteCare options from the configurator for Ubuntu systems was an "ordering system glitch." It should be fixed by now according to DesktopLinux.com.
Support (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes please check dmesg | grep ERROR. Try saying that to someone who doesnt know what a shell is.
Give Dell *SOME* credit... (Score:5, Insightful)
No, but it makes for a nice headline, eh? I think it more likely they believe their users will mis-identify software issues as hardware issues and request replacement hardware. Further, it would also cost them extra to have personell on hand (familiar enough with the OS) to help RESOLVE hardware issues. Either way, it costs them more.
It's not entirely unreasonable to charge more for a warranty coverage. It *IS* odd not to provide coverage at all, though.
But not because Dell denies that "The laws of physics do not differ from one OS to the other". That's just frustrated customer venting...
Two possibilities come to mind... (Score:5, Insightful)
1.) Dell does not have the tools or expertise in house to do this yet, but will in the future. So, they got pressured into releasing their Linux PCs before they were ready to support them. Incompetence maybe, but not malice.
2.) Dell simply put out Linux PCs to shut the geek crowd up and get them to buy Dells. However, they don't really want to support Linux, so they designed the program to fail. This way, when they cancel this offering in a year or two due to poor sales, they can say they tried, but Linux on the desktop just doesn't work.
I want to believe it's reason 1, but the added fact that Dell doesn't seem to be advertising this thing at all, and the fact that you actually have to jump through some hoops on the website to even see that the option is available, makes me think that reason 2 isn't entirely impossible either.
Re:Diagnostic Software? (Score:3, Insightful)
We are a fickle group, aren't we. (Score:4, Insightful)
Admittedly, there are issues with not having any hardware warranty, but do we need to get so incendiary against someone who is trying to work with us?
Re:Give Dell *SOME* credit... (Score:3, Insightful)
Dell = service (Score:3, Insightful)
This may also come down to their profit margain/MS (Score:2, Insightful)
I could also see a company like MS being fairly raw about something like this and denying Dell their discount if they decide to give a warranty. This would deny most corporate clients the ability to go the Ubuntu route.
Bootable diag anyone? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Support (Score:5, Insightful)
No, we're not... (Score:3, Insightful)
is most decidedly **NOT** working with us, thank you, very much.
I could have bought the same laptop he was buying but with Vista instead and burned the install down and been offered the option to buy
the hardware warranty- and it wouldn't have voided it upon my act. It's someone's bright idea over there at Dell because they probably
don't have the same testing/burn-in line for the Ubuntu laptops so they're not standing behind them as well as the Vista ones. It's
rubbish and they know it- and so should you.
Re:Support (Score:5, Insightful)
We do Dell warranty service where I work and I have to say that they're not very good computers and other than price, I can't see why you would buy one. This Ubuntu ordeal is just more of the same bs customers have to put up with. On the other hand I wish customers would get it through their thick skulls that their data is not covered under warranty.
Re:No Techs (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Support (Score:5, Insightful)
Dell, if you tell us the checks you want to have made, we will write the software for you. If you want our help though, then it needs to be a win-win situation, and you need to support the physical hardware you sell us.
Re:FUD (Score:3, Insightful)
If you've already know what the problem is you should have an easy time fabricating the results of whatever inane tasks they are required to ask you to perform.
The 6 stages of every project. (Score:5, Insightful)
4.) The search for the guilty.
See, in a corporate world, Windows servers and Windows workstations are used for one simple reason. When something goes wrong, they know who to take to court. They know who to blame. They know who to call on the phone at 3 AM and work all night trying to solve a critical server process that likes to eat memory or crash.
Now, seeing as how applications exist that can modify hardware (read: brick it) then something tells me that Dell isn't going to warantee a mainboard when they can't call up and say "Hey, that patch you released bricked our onboard sound chip / video / lan / cdrom firmware."
For those of you interested, the 6 stages of every project are as follows:
1.) Enthusiasm.
2.) Disillusionment.
3.) Panic.
4.) The Search For The Guilty.
5.) The Punishment of the Innocent.
6.) Accolades for the Non-Participants.
Facts? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:We are a fickle group, aren't we. (Score:5, Insightful)
Especially when, this being Slashdot, everything gets overblown.
These machines come with a hardware warranty.
They don't come with the ability to purchase an extended warranty.
Now, this makes some sense. Loading Dells with Linux is a trial thing. This is not something they want to figure out how to support long-term yet; if this doesn't work for them, having four and five year service contracts out there they have to cover is going to make this a very expensive prospect. They're willing to make sure they have Linux expertise around to support these things for their base warranty time, whether or not it turns out they can make a buck selling Linux systems long-term. But it makes sense that they wouldn't want to keep Linux geeks around (which, let's face it, cost more than Windows monkeys) long term if they can't sell these things long-term.
Re:Support (Score:2, Insightful)
But it doesn't appear to be the problem they are having. It looks like they threw together this Linux stuff fast. Very little planning went into it. They're probably not prepared at this point in terms of infrastructure and training to do hardware support on another OS. Sure a diagnostic program would be helpful, but so would employee training.
I'm speculating that they might be testing this Linux offering too before they put too much into developing and supporting it. It's going to have to have a business return if Dell goes down that road and they are probably waiting until they can verify that.
Re:Support (Score:3, Insightful)
Example:
After working for two years, my sound card on my XPS decided to stop working. Hardware problem or software problem?
Answer:
The Dell organization has an extensive structure for dealing with such quandaries. In my case it was simple Windows atrophy. Reinstalling the drivers solved the problem. With the speed with which Linux evolves, I suspect Dell is simply worried they won't be able to keep up with the pace of software changes. Windows evolves MUCH MUCH more slowly than Linux does. A slower to evolve OS is cheaper to support for Dell.
Hardware issues caused by defective drivers are not Dell's fault, but they routinely have to eat support costs figuring out which is which.
They'd be fine if they could just rely on boot time hardware inspection tools. Dell Diagnosics boot independently. They could probably really benefit from Linux here. Move Dell Diagnostics to run on a controlled Linux boot CD. If the boot CD runs fine then its the user that has hosed their system and they need to fix their software.
Re:Support (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Support (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:FUD (Score:3, Insightful)
They're obviously going to want information like the output of a ping, or your IP address, or your MAC address. If you're too clueless[1] to figure out how to get that information to them, you shouldn't be blaming them.
[1] From your post, it sounds more like you're an arrogant ass.
Re:Support (Score:3, Insightful)
Can you build a faster system better suited to high-end gaming/video production/audio editing yourself? Absolutely. But then, you're also on your own for figuring out which of the parts you just ordered is the bad one (RAM? CPU? MBoard? PSU?) and then getting a replacement.
Don't get me wrong; I'm a clone diehard, but I just don't have the time for building systems anymore, especially when someone else can do it for me, and fairly well.
So again, I ask: what about Dell makes them "not very good computers"? I can see "not the best" and "not speed demons" but "not very good" makes you sound like you've not touched a Dell since 1992; for most people doing most things computers are used for, I think they're great. And have a great price tag to boot.
Move on, kiddo.
Re:Heat! (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Support (Score:3, Insightful)
Plus complete care shouldn't care. If the problem is that you can't run the diagnostics, run it over with your car. That's covered under complete care and they shouldn't expect you to be able to run diagnostics.
Re:Support (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I'm the brick guy (Score:4, Insightful)
Who wrote Dell's order system? It seems like anything that falls outside the realm of a "typical order" just gets kicked out with no notice to the customer.
A couple years ago, my wife and I ordered new computers for both of us. After a week of nothing, we called to find out the order exceeded some maximum dollar amount so it could not be processed. We had to re-order everything over the phone (listing off all the options while the customer service person keyed it into their system) as two separate orders.
My first question is why would the online system let me place an order that cannot be completed?
The second question is, why wouldn't someone contact me if my order is "stuck"?
Re:I'm the brick guy (Score:5, Insightful)
Good thing this isn't a news site otherwise they should've contacted Dell first to get their side of the sto......... Hey ! It says 'news for nerds'!!!
To all the people who are starting to shout at Dell in the rest of the thread : First people start bitchin' about Dell nog providing a Linux option.. Then Dell listens and acts in a relatively short time, and has not yet have everything 100% as it should be. And people start bitching here again. Cut 'm some slack will ya people? They are getting there. With a bad attitude, you'll have other companies think again before going the Linux way !