Dell to Offer More Linux PCs 282
head_dunce writes "According to this article, Mark Shuttleworth from the Ubuntu camp says Dell is seeing a demand for the Linux-based PC and, "There are additional offerings in the pipeline." I'm starting to see flashbacks of the days when Microsoft partnered up with IBM to gain control of the desktop market. Will other Linux flavors find their way to the likes of Lenovo or HP, etc, or will Ubuntu claim the desktop market working with other PC manufacturers?"
Advantage lost (Score:3, Interesting)
That massive discount Microsoft gives them over smaller OEMs is Dell's biggest competitive advantage. Now they'll have to compete more directly with local whitebox builders.
They don't have much choice though. The local box builders have already switched to Ubuntu as their OS of choice. Dell has to match them or be swamped.
Re:Advantage lost (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Advantage lost (Score:4, Interesting)
I am not aware of any?
Can you please elaborate?
Not surprising... (Score:4, Interesting)
Linux wins the low-cost computing game (Score:5, Interesting)
The new $200 Asus EEE PC [wikipedia.org] could provide a big boost for Linux if it takes off. The price point makes it extremely attractive as a transportible second computer, and it could find some big markets in schools and universities.
Dell and Ubuntu (or other hardware manufacturers) could start a similar revolution in the desktop market with a very low cost and low specification machine. Especially if it is also compact and stylish.
Linux Becomming A Commercial Product - Thank God (Score:1, Interesting)
Now that commercial companies are getting more and more involved with desktop Linux we will start to see shit actually get fixed at a rapid pace. To actually have an open source unix desktop and OS with the polish of OS X and not the mess that KDE and Gnome are right now will be heaven.
Linux is variety (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Advantage lost (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually, I would say a much larger advantage is that they have a good name. Businesses want to buy PC's that will work and that come ready to set up quickly. If you buy from Dell (or HP) you know that will be the case. Buy from others and you never know.
Their brand is their advantage, not the few bucks per machine discount they can get from Microsoft. That helps profits, but its not what keeps them in business.
Mandriva (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Linux wins the low-cost computing game (Score:5, Interesting)
More specifically, the $200 Asus EEE and things like Intel's Mobile Internet Device may bring in a new era of computer use. (The iPhone can be seen as part of that trend, btw - a small, mobile internet-capable machine; also the Nokia Tablet.) The goal should be an affordable (sub-$300) device with an attractive design, that people can use for email, social networking, web browsing, etc. It could take off among college students, for example. In fact this may be the exact goal of Intel's MID partnership with Ubuntu.
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Centos on former Ubuntu Dell (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not a big fan of Dell home systems (their business machines are much better built), but having a major vendor support Linux is a good thing regardless. By them supporting Linux fixes can get pushed to other systems. The glitches in the Intel 3945 wireless card will be worked out. Maybe the Broadcoms start working without ndiswrapper. Heck, ATI might come around and make a proper video driver set.
I chose to buy this laptop precisely because the hardware is Linux compatible (well, except for the closed Nvidia drivers which are not too bad). If more people did this it gives an incentive for hardware manufacturers to release code and drivers for Linux. That helps everyone.
Re:Linux is variety (Score:5, Interesting)
I trust Mark. The guy transpires good faith. He's wasn't solely after money like Gates. He was the man with the vision (how long till we have nerd-cults dedicated to him?).
Re:IMO (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Advantage lost (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:preconfigure (Score:3, Interesting)
Linux has won. Easy multiple-monitor support is probably going to land in the next version of Ubuntu. Regardless, people will find something else to complain about.
Re:One teensy problem. (Score:3, Interesting)
In the Minneapolis area there are still a number of boutique system builders. Walk in, pick out a motherboard, case, processor, memory, etc., and either take it home or watch them build it for you.
This is good on several levels. First, these people actually know what they are doing, and are capable of doing diagnostics and repairs. Second, a system you get from them is not bogged down with craplets and shovelware. Third is the whole immediate gratification factor.
I can buy a brand new system cheaper from Dell than I can from these guys, but it won't have exactly the components I want, and if I am reusing some components of an existing system the local guys will come out ahead. They don't even charge me anything to integrate my existing components for reuse.
There is still a market for the personalized service you get. Price is not everything, or Linux would have won by now.
Re:The year of change (Score:2, Interesting)
Those who have had good experiences are either lucky that the combination of hardware they have is better supported and powerful enough, or they specifically combed forums and articles for any pitfalls they can avoid. If I was recommending an OS to anybody for a computer they were buying right now, I'd go for Linux or XP every time depending on the needs of the user. Vista.. no way. There are just too many gotchas right now. In a year or two when the hardware support is there and there are apps that will actually take advantage of Vista, then it would make sense, but for now, its too much pain when things go wrong.
A computer capable or running Vista is going to be close enough to a gamer's PC of a year or two ago from what I've read, while Linux or XP can run happily on a half gig of memory and a modest cheap processor. Not everyone is a gamer, and those that are, are not always going to go for the latest graphics intensive frag fest that needs the latest video card and an insane amount of power. For an enthusiast, this isn't a problem, but for someone looking for a general purpose PC, its overkill.
Slashdotters are tech lovers, but some of us are also realists. Computers are used for more than the latest games. Some people find a system that works reliably and is easy to fix when it does go wrong preferable to spending a significant amount of money on features that are not important to them. Spending $400 on a hot video card is pointless if the most demanding thing you do is a little photo retouching. And non slashdotters are often not interested in the tech, just getting the apps they have paid good money for continuing to work, and to be able to get their work done like they did before.
Re:The year of change (Score:3, Interesting)
The big OEMs are in bed with M$, I work for one of the biggest, not naming names...
Their fear is the little guy that "loathes" M$ and wants to take M$ down,
little guy IT has no MBA's to feed, no massive megalithic monster to maintain with
giant building campus's and eletric bills the size of small stock offerings.
There is a storm coming, and the $199 PC will just be the start of it.
Mom and Pop home user often just want to do basic mundane open office like things,
the web, and their stocks, etc etc.
The malware/crapware/spyware that has plagued windows is known to be getting worse,
and they have heard on linux is nearly non-existent from their linux/Mac using friends.
Gamers recently found out that World of Warcraft run with Cedega on Linux...
The worm has turned, ppl are sick of the lies, and FUD out of Redmond.
33% Increase in MacIntosh sales in a quarter ????
My opinion...Vista/Malware/Crapware/greed driven pricing are the biggest threat to M$, not Linux.
They shot themselves in the foot, and they don't even get it....yet.
Ex-MislTech