Ubuntu Dell Now In UK, France, and Germany

mrcgran writes "Dell announced the availability of Ubuntu in Europe and future plans for China. 'I hinted at this before, but today, it's official: Dell announced that consumers in the United Kingdom, France and Germany can order an Inspiron 6400 notebook or an Inspiron 530N desktop with Ubuntu 7.04 pre-installed... In his LinuxWorld keynote, Kevin Kettler announced that Dell and Novell intend to offer SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 factory-installed on select consumer notebooks and desktops in China.'"

Is this a win?

[Mukunda_NZ]

I feel this is only a win if Ubuntu and Suse stop embracing proprietary, non-free (as in freedom) drivers. If they don't then the hardware manufacturers will still in in control of your computer, and you'll be at their mercy if there are bugs in the drivers which make the hardware unusable with your selected distro. Only if there is a push for free drivers will this be a win for everyone, rather than just for Ubuntu, Suse and others that happily ship non-free drivers.

Re:Is this a win?

[Anonymous Coward]

You're an idiot.

Ubuntu ships with all default drivers being free. It also does not ship with any illegal or patent encumbered codecs - by default.

There are ways to install non-free software on Ubuntu, but having that option does not suddenly mean that free software is going to die a horrible death and everyone will get sick because their computers only run evil Microsoft code. Get a grip, and stop trolling.

Re:Decision point

[bberens]

Linux is not a 'grass roots' operating system, and hasn't been for a long time. It's been a very capable server OS which is backed by several large corporations. It's just now making headway into the desktop market. It's sort of the reverse of what Windows did. Linux needs to shake its grass roots image if it wants to make bigger waves in the business world. Please stop referring to it as such because it only strengthens the idea that linux is a toy for hobbyists.

errr.

[Anonymous Coward]

All operating systems suck! Use whatever you like.

Re:Is this a win?

[grcumb]

I feel this is only a win if Ubuntu and Suse stop embracing proprietary, non-free (as in freedom) drivers. If they don't then the hardware manufacturers will still in in control of your computer, and you'll be at their mercy if there are bugs in the drivers which make the hardware unusable with your selected distro.

I am inclined to trust Mark Shuttleworth when he makes reasonable compromises to make PCs work today. I feel this way because he does so without relenting in his efforts to ensure that a Free Ubuntu remains available to all. It's obvious to anyone who watches how he spends his money that he really is committed to Software Freedom, and that Ubuntu and Canonical are simply means to achieve that end.

He is also a businessman who understands what is required to achieve acceptance of said Freedom in the real world. It's clear that there are interim steps involved, which involve dirtying one's shoes with proprietary kludges from time to time. It's a necessary step, not because of any innate shortcomings in the FOSS model, but because of limitations in the manufacture and marketing of proprietary hardware and software.

Free Software breeds more Free Software. It's not 'viral', as Microsoft likes to say - it's addictive. The benefits of openness and cooperation are immense in a world where intellectual wealth is infinitely replicable. Shuttleworth knows this. In order to addict a wider part of the population, therefore, it's necessary to ensure that some product (heh) reach them, even if it's been adulterated somewhat.

Re:Yawn - more Dell hot air

[delire]

Go to Dell's UK site and do a search for Ubuntu. No products offered.

So, let me get this straight: having heard of hearing of Dell's plans to sell laptops with Ubuntu in the U.K - announced 24 hours ago - you've been to their website to look for said laptop, not found it and went on to configure and buy a Toshiba with Windows on it instead. Shortly afterward you came here to angrily inform us that the offering is nothing but hot air - an attempt to get free publicity and take advantage of lower margins on software from Microsoft Holland's Dutch CEO.

You're clearly a person of great principle with very little free-time on your hands. Are you what they call a power consumer?