Ubuntu Dell $50 Cheaper Than Vista Dell 389
rhinokitty writes "Dell recently announced that their Ubuntu systems will be $50 cheaper than similar systems running Vista (Home Basic Edition). This will be a good fork in the road for those people who need a little extra push to take hold of their dreams and run Linux."
"Take hold of their dreams"? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:"Take hold of their dreams"? (Score:5, Funny)
I'm guessing this is a typo....but from the article -
$774 Inspiron 1420 (Ubuntu)
Intel® Core(TM) 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Ubuntu version 7.04
Anti-glare, widescreen 14.1 inch display (1280x800)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
80GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
Integrated High Definition Audio
$824 Inspiron 1420 (Vista)
Intel® Core(TM) 2 Duo T5250 (1.5GHz/667Mhz FSB/2MB cache)
Genuine Windows® Vista Home Basic Edition
Anti-glare, widescreen 14.1 inch display (1280x800)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 667MHz
80GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
24X CD writer/DVD Combo Drive
Intel® 3945 802.11a/g Mini-card
56Whr Lithium Ion Battery (6 cell)
Integrated High Definition Audio
Re:"Take hold of their dreams"? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:I'll take Vista thanks :-) (Score:5, Funny)
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Yawn. Now that this has been repeated to death, let's face it: all other OS have similar elevation dialogs. OSX has it, and other flavors of BSD, Linux has it.
It's part of life when you don't run as root all the time.
The fact you may get too many of them on Vista usually signifies improperly setup account, or poorly written software. In my experience, the elevation dialog only pops up rarely and when you'd really expect it to.
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Re:I'll take Vista thanks :-) (Score:5, Informative)
- Are you sure you want to copy an executable from a shared folder? Yes
- Are you sure you want to write something to a system folder? Yes!
- Sorry, Dave, I can't do that. Copying
.exe files from the network into "Program Files" is disabled for security reasons. WTF???
Which is obviously an idiocy, and one I haven't seen elsewhere (in Ubuntu, anyway; haven't had a chance to play with Mac OS).Re:I'll take Vista thanks :-) (Score:4, Interesting)
Lets face it Windows users never question why their most essential piece of software should be so easily broken and unrecoverable without re-installation, but lets face it they never will. They'll happily go on blaming Nvidia for their late drivers while it took Microsoft 2 years just to design the damn shutdown button.
Please do go ahead and blame anyone you want for why your system sucks but I will never find it acceptable for my operating system to be so prone to errors and unrecoverable from a system failure whether it is Windows, Ubuntu or Mac.
Re:I'll take Vista thanks :-) (Score:5, Funny)
Now be fair, it took them two years to design _and_ implement the shutdown _dialog_, which has several buttons on it. The pressure must have been pretty unbearable when Vista was about to ship after they'd only been given two years to decide how big those buttons should be, what order to put them in, how much space should be between them, how far to inset them from the edges of the dialog, and if that wasn't enough, also ensure that their event handling code called the correct OS routines to prevent potential disasters such as the Cancel button making the machine reformat its hard disk after sending Ballmer an insulting EMAIL. QA people and beta testers can't be relied on to spot this sort of error before the OS is being shipped out on millions of OEM machines, so the responsibility for getting it right was entirely on the shoulders of the poor shutdown dialog team, who probably used special teams of mouse-wielding robots for months to ensure that each of the buttons did exactly what it was supposed to with the legendary level of reliability that's become the hallmark of Microsoft software.
Re:I'll take Vista thanks :-) (Score:5, Insightful)
I took Vista (Score:5, Insightful)
I've tried "Last known good configuration". I've tried "Repair your system". I've tried "Safe Mode", "Debug mode", and "Safe mode with Command Prompt". I've tried the HP restore partition. I've tried the System restore disks that I made. I've even tried the Vista Anytime Upgrade disk that came with the machine. Vista refuses to boot up. The closest I get is a blank blue screen with a mouse pointer. I've left the machine for hours, hoping that the desktop would populate, but no dice. Many people are in the same boat that I am. Vista hangs when it loads CRCDISK.SYS I've been scouring the net, but so far the only solution seems to be return the laptop.
Ubuntu and Fedora both work fine, however. No problems with the wide screen graphics. No problem with the WIFI. There's even no problem reading the NTFS partitions.
I'll take Vista thanks
I'll take Linux thanks. I don't have time to fix Vista problems anymore.
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I would welcome any practical solution.
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Re:"Take hold of their dreams"? (Score:4, Insightful)
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But to keep the fuse burning:
NOW THAT WOULD BE TAKING HOLD OF MY DREAMS!!!1111SIN(90)
Re:"Take hold of their dreams"? (Score:5, Insightful)
I will note that even just resizing the Windows partition for your 120GB hard drive to make room for a 20GB Linux install is enough to cause the Dell nuke-Windows-and-reinstall script to freak out and stop.
(* Yeah, I'm discounting FreeDos as a legitimate OS -- Have you ever even heard of someone [other than a FreeDos developer] actually leaving their FreeDos partition permanently on their machine and using it as anything other than a launching point for installing another OS and/or claiming HW support from Dell?_
Re:"Take hold of their dreams"? (Score:5, Interesting)
Your main point stands though.
Re:"Take hold of their dreams"? (Score:5, Funny)
Funny that you've been asking that question for over 20 years now, since Linux (the kernel) has only been released 16 years ago...
Is Ubuntu good? (Score:2)
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Aren't you getting a bit mixed up?
Linux is supposed to be the complicated one. If you need to read all that just to use Windows safely, how do you expect a granny to cope?
Re:Is Ubuntu good? (Score:5, Interesting)
When I reinstall Windows for a friend, I put Ubuntu on their computer next to windows and tell them to boot it if windows fails again.
It takes a couple of months before they really need to fall back on it. And in the meanwhile, at moments when they feel brave, they take a peek in the rabbithole.
And they confirm; Ubuntu does a great job for a fresh user.
Re:Is Ubuntu good? Maybe. (Score:3, Interesting)
There are two steep learning curves:
1. Putting the finishing touches on most of the applications included. An example is the kmail spam filter bogofilter. Sure, there's a gui to sort of get it going, but you'll discover it doesn't really work until you set up the wordlist.db and a cron job to feed the wor
Re:Is Ubuntu good? (Score:5, Informative)
I've installed Ubuntu on computers used by well over a thousand new computer users. Common tasks were picked up with as much ease as I've witnessed with first-time Windows users.
A few things that new users tend to find useful:
Those are just the first few things that spring to mind. I'm sure others can add to this list.
Those who are accustomed to Windows will be accustomed to certain conventions, and this will rankle a little bit at first. But once you get used to the fact that, for example, the Start button is on the top of the screen rather than the bottom, you quickly find a lot to like.
What this really means (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't think this move will equate to widespread acceptance of Linux on the desktop for the home. You're not going to shop Dell's site as a Windows lover with no Linux experience and say, "since Dell is selling Linux, I think I'll give it a try and buy a computer without Windows!"
It is nice that people will save money, however, there is a potential large impact of this move.
Several IT departments in all kinds of large corporations struggle with trying to get corporate suits to accept Linux in the workplace. And while large companies like RedHat or Novell will sell support, corporations like familiarity and standardization. If said corporation has a corporate contract with Dell, and Dell is officially standing behind Ubuntu and selling Ubuntu preinstalled, and you can see it as a cost-cutting move to the suits at the same time, then this might help spread the acceptance of Linux in the workplace.
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Re:What this really means (Score:4, Insightful)
If big corporations request it, I'm sure Dell will comply.
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That was back when Windows didn't cost $250+. Even Vista Basic is expensive, and may prove worthless in a few years. The high prices are providing fuel for a real move to Linux - as many have predicted.
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Re:What this really means (Score:5, Interesting)
None of these are deal-breakers, really. And most people will certainly buy the "default" choice, Vista, without really giving it second thougths. But *some* will start thinking.
Linux certainly won't displace Windows on the desktop this year, or the next. But it'll continue doing what it's been doing quietly for years already: growing.
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True. But this actually adds to Microsofts vulnerability.
We (as in Linux) support a lot of hardware because we ourselves wrote drivers for it. (well, in some cases the manufacturers did, but when the drivers are open source, they are part of "we".
Windows xp supports stuff very poorly -- but is rescued by the fact that the manufacturers themselves release binary blobs that work as drivers.
Which mean we can and will support any and all hardware we support today until the end of time, or more realistical
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Back onto the topic though, perhaps Linux would gain more of a following if some people volunteered their efforts (or
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What makes it a sieve rather than a bucket is the fact the people are a lot freer to choose their MP3 player than they are to choose their OS. No computer comes with a bundled MP3 player (although I'm sure if Microsoft could find a way to force the major PC vendors to bundle Zun
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Runs the programs you need (Score:2)
It isn't hard to take KDE and make it look and operate like Windows enough that people will just sit down and know how to use it.
Really, a
They'll probably choose Ubuntu because.. (Score:4, Funny)
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With the grand choice you have in Ubuntu alone, the apps, and other distro's.
Re:They'll probably choose Ubuntu because.. (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not 1995 anymore. (Score:5, Insightful)
You know these "There's too much choice in Linux, it's too hard to make selection" whine-trolls we see around aren't very accurate.
It's not 1995 anymore. The time when either you had to pick manually everything up or when the default installation included 3 different products all in crash-prone alpha version (because all the application where recent and none functioned 100% of the time requiring you to mix the use of all 3 to cover your needs) is over.
Yes, for each task in Linux there exist at least several dozens of possible candidate application.
*BUT* for most mainstream application, if you just Yes-click-trough the installation (something that the EULA-trained Windows user is very used to) you just get a basic set of everything you need. Most distro will provide with 1 default desktop (Gnome or KDE in most cases, depending on your religion), 1 browser (usually Firefox. Or Konqueror) 1 email program (Thunderbird, or Evolution, or KMail) 1 Office suite (OOo or Abiword+Gnumeric+etc. or KOffice).
No need to choose a solution a default choice has been pre-maid to help you. Just hit the icon in the menu and let the default application startup.
Want something else ? Then only you have to fire up the software package manager (Yast, Synaptic, RpmDrake, Anaconda etc. or whatever starts when you click on the icon labelled "Add/Remove software").
And even here, there's still an easy route :
- Most installator provide a "task oriented" mode. Want to make a web server ? Just check the box next to the webserver "Activity" and the installator will take care to provide you a default set of tools.
- Only when you need a specific package will you have to hunt it in the list.
And all that is when installing a distro yourself. Now, I'm sure that Dell has already put the trouble to make sure that every Ubuntu laptop ships with a perfectly functional set of basic application covering all the needed tasks. User don't have to hesitate between 4 different word processors or a dozen of different web-browsers (include a couple of text-mode only).
Just clic on the menu entry that says "E-Mail".
For the lazy user, everything will be, I suppose, set to go. That "burden of choice" some bloggers always complain about is left only for those who actually care to make very specific choices.
Re:They'll probably choose Ubuntu because.. (Score:4, Funny)
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People are pretty much solid on that one.
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sorry, but... (Score:5, Funny)
Nice gesture (Score:2)
And I don't believe anybody would consider buying it to save money.
It would be even better if DELL would use another 50 dollar per sale for developers of the software of DELL's choice. That would give buyers a nice cosy Ubuntu feeling and it would be great marketing.
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Re:Nice gesture (Score:4, Informative)
The Ubuntu ones may be cheaper, but the Dell Business ones go on sale very often and the hardware is just as linux friendly.
1501 (Score:2)
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On a related note, fuck Broadcom.
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But I have to say... when Debian makes you install firmware from 'non-free'
it does make you feel like you are killing kittens... or masturbating... or errr....
$50? (Score:5, Insightful)
A $50 difference will do nothing in terms of persuasion for the common man, the people that buy Ubuntu pre-installed are only the ones that have done the research and know at least a bit about what they've doing, and what they want, the rest know Windows, and M$'s advertising.
What Ubuntu needs from Dell, isn't a $50 price difference, but some available INFORMATION, look here: www.dell.com/
I don't know about you, but all I see are Vista loaded machines, I didn't check every page, but nobody is going to buy an Ubuntu loaded machine if it's buried somewhere at the back of the site, or the store.
Baby steps... (Score:5, Insightful)
So, I see Dell's offering of Ubuntu machines as a small step in the right direction. And the fact that they are a bit cheaper than the Vista equivalent is also a step in the right direction.
I highly doubt many consumers will be randomly browsing the Dell website and say "damn, those Ubuntu machines look awesome!"... but at least these prices allow those in the know to suggest to others: "If you're looking for a new computer, consider getting a Dell Ubuntu machine. Ubuntu is very stable and secure and you don't need the most expensive computer to run it. In fact, it's a bit cheaper than the equivalent Windows machine!"
Will this give Linux a 15% marketshare overnight? No. But it's a step towards breaking the current OS monoculture... and that's a good thing.
Re:Baby steps... (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:$50? (Score:5, Interesting)
I like the part of the www.dell.com/open site where it asks you if you are there by mistake and suggests you go back to looking at Windows machines. They even put the link to their Windows machines BEFORE the link to the Ubuntu machines. If you were selling cars and someone showed interest in an import, would you ask, "Are you SURE you want to buy one of THOSE?" Their machines work great, but the website is serious WTF material.
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Well, actually I spend 22 seconds thinking of one, because it's just that easy, and then spend the next 1 minute and 38 seconds drinking coffee, generally slacking off, and chewing food.
Doesn't matter. (Score:2, Funny)
Target market (Score:4, Insightful)
My reality just got shaken (Score:2)
Not bad (Score:3, Interesting)
Go to dell.com, type in Linux as search, click on suggested link (ignore the recommended M$ stuff)
- select Ubuntu,
"XPS 410 N"
click through "adding features",
leave everything as default and...:
"1Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor - Next Business Day"
I like it!
"take hold of their dreams and run Linux"? (Score:3, Funny)
I hate Vista but for $50.... (Score:5, Insightful)
This isn't a push in the right direction, it's a slap in the face!
Re:I hate Vista but for $50.... (Score:5, Informative)
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I don't want to pay for the support for an OS I won't use (and if it's an OS I use, I'd rather get my support from specialists at full price than outsourced people reading from a script).
Is it too much to ask to be able to buy a PC without any OS, and instead get specs that haven't been dumbed down for the masses?
Regards,
--
*Art
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Subject: I hate Vista but for $50....
Perhaps, but I don't think it's "hundreds." According to the story's scoop, that $50 only gets you Vista Home Basic. Also, it's an OEM version, which means you cannot transfer the license to another computer (like you can with retail versions). An OEM version of Vista Home basic costs $90 to $95 at everybody's favorite egg store [newegg.com].
Also, I think there's significant value in a preinstalled Linux distro that's been tested and confirmed to work with all of the hardware (especially notebooks). Even for supposed
No, it wouldn't (Score:2)
The Vista license you get from Dell will only work with that specific Dell model.
$50? No way (Score:2)
Slashdot has officiall
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I think the Linux users are pretty happy about saving $50 for not having to buy Windows. I know I am.
Re:$50? No way (Score:5, Informative)
$50x10 = $500 savings
Say an Enterprise begins its upgrade/replace rollout of 10,000 computers..
$50x10,000 = $500,000 Savings
It might not seem a lot to a 1 purchase user but that money adds up. In my university they didn't spend $20 extra dollars per Dell for an optic mouse because of the costs.
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Uninstall Vista? Please. The Ubuntu partitioner does it for you.
Now personally, I'd probably reinstall Ubuntu anyway. I just don't trust OEMs not to put crapware on it, even in Linux. What I get for buying Linux pre-installed on the Dell is a reasonable expectation that all of the hardware should work, nothing more.
But maybe that's just me.
Trialware (Score:2, Insightful)
So IMO a $50 savings for Ubuntu is actually impressive.
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The cost per Vista Home Basic OEM is about $99 to end users.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070124-8696
But volume discounts are not illegal as far as I know, so they probably still charge Dell less than the OEM price if they do thousands of installs. Googling around turns up quotes for Vista like "$50 for Home Basic rising to to $100 for Home Premium", but no hard figures and nothing on the record from an OEM.
Put up or shut up. (Score:5, Insightful)
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+1 Truth
Games On Linux (Score:2)
Here's a good 3 part article on Linux gaming:
http://kahvipapu.com/blog/2007/06/16/linux-gaming- part-one-first-person-shooters/ [kahvipapu.com]
It focuses on Open Source games but it also lists many of the other titles that are available for Linux.
Most of these games, if not all, are also available on Windows, of course. The first game listed, Warsow [warsow.net] is an excellent Open Source FPS, whether you're on Linux or Windows. No Mac client, though I'm sure an interested Mac developer could rectify that.
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Total Cost of Ownership (Score:3, Interesting)
ONLY $50? (Score:2)
OTOH, if I could have gotten Ubuntu installed on this $399 Dimension system when I bought it a year ago, I'd have paid the same. But then I've done my own Linux support since Slackware 1.0. I just don't see too ma
Re:ONLY $50 *LESS* than Vista? (Score:2)
I can't believe that a Linux distro, even at one-of prices, costs them only $50 more than Vista ...
Er, um, no. They're now charging $50 less for Ubuntu than for Vista. -- I take this to mean that they're expecting to make it a Profit source, relative to Vista.
Remember, they're making it available for free, but they're not providing support (you get to go to 'the community' for support, or buy support directly from Canonical). All they have to provide support for is the hardware, and Ubuntu makes it a lot easier to diagnose hardware problems than Windows does. (and Vista is probably gonna be a lot w
Ubuntu IS ready for the desktop (Score:5, Insightful)
The first distro installed was Debian 2.2 off of floppy disks, so I've been at this for quite a while. I'd try it out, work with the desktop for a few weeks, and inevitably move back to Windows. I went through the motions with this for a few years, trying out Red Hat, Mandrake, Slackware, and Gentoo in the process. Each time, I reverted back to Windows.
I eventually got a mac, and that was that. I had my unix, and I had my desktop, and I was happy. At school, I would occasionally use the computer labs (running Fedora Core + KDE) to compile some code, or whip up a quick TeX document. It was usable to me, but clearly not ready for the average user (that's what my mac's for)
Fast forward to last month. My mac at work was acting up, and because I only use it to run MATLAB through a remote X server, I figured that I'd give the Ubuntu PPC port a try.
On first impressions, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that it's just as good as, if not better than Windows for desktop usage. The default install is simple and very well polished. I eventually switched to Xubuntu, which was also extremely simple. The settings/preferences panel is top-notch, and the package manager is flawlessly integrated into the OS.
I still like MacOS for my home computer, if only because of iLife, and all the multimedia and photo/video editing apps that Linux doesn't have yet. However, Ubuntu is a very viable competitor to Windows, even for somebody who's never used Linux before.
Ubuntu Inspiron DESKTOP $150 cheaper than Vista? (Score:5, Informative)
However, I just did a quick comparison of Ubuntu vs Vista Home Basic on Dell's new Inspiron desktops (Ubuntu 530N [dell.com] vs Vista 530 [dell.com]), configuring them as closely as possible, and the Ubuntu desktop was $150 cheaper. Did I miss something in the configuration? Here's what I configured (copied/pasted from the last page before adding to the shopping cart):
- Inspiron 530 with Vista Home Basic ($479)
- Inspiron 530N with Ubuntu ($329)
Notes: Integrated Intel GMA 3100 and free 56K modem were available options for Windows but not Ubuntu (I'm assuming it's a driver issue for Ubuntu). For some strange reason, the Ubuntu system is configured with an optional $170 LCD (I removed it for the comparison). The warranty/support for the Ubuntu system covers hardware only and software support can be purchased from Canonical (or you can use their forums for free). The Vista system's warranty includes some software support, of course.Intel®Pentium® dual-core processor E2140 (1MB L2,1.60GHz,800 FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic
No Monitor
512MB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 1DIMM
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache
48X CDRW/DVD Combo Drive
256MB NVIDIA Geforce 7300LE TurboCache
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse
56K PCI Data Fax Modem
Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD
1 Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor - Next Business Day
Free 3GB DataSafe Online Backup for 1Year
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
Intel®Pentium® dual-core processor E2140 (1MB L2,1.60GHz,800 FSB)
Ubuntu Desktop Edition version 7.04
No Monitor
512MB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 1DIMM
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache
48X CD-RW/ DVD Combo Drive
256MB NVIDIA Geforce 7300LE TurboCache
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse
1 Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor - Next Business Day
No Modem Option
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
No Productivity software pre-installed
Re:Ubuntu Inspiron DESKTOP $150 cheaper than Vista (Score:2, Informative)
For those who say they will buy their own rigs... (Score:2)
But I ordered it because it was the cheapest laptop with a Linux-Preload.
Dell is always doing half-hearted attempt (Score:3, Interesting)
We had bought a few Dell laptops in the last six months, and every one of them is so-called Linux-based laptop. When we open the box, here's the list of what we found:
- The machine and components, the usual suspects (no surprise here)
- one CD containing a partial list of different drivers for
- one CD of junk softwares that you will never use, for
- 3 CDs of Red Flag Linux (yeah, in China, that is).
I booted up the machine, half of them came with DOS installed, but you can't do anything much as there's no driver for anything anyway. The other half came with absolutely nothing installed. Empty disk.
Ok, just for the heck of it, to see if they actually tried to install the linux distro themselves. I installed Red Flag Linux, it installed fine, but missing a few drivers, or won't detect properly. I had to mess with it for a while to get it to work, but still the graphics is not working optimally.
Ok, so far, I don't think any buyer is going with Linux here.
So, I installed Windows XP. And the drivers CD is missing some serious drivers, I ended up with a system which was not any better than with Linux. I looked up the support web site, enter the serial number, and the system told me the serial number of that machine does not exist. Who cares, I just downloaded a bunch of drivers to try out, those drivers that are published for the models close to the one I have. Doesn't work.
After half a day of messing around, I called tech support. Nice guy, actually. He told me that the drivers downloaded from the web site don't work, because I have a "pirated" copy of Windows XP. Ok, fine, give me those that work then. He emailed a few links to get those missing drivers. None of these links showed up on their web site.
Go figure. With that kind of so-called "support", I doubt Joe Sixpacks is going to have Linux on that machine.
HP has been doing something simila for a while (Score:3, Interesting)
If you look at hp laptops and desktops in their "business" section many of them will list "FreeDOS" as an available os, or if they have a "Configure PC" link under the model often times it means you can choose between Windows and FreeDOS in the configuration options. One difference may be that if you get a FreeDOS pc from HP, format the drive and put Linux on it HP probably isn't going to give you any software support whereas maby Dell (or Canonical?) offers some level of support included in their price. Though if you are willing to forgo softwate technical support and just want hardware warranty coverage (for example if you are a large institution purchasing many computers is bulk) you can get a larger discount for non-windows machines from HP than Dell. The price varies but for most of their business notebooks and desktops the difference between a model with Windows XP/Vista and that same model with FreeDOS is usually $75-$150
Hopefully Dell's apparent success in selling Ubuntu desktops (and the publicity that has come with it) will push HP into doing something similar, I am a bit surprised Dell beat them to the punch on this one considering HP has:
been encouraging the use of Debian on the server end for a while
http://h20331.www2.hp.com/services/cache/442406-0
Already provides good driver support for Linux with regard to printers
http://hplip.sourceforge.net/ [sourceforge.net]
And the current "Linux CTO" is a former Debian project leader
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bdale_Garbee [wikipedia.org]
I would expect to see more announcements like this in the near future from the OEMs. Whatever argument the OEMs still had against selling desktop Linux and thereby irritating Microsoft was recently dealt a significant blow by Microsoft's announcement that they would begin selling their own machines http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/06
which from the OEMs perspective has changed Microsoft from an annoying element that everyone has to deal with and who gets a cut of their profit, to a company that is now moving towards being a direct competitor.
C For Effort (Score:3, Interesting)
Take a look at the front page of Dell.com. What do you see? Lots of products but no mention of Ubuntu. Let's look at a laptop, I see many options. I look and pick one. The option for this Ubuntu thing must be here. I pick a laptop. I look. Comes with Windows Vista Home Edition. Huh? Maybe its under "Build yours". I try that.
I click a couple of options and see "Operating Systems" Maybe this is it? I click on it. It gives me a choice between Windows Vista Home and Home Premium.
What he doesn't realize that its back on the product page under "Essential Links"...Open Source PCs. Click on that and you get a choice between "Shop Ubuntu" or "Shop for FreeDos" which are under "Shop for Dell PCs with Windows"
I know that Dell Ubuntu products are aimed at tech enthusiasts and Open Source fans but if Dell hopes to be successful beyond a niche market they need to try a lot harder.
My mother (Score:3, Informative)
Do your own homework.
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Re:misprint? (Score:4, Funny)
how come the Linux system doesn't have this listed?
Lithium is just a plot by M$ to make you less creative. You think Theo de Raadt and Hans Reiser would have achieved what they did if they took their lithium like good little sheeple?
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