Where To Buy A Machine With Linux Pre-Installed 229
The Berkeley LUG has a neat aggregation of many different places where you can acquire a desktop, laptop, or even netbook with Linux pre-installed. The list starts with a link to Dell's Linux offering, includes many independent vendors, and many updates from user comments, almost all of whom seem to be drinking the Ubuntu kool-aid. "Over the last couple of years, Linux has come a long way in terms of hardware support, and these days it is relatively rare that an installation of ubuntu/fedora will be lacking any drivers for your machine. However, installing any OS can still sometimes be a tedious task and one that scares the wits out of the average computer user. And, for the expert users out there, it's just more fun to buy a computer with Linux already on it and not have to pay the Microsoft tax."
It's more fun to build it yourself (the machine) (Score:5, Insightful)
"And, for the expert users out there, it's just more fun to buy a computer with Linux already on it and not have to pay the Microsoft tax."
Actually, for the experts, it's more fun to build the computer themselves and install whatever they feel like.
Re:It's more fun to build it yourself (the machine (Score:5, Insightful)
Only if it's a desktop. You're not gonna build your own netbook and have it be of any respectable quality.
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Re:It's more fun to build it yourself (the machine (Score:4, Insightful)
Deep linking [wikipedia.org] when linking to an external website [google.co.uk], is just good etiquette [craigslist.com] and stops me wasting time [xkcd.com]
Re:It's more fun to build it yourself (the machine (Score:5, Insightful)
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Nah, it isn't. (Score:2)
Building and installing a computer are grunt tasks, that require lesser expertise.
My time is expensive, I want a machine ready to go where I can do the real interesting bits.
Even if (Score:2, Informative)
And, for the expert users out there, it's just more fun to buy a computer with Linux already on it and not have to pay the Microsoft tax.
I thought we paid that tax EVEN IF we bought a Linux laptop.
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And, for the expert users out there, it's just more fun to buy a computer with Linux already on it and not have to pay the Microsoft tax.
I thought we paid that tax EVEN IF we bought a Linux laptop.
Well you could buy a macbook from EmperorLinux and only pay for the Mac OS X license to use Linux ;)
or just get an Asus eee - for £156 there's not much room to hide the cost of an unused Windows license!
Re:Even if (Score:5, Insightful)
I thought we paid that tax EVEN IF we bought a Linux laptop.
The "Microsoft Tax" is one of those crazy ideas that clog the geek's mind -
all it really means is that the OEM Windows install makes your laptop a viable mass market product that will outsell Linux by 100 to 1.
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Why would a mass market laptop need to be available ONLY with windows pre-installed? The hardware can be mass market and 99/100 can be sold with Windows.
But why should that imply whatsoever that I can't buy 1/100 of those mass-produced laptops with Linux pre-installed and a lower purchase price?
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I thought we paid that tax EVEN IF we bought a Linux laptop.
Not quite. You pay the Dell-don't-collect-on-the-bribes-to-include-extra-trial-software-on-your-machine-so-they-extract-those-$-from-you tax.
Ubuntu kool-aid (Score:5, Funny)
Because, of course, not using Microsoft's Windows or Apple's Mac OS X isn't enough.
You need to use an obscure Linux distro or else you'll still be a mindless sheep that other Linux users will laugh at.
You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I'll be at Milliways if anyone needs me.
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I don't think that's the point. Ubuntu is probably the best choice for people migrating from MS Windows. However, there are other markets. For example, I have used Unix in one form or another for 25 years. I do most of my work from the command line. I want more-or-less traditional configuration files and controls and I want to install all sorts of development tools. Ubuntu is not the ideal distribution for someone like me, and, I suspect, a lot of other people who read /. At the same time, I like the abil
Re:Ubuntu kool-aid (Score:4, Insightful)
Ubuntu is not the ideal distribution for someone like me, and, I suspect, a lot of other people who read /.
Hmm, I moved from redhat to debian when potato came out, partly based on slashdot (and linux newbie) raves about apt, so Ubuntu is natural when I want it to just work.
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OK. And did you spit chips when you went to edit
You Are Not The Target Market, Then (Score:2)
For example, I have used Unix in one form or another for 25 years. I do most of my work from the command line.
...and therefore you're probably quite willing and capable of installing whatever distro you like.
As a techie, odds are, that the first thing you'll do with a new PC is zap the hard drive and re-install everything the way you want anyway.
The only benefit to such people of getting a machine with Linux pre-installed is some assurance that maybe, just maybe, the supplier has the nous to only use components with reasonable Linux support.
I come from a Dark Star... (Score:5, Funny)
You need to use an obscure Linux distro or else you'll still be a mindless sheep that other Linux users will laugh at.
I use DARKSTAR Linux, you insen... wait, I'm the insensitive clod, you sheep!
Re:Ubuntu kool-aid (Score:4, Funny)
Hey, I'm not going to be happy until I get full support for Linux From Scratch. I want it all to "just work". Uh, wait...
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Seconded.
It's one thing to support your favorite distro, it's another thing to slur one with allusions to a cult. (Ironic, too...) How is that good for anyone?
I got a taste for *nix in college in the early 90's, but joined the workforce writing software for Windows. I've installed, and deleted, many different distros over the years. Sure, I could use them, compile drivers, find hardware that was supported, but I knew that there was no way that anyone else in my family would make the leap.
Recent developments
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Perhaps he means the koolaid in the Electric Koolaid Acid Test sense, and not Jim Jones
:)
No, it's Jonestown. My guess is, like many geeks, he knows the phrase but doesn't know enough history to be able to connect it to a suicide cult. I thought it was in poor taste as well.
And not really because of the cult thing, just because it's come to imply in tech lingo that the product is overrated. Frankly I don't think a Linux distro that takes a half hour to install and works immediately after can be overrated.
Proximity to greatness! (Score:5, Interesting)
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I have lived with three dudes over the past two years and they are all now running Ubuntu in one form or another having not even heard of any windows alternatives before
Translation:
I live in the college dorm.
My bunk mates get 24 hour free technical support.
They are refugees from the Land of The Lost who have never seen an add for the Mac.
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My girlfriend, my daughter, my niece and my mother all run Ubuntu.
That joke is way past it's best before date... you might want to try some new material...
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My girlfriend installed, ran, configured, and customized Ubuntu herself. She put Cairo-Dock and made it really nice looking and slick.
She also likes that there's so much free software. And she knows how to use Wine if she ever needs to too.
Netbooks (Score:3, Interesting)
I bought myself a Asus netbook with the Linux pre-install. It didn't last long and installed a different Linux distro which was not as childish and crippled as the pre-installed Linux version (not any Ubuntu flavour). Maybe there should be an option when buying machines for NO OS installed by default. It wouldn't prevent the manufacturer adding crapware for their Windows install CD's.
It would be interesting to know which OS would be more frustrating to the average user to install. Every Linux install I've done, it installed everything a typical install does in one go and needed one reboot (setting up SuperUser and user accounts). The last time I installed WinXP on my desktop I lost the will to live after 35 reboots to install the OS and countless other drivers which insisted on full reboots.
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Microsoft would quickly oppose any attempt to sell computers with no OS... on the grounds that it would support piracy
This insanity (Score:2)
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Microsoft would quickly oppose any attempt to sell computers with no OS... on the grounds that it would support piracy
WalMart won't stock your bare-bones PC because they can't sell your bare-bones PC - and they sure as hell don't want to accept it as a return.
Bare-bones is strictly for the enthusiast and the IT pro.
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I have someone's machine here right now that needed a full reinstall. The machine took a power surge. The surge damaged the hard drive, memory, and sound card. Knowing the preinstalled version of Windows, it has so much crap it isn't even funny. I could spend hours cleaning those out, or put a nice clean install on.
When I use a Windows machine (hey, it helps for gaming), it's always nice to have a clean install, versus the vendor provided crap, even if I have to go through
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Try nLite. Master your XP cd, plug it in and walk away.
http://www.nliteos.com/ [nliteos.com]
Worse than installing Windows: doing it twice (Score:3, Interesting)
[after installing XP] I lost the will to live after 35 reboots to install the OS
Try doing that and watching it get Sasser'd twenty seconds after you plugged in the network cable :(
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I bought myself a Asus netbook with the Linux pre-install. It didn't last long and installed a different Linux distro which was not as childish and crippled as the pre-installed Linux version (not any Ubuntu flavour).
That might be a little unfair to Linpus. Admittedly I replaced it with UNR in short order, but it is not without its advantages once you've visited the official update page that gives you a more recent version of Firefox (3.0.x upgrade from 2), OpenOffice, VLC, and so forth.
The default install (once FF is updated) is perfectly fine for basic users, who do not need the flexibility you or I desire/require, and all the hardware definitely works out of the box. It also boots (and gets to the point of being able
Another List for Laptop, PDAs and Mobile Phones (Score:5, Informative)
Any suggestions for Canadian laptop vendors? (Score:2)
It looks like Dell.ca isn't selling laptops [www.dell.ca] anymore. For reasons (in no particular order) of patriotism, currency and hardware/warranty hassles, I'm interested in buying a laptop with working suspend-to-ram from a Canadian company...does anyone have any suggestions? (I know about the netbooks, but I'm wondering if there's anything else.)
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I'm also interested in the answer to this...
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Years ago I bought a linux server from a company in Edmonton, and they seem to still be around. Their site is woefully out of date though.
http://www.harddata.com/ [harddata.com]
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Why do I always have to stop and ask myself "When did California get a TLD?"
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Dell (Score:5, Informative)
So far I've bought 2 Ubuntu machines from Dell and they absolutely rock! I bought a Dell Latitude and a Mini 9. They were both rock solid, isn't too OEMified (i.e. no crapware preinstalled).
I'm a huge Dell fan now, because they give me what I want!
Rah rah rah, go Dell! ;)
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One thing you should watch out for is the really long delivery times for Dellbuntu systems, at least in my own experience. My brother bought an m1330 (with Vista) and it arrived in two weeks with no issues. I decided to buy my own but with Ubuntu pre-installed and I was given the same two weeks estimate. However for about two months I kept getting emails about unavailable stock and that the delivery estimate was moved back each time. This is despite the fact that the flashy stock checker said everything was
It's not about shipping Linux pre-installed (Score:5, Insightful)
It's more about getting "clean" laptop without any OS (or proprietary one) installed and hardware compatibility with free OSes.
I'd love to see some vendor shipping laptops "Tested with Ubuntu, Fedora, NetBSD and OpenSolaris".
From my experience (had 3 laptops with Linux pre-installed so far - 2 with Linpus and one with Xandros!), I always had to switch to something else than what came with laptop. With Acer laptops it was easy - hardware was fairly standard. Other thing was with early version of Eee PC, that had all sorts of problems with drivers for almost a year until I could install "stock" Debian on it.
If I even got a laptop from Dell with Ubuntu, I would:
- re-partition and encrypt hard drive
- upgrade to something more recent than 8.04
That means I don't need a laptop with Linux pre-installed, but one without Windows, with fairly standard hardware. I think most of you here would agree with me.
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If your laptop uses an onboard Intel graphics chip, you may need to stick with 8.04 to get the best performance.
http://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/359578 [launchpad.net]
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-1132722.html [ubuntuforums.org]
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Well, if that's the case, you can always go to your local PC shop and have them custom build one for you. OEM isn't the only choice out there.
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No mention of pogo linux? (Score:2)
Try outside the US (Score:2)
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I didn't know it was even possible to run Linux on a TRS-80. :)
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For those who don't read very carefully, ":)" means "I'm kidding". It's not a troll, it's a joke.
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Microsoft tax is irrelevant (Score:2)
The $10/£10 you pay for MS is often trumped by the $30/£30 they add to the cost as it costs them more to support it, and that is ignoring the £20 that companies pay to preinstall crap on your PC). Don't worry about Microsoft getting rich off your £10, they don't care about the money from the home market, just the market share (which they loose if you uninstall it anyway).
Decide if you want full floss (ati/intel/atheros) or are willing to use proprietary (ati/n
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Microsoft LOSES market share if you install something else over top?
I would beg to differ -- all machines are still counted as Windows(tm) machines. This allows demonstration of the ABSOLUTE and CRUSHING numerical superiority of Windows.
Really, a printer? (Score:2)
The article links to a local Ubuntu-friendly retailer ZaReason. Now I'm all about buying from local businesses, but given some of the text on their pages [zareason.com], I'm wondering if these guys got a little too "Berkeley," if you know what I mean:
SD/MMC slot -- download photos, anything from your phone (if it holds an SD card), your printer... extreme usability
Are they trying to tell me that I can "download a printer" or "download photos from my printer" ? I dunno about them, but usually photos come out of my printer, not the other way 'round.
in the UK (Score:3, Informative)
In the UK, try: http://www.efficientpc.co.uk/ [efficientpc.co.uk]
don't bother with Dell - once you've found a machine that you want, there's no way they're going to put linux on it unless you request an offline quote that means you get no discounts and can't do easy comparisons between different configurations. Or unless you go through their "linux portal" that makes everything more expensive.
Oh, and Dell will only sell you the most expensive possible version of the most expensive linux distribution unless you get one of their "toy" pink laptops from the 'home' section. (and who knows, they might give money to Microsoft on your behalf anyway)
freegeek (Score:5, Informative)
freegeek ( http://www.freegeek.org/ [freegeek.org] ) recycles PC's and sells them if they have some left-over.
Linux pre-installed.
Have to check if there is one where you live.
Stephan
List of Cities (Score:3, Informative)
I forgot; there's a list of cities at
http://www.freegeek.org/about/intergalactic [freegeek.org]
* Free Geek Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas)
* Free Geek Central Florida (Orlando, Florida)
* Free Geek Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)
* Free Geek Columbus (Columbus, Ohio)
* Free Geek Michiana (South Bend, Indiana area)
* Free Geek Twin Cities (Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota)
* Born Again Technologies (Murfreesboro, Tennessee)
* Free Geek Vancouver (Vancouver, British Co
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connection to freegeek? (Score:2)
What does that have to do with freegeek?
Stephan
Everex R.I.P.? - the search for the $200 linux box (Score:2)
I bought one of the first $200 Everex gPC boxes (reviewed here [lightandmatter.com]), and although their linux distro was awful at that time (it was a prerelease version), the hardware has worked fine. I put ubuntu on it, and it's a great machine.
However, they seem to have recurring problems with production and/or distribution channels. They were originally selling them through Walmart; you'd order it via Walmart's web site, and it would be shipped to your local store for you to pick up. Now Walmart no longer has them. If yo
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It's not a sustainable business model because MS is bribing people.
where to buy a machine with Linux pre-installed (Score:2)
Linux as a windows wrapper (Score:2)
As a linux user for 5yrs (and ex PC design engineer) - I really cannot see linux becoming the OS of choice of the masses (i.e. your dumb neighbor or the kooky lady in accounting). The Windows XP environment is what they know (more or less).
They are not motivated or driven to learn a "new way" of doing things. As an IT guy I easily bounce between XP - OS X - and linux ... my normal friends are running XP and a few OS X.
And both Apple and M$ learned that making wholesale GUI changes generally upsets the masse
Another link (Score:2, Informative)
BSD? (Score:2)
But Is It Cheaper? (Score:2)
Dell "open source" laptop works for me (Score:2)
I bought a Dell XPS configured with Ubuntu and immediately put Fedora on it. It works really well. There was a hardware problem with the display and they arranged for a guy to come to my house and fix it. I have fought with drivers for laptops to run Linux many times and it is a PITA. ndiswrapper, etc etc. No need for any of that with this machine. Did I mention it works really well?
On the Dell site look for "open source pcs" - it's not that prominent but you can find it.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
I think the point is more that the cost of the OS is going $0 to Microsoft more than anything. If you don't like the default OS, just install your own. It's free either way.
Driver support (Score:5, Insightful)
If you don't like the default OS, just install your own.
But if you use the operating system that comes on the machine, it reassures you that the operating system will work OK with the hardware. I replaced Xandros with Ubuntu on my Eee PC 900, and I still have trouble with cloning the display and with audio after coming out of suspend.
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But if you use the operating system that comes on the machine, it reassures you that the operating system will work OK with the hardware.
Except when it comes with malware [slashdot.org].
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Re:Driver support (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Driver support (Score:4, Informative)
Try EEEbuntu. It's Ubuntu with a few eee-specific features, and a custom kernel. Should detect everything automatically. I've got it running on my 1000ha and I've never had a problem with it. Here's where you can grab it [eeebuntu.org]
IIRC eeebuntu hasn't been updated to with latest release version (it is still based on 8.10 rather than the newer 9.04). While the differences won't be massively massive and 8.10 will get security updates for a while yet, you are probably better off using the official "Ubuntu Netbook Remix" for new installs: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download-netbook [ubuntu.com]
I've been using it on my AA1 for the last few weeks and have found it to be excellent in terms of everything I've cared to test working out of the box, and the eee1000 seems to be well supported too according to the official list at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/HardwareSupport/Machines/Netbooks [ubuntu.com]
If you don't like the default UNR launcher interface, you can easily turn it off and use the standard desktop setup (or your custom preference if you have used Linux long enough to have developed one) instead (though you'll want to reconfigure the panels vertically, or remove them, due to the machines screen size and aspect ratio).
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Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Meh? (Score:5, Informative)
How do you figure that? Last time I checked you save exactly $0.00 dollars by getting the Ubuntu over the Vista, at least on the Dell XPS I last looked at. So in this case if there is any savings from not going MSFT then YOU aren't the one seeing it.
Correct. As well as getting Windows OEM licenses dirt cheap in bulk for their machine, Dall and manufacturers like them also get a kick-back for each bit of extra "trail" software (such as AV tools and such) they include. If you don't take Windows they can provide McUsless AntiEverything 2012, so they don't get the kick-back for that software for your machine, and if these kick-backs in total as much as the few $ they pay for each Windows license (i.e. laptop.cost+window.cost-crap1.cost-crap2.cost == laptop.cost-ubuntu.cost) that means your machines costs them the same to send to you what-ever OS you select.
There is also the issue of extra returns for Linux machines if they make them cheaper. This actually happens, it isn't just FUD, though it doesn't happen for the reason that MS want you to believe (because Linux is defective) it is because the user has made a defective choice - they pick the cheaper option without doing any research then expect a refund because it won't play game-of-the-moment out of the box.
Windows returns (Score:3, Interesting)
I think it's time we bump the return rate on Windows machines by taking back our new laptops a few times. I'm tired of seeing this argument. As of right now my preferred recommendation for malware becomes "take it back to the store and exchange it for one that doesn't have that problem".
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Oh, I'm with you there.
I was just stating the case, not saying that I liked it!
Mod Parent Up (Score:2)
I think it's time we bump the return rate on Windows machines by taking back our new laptops a few times. I'm tired of seeing this argument. As of right now my preferred recommendation for malware becomes "take it back to the store and exchange it for one that doesn't have that problem".
Amen to that. If capitalists vote with their dollars, and the screwed-up market we live in makes the Windows+crapware model appear to be less expensive than the linux model, then we the market have an obligation to respond by pushing some of the real costs of owning the Crap 6.1 model back onto the distributors and manufacturers.
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Actually, I just ordered a Mini 9 from Dell. I checked the prices and sure enough I saved $40 by getting Ubuntu instead of XP.
Funny thing is though, I called in the order to talk to a real person about different discounts (epp, sales, etc.), and she tried her *darnedest* to get me to *not* get that laptop! First she wanted to make sure I "had a *real* laptop" (yes, that's a quote!), then she asked what I would be using it for.
ME: Oh, you know it's a netbook, so...the Internet.
HER: Oh, you won't be typing
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I believe Dell pays Cononical a small kickback for every Linux PC they sell for support. This would explain why the two systems cost the same, though I tend to agree with you on principal that it would be nice to be able to get the Linux variant for cheaper.
Also, last I checked, Microsoft's license terms don't allow you to run an OEM copy in a virtual instance (i.e. the license is tied to the hardware). If you want to run Vista in a virtual machine you'll need a retail boxed copy, or a volume license of som
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I don't agree with you, but you do have a point. You aren't spending less, but the problem with the microsoft tax isn't the money I spent. The problem is that the said money is going to microsoft.
When I buy a computer from Dell, I figure they're going to make some profit either way. If they make more profit by selling Linux to me, then maybe it's encouragement to sell more Linux machines. In any event, that money going to dell doesn't bother me. That same money going to microsoft does.
The other viewpoint he
Linux is not costless, it is Freedom enabling. (Score:5, Insightful)
I know no other way to put it in English (the free as in beer nonsense clarifies nothing frankly).
In Spanish it is very simple: "Linux no es gratuito, es libre".
My point is, when I buy Linux services I have full control over my data and support companies that roughly agree with my view of the world.
When somebody buys Microsoft, they are making business with a company that is unethical to say the least (cue for cascade of Slashdot histories about this) and that can (and has) screwed users over access to their own data.
The choice is clear, I made it 10 years ago. If Dell or others provide me with that choice, how they use their hard earned cash is frankly none of my business (well, not entirely, but in general that would be it).
Often people reply to this that one should use the best tool for the job, failing to notice that ethical aspects are also important when deciding which tool is best.
Most people will not allow a bad plumber, with a string of complaints anywhere near their shower or toilette, nevertheless give Microsoft carte blanche when it comes to the most important technology they may be using at home (and work).
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---Most people will not allow a bad plumber, with a string of complaints anywhere near their shower or toilette,---
My wife does. Guess who it is?
Can you really call that Windows? (Score:2)
If you can call what they give you windows. If there was a standard vanilla MS Windows installer disk I might agree with you. But no, there is only the restore disk that wipes out your whole machine. If you want a vanilla install, you're still going to have to hash out that 200 or so dollars. Is that really money saved?
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Normally I'd stay out of something like this. Obvious bias, etc. But out of curiosity, when was the last time you bought a Dell?
They don't come with the Microsoft standard-issue hologrammed disc for Windows... they come with a blue-label disc. Said blue-label disc, however, installs a clean, vanilla image of MS Windows Vista (the XP disc is green). The only difference between the blue disc and the original hologrammed disc, aside from the holograms, is that the blue disc contains the version that's tied to
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I thought it was more fun to watch your computer compile your latest ebuild list...a preinstalled environment would remove the l33tness that so many linux users thrive for.
It would also come with all the drivers you need, properly configured X, hardware acceleration, and wifi. Ever had all of those on something you compiled, or did you get bored with it halfway through like I did every time?
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That observation seems a bit silly. Yes, there ARE a number of ultra-leet who won't consider using an OS that they don't compile to their own custom needs. But, there are an even larger number of people who can't or won't go to that extreme.
Face it - Joe Sixpack can download the binaries, install them, then do a relative minimal customization, and have a machine that does JUST WHAT HE NEEDS. And, that is precisely what the world at large needs to know. One doesn't have to be the ultimate geek to use Lin
Re:Buy a server instead (Score:4, Funny)
Buy a server instead. These usually come with no operating system.
For example
Is that an example of no operating systems?
Re:Buy a server instead (Score:5, Interesting)
Actually, this gets touchy sometimes.
I prefer that my clients buy their own equipment. That way they know I didn't inflate the price, they are the customer of record, and I don't carry the risk of buying hardware the the client backing out. I've gotten stuck with a few pieces of equipment because the client "changed their minds". That really doesn't work well on stuff purchased through eBay, but even with many vendors I'd have to pay a restocking fee.
We found a 3rd party vendor that was selling a Supermicro motherboard and chassis, assembled to spec with CPU, memory and drives. It's a nice machine. 8 core Opteron, 64Gb RAM, etc, etc. When the client put the order through, he asked "What operating system do you want?". I was already clear in that we were putting our preferred Linux distro on, but would be testing various RAID and filesystems, so he wasn't to have anything put on. They were very clear that the machine wouldn't support Linux. I went back to the spec, and checked on everything. There were no problem. They were insistent on selling him a Microsoft OS. They actually wrote it on the build sheet "Must use Microsoft OS". He was really concerned. Could this tech guy who's known all the answers so far know more than the vendor? Is he wasting a whole bunch of money on something that he can't use?
When it got here, I opened it up and verified all the parts. Then I booted it up with my Slamd64 CD, and installed. Right out of the box, it worked perfectly. Every device was identified and the drivers loaded. No problems at all. I know he was much happier when he got the call "The machine works great. We're migrating to it now. It will be online by the end of the weekend."
Had the customer not known any better, and we had given an option of Linux or Windows, he would have spent some good money on a Microsoft OS, because the vendor told him to.
I know the vendors view. They can make extra money on it. Why would I want to slow a nice fast machine down with a heavy GUI, when I can strip Linux down to bare bones and run as fast as possible?
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Yet, on Dell and HP's sites, it's easy to buy a server without any operating system. In fact, this seems to be the default on at least some of their servers.
OS choices offered by Dell and/or HP include SLES, RHEL, Windows, XenServer, ESXi, and Solaris.
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I think you have a problem communicating with your clients. I was thinking that as I read your 2nd sentence.
Of course, you should be upfront with the charges for the equipment. If you don't charge extra for the equipment (and I don't think it's a problem if you do because you're going through the trouble of sourcing it), just say, "These folks offer this piece for $100". Let them know that it's off eBay and they can't return it. Let them know if it's store bought, there's a restocking fee that they're r
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On the equipment that I've been stuck with, it's usually been that they couldn't really afford it, but I (obviously) don't have access to their financials. We discussed the problem, what they needed. I came back to them with a price tag, and they agreed. Since I wasn't on their site when they agreed, I couldn't just collect a check in advance. When the equipment showed up and I was ready to deliver, they couldn't afford it. As it turns out, these are usually the companies that are usuall
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Actually it's 1/sqrt(2) living cat + 1/sqrt(2) dead cat = 1 cat
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This is the reason we don't recommend to our clients that they do their own purchasing. If we purchase the hardware and configure it for them, we can take the responsibility for doing it wrong, and we also get to deal with the OEM on their behalf.
Re:Install Linux yourself (Score:5, Insightful)
Why not just get a Linux CD and install yourself. It's easy to install Linux and one could do it Trust me.
Famous last words.
You aren't going to be there if anything goes wrong.
Re:Install Linux yourself (Score:4, Insightful)
You aren't going to be there if anything goes wrong.
Neither is Microsoft nor the hardware vendors.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Neither is Microsoft nor the hardware vendors.
I have been pricing refurbished 64 bit quad core Vista PCs from Dell and Tiger.
It's a calculated risk, of course.
But these systems come loaded. I can't imaging making any significant changes over the life of the hardware.
So it works or it doesn't. If it doesn't, it goes back.
I am not equipped or inclined to diagnose and repair a system level hardware problem or a system level software problem.
I think - in this - I am representative of the mass consumer market
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*points to forums.gentoo.org*
They're nice and helpful over there. :)
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All right, from now on I'll call it the "mandatory fee that you pay to microsoft when buying a computer regardless of your desire to use any microsoft product." Of course, these days it's not *strictly* true - you can buy a computer without the "mandatory fee that you pay to microsoft when buying a computer regardless of your desire to use any microsoft product"... just it's hard to do. Even many (most?) computers that you manage to buy without an OS or with some flavor of Linux pre-installed include the