Dell To Offer Open Source Bundles 84
ruphus13 writes "Dell has been offering Linux-based machines for a while, especially its Server-class machines. Now, Dell has decided that there are several open source applications that are ready for mainstream consumers. From the post, 'While we've all been speculating about whether Dell is working on Android netbooks, the computer hardware and software vendor was busy bundling open source applications to offer to small- and medium-sized business customers looking for low-cost alternatives to commercial software. The pre-configured "SMB-in-a-box" software is only available in the US for now, but Dell expects to launch a similar offering in Asia by the end of 2009... Although no specifics have been given about which apps are included in Dell's first bundle, it is aimed at the retail sector.' It is going to be interesting to see what Dell picks as the 'must-have' applications for the SMB market."
Also SMB != Super Mario Bros. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Bad Move, Mr. Dell (Score:4, Insightful)
1998 called. It wants it's FUD back.
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PCs are a random collection of spare parts.
Sometimes this gets Linux. Sometimes this gets Windows.
Trying to claim that it's only a Linux problem is pure bullshit.
Furthermore, Wifi in general sucks as a consumer technology.
It hasn't even matured into a single stable protocol yet and
is inherently problematic regardless of what platform you are
on.
MacOS has it's own problems: mainly NIH syndrome.
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Mod parent funny!
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Re:Bad Move, Mr. Dell (Score:4, Interesting)
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Why would they do that when other companies like Google and Adobe pay Dell to preload their software?
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Why would they do that when other companies like Google and Adobe pay Dell to preload their software?
Well, they offer it as an option for those requesting it. If they can show Adobe and Google that some people don't want acrobat and picassa, they might be able to charge to give them the privilege of having their software installed on new computers.
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And why shouldn't they?
These applications work euqally well on both platforms, so the choice of platform is reduced to personal preference.
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And why shouldn't they?
Because anyone with half a brain isn't running Linux purely for Firefox or
Open Office. They're doing it for other advantages over Windows at the OS
level.
- Robustness. (Assuming you're not running Ubuntu; also, if robustness is
truly a priority, use BSD)
- Security.
- Much more diverse hardware support.
- Flexibility. You can customise just about anything.
- Efficient software. You can use a 400 Mhz CPU to power a firewall or CLI
media centre.
- Openness. If something breaks, you c
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- Efficient software. You can use a 400 Mhz CPU to power a firewall or CLI media centre.
But is it energy efficient? You can get proper media centers with gui which use less than 50 watts of power compared to 100+ which your CLI machine takes.
- Openness. If something breaks, you can delve into the source and fix it yourself, and if you can't, you can hire someone to do it.
Openness is good to a certain point. It allows modifying the platform to your needs without spending too much effort.
But if my firewall or media center breaks down, I most likely wont bother to fix it(ok I'd probably try), let alone hire someone to fix it for me! Hiring people costs money and if you spent only $50 on the device/appliance it's junk afte
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You failed to get the point.
Why should Dell include Linux, and not just the Open Source apps for the Windows platform?
Sure, Linux users don't run Linux just for Firefox or Open Office. But you forget; Firefox and Open Office users aren't using Firefox or Open Office just for Linux either.
They can, and should co-exists without depending on each other. The Open Source world isn't a package deal. Why shouldn't Dell pick and choose which parts of the Open Source worlds they want?
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What I really want to know is why would someone spend their time posting this tired old drivel over and over... and over... and over again. It's not really going to work very well as astroturfing... and it's certainly not funny.
Ultimately, on the scale of what's "cool", pressing submit on the parent post is about as far below a "level 5 dwarf" as a "level 5 dwarf" is below a threesome with Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson.
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a threesome with Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson.
Wait, and who else?
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Hmmm...I disagree in part:
For most distro's Linux is far from being ready for the desktop for a variety of reasons. Fedora 11 came out yesterday and it couldn't be more involved to get working (I still can't get the proper alsa drivers installed!...oh and dropping out to shell is for some reason impossible for me?) but the ever popular Ubuntu is just about ripe for the picking in business environments.
The learning curve to admin a Linux network may be fairly involved, but to just use it to process document
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... the ever popular Ubuntu is just about ripe for the picking in business environments.
On my home computer I have just migrated to Ubuntu from Windows (because I don't like Microsoft - I'm not going to make a big deal of it), and generally I really like it. It's intuitive and very easy to get on with in all respects bar one. It really needs a Windows -style 'installation wizard' . I'm getting used to 'sudo'-ing but God ! it takes a while and is often quite a labourious chore, and even then half the time things don't work (like my webcam).
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Just about anything with .deb works like a cross between .rpm in Red Hat type builds and .exe in Windows.
Lets take Skype for example: If you go to Skype's Linux Download page [skype.com] after you click on the "Download" button they ask you what distro you're using. Regardless of what it says you just need to pick the Ubuntu option. That download will be some long string of letters and numbers ending with i386.deb. Save that to your directory of choice (probably /home/user and if you're nasty /home/user/Download...i
Heightist much? (Score:3, Funny)
The last thing I want is a level 5 dwarf (haha) providing me my OS.
What about a level 3 [level3.com] little person [wikipedia.org] providing your business with an Internet connection?
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How...how...how...Second Millennium! Either you haven't had anything to do with Linux for the last decade or so, or you're a Microsoft fanboi astroturfing FUD. In either case, get back under your bridge, troll. I have a billygoat, and I'm not afraid to use it!
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That's funny, because even so minor a distro as Puppy works with my wireless immediately upon installation.
Hardware might work better in OEM Linux (Score:4, Insightful)
The average user doesn't want to spend months learning how to use a CLI to cut their wireless card's firmware
mr_mischief wrote:
That's funny, because even so minor a distro as Puppy works with my wireless immediately upon installation.
Some people are lucky to own WLAN or 3G hardware manufactured by a company friendly to free software. You are; Anonymous Coward likely isn't. But if you buy a PC with free software preinstalled, you can at least have some level of assurance that free software supports your hardware.
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Or, just, you know, shove in the Ubuntu CD and see if it all works in the live environment. No luck required that way.
But sure, buying pre-installed or know-good hardware is safest.
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Or, just, you know, shove in the Ubuntu CD and see if it all works in the live environment. No luck required that way.
I've done so, and things have turned out not to work. For one thing, the NVIDIA TNT2 driver that came with the latest Ubuntu LTS version (8.04) didn't go over 640x480px, when Windows could run the same card at 1024x768px. So what it turns out not to work, one has to buy hardware anyway, so why not just run GNU/Linux on a purpose-bought machine?
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I've done so, and things have turned out not to work. For one thing, the NVIDIA TNT2 driver that came with the latest Ubuntu LTS version (8.04) didn't go over 640x480px, when Windows could run the same card at 1024x768px.
Nvidia always was and is a pain for Free software . I really love NVidia graphics and use Nvidia graphic card for my PC (mostly with free drivers ) AMD-ATI on the other hand is trying to free as much as it could . AMD site [amd.com] says
Some of the technologies supported in our driver are protected by non-disclosure agreements with third parties, so we cannot legally release the complete source code to our driver. It is NOT open source. We do, however, include source code for the control panel and certain other public segments. We also actively assist developers in the Open Source community with their work, so if you absolutely require an open source driver for your graphics card, we can recommend using drivers from the DRI project, Utah-GLX project, or others.
Maybe we should all encourage intel .. but power hungry users would always prefer either ATI or Nvidia. I would say go for ATI as it's less evil :D
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Ihere may be a difference in hardware, but there's not much luck to it. I didn't buy "Winmodems" when I was running WfW 3.11 or Windows 95. Hell, I never bought an internal modem at all, but I had some given to me. I don't buy video cards, network cards, scanners, or anything else that requires some hidden binary junk code today. If there's some reason they don't put the firmware on the hardware, they'd better at least let me access it from whichever OS I choose if they want me to buy their product.
That lap
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What kind of loser uses wireless in an SMB?
Nevermind the fact that this is an OEM solution. So you aren't going to have
such problems any more than you would with any Windows box where all of the
myriad drivers and little bits like DVD decoders are preinstalled.
Dell will smooth over the Linux problems just like they do the Windows problem.
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My workplace has a robust wifi system in place, but still has ethernet switches on the conference tables. Wired ethernet is much faster, less flaky in all OSes, and more secure than wireless ethernet.
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Mostly because you know what you're plugged into. Unless your computer is configured to only ever connect to the secure job wireless (very impractical if you take it anywhere else) most people would never notice a man-in-the-middle.
Re:Another experiment (Score:4, Interesting)
Well, for the "medium" sized businesses in SMB.... with the advent of 802.11n, wireless to your desktop is about as effective (if you've got decent gear) and frequently cheaper than stringing Ethernet cables and hooking them up to fancy switches. Or so the marketing message [arubanetworks.com] goes:
But I work for these people; what do I know? *shrug*
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But I work for these people; what do I know? *shrug*
That sales accounting is second only to hollywood accounting, just ahead of bistromathics [wikipedia.org]?
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If the default setup experience sucks, that is Dell's cue to fix that and provide the fix as a value add on their systems.
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Cause dell would sell you hardware without setting up the drivers for you or making sure to select hardware that works with the OS they are selling you right?
When you buy a windows machine from dell do you have to install your wireless cards drivers? No dell does that for you.
So, is this a Dell distro? (Score:5, Interesting)
I read TFA and also TFA linked from TFA [networkworld.com] (original sources, anyone?). I'm left wondering whether this is a new Dell distro of Linux, a package bundle on top of Linux or Windows, a package list for something like Kickstart or another automated OS installer, or a consulting and integration lineup with a preferred set of software.
With Dell talking about wanting to be a services company as much as a box-pusher and specifically mentioning training and support in TOFA, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a consulting group within the company. It's worded as if it's just a selection of software pre-installed, though, like they already do with crap bloatware and trialware.
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I kind of doubt it's a new Dell Distro, but my guess-- just from the term "SMB-in-a-box"-- is that it might be their normal Linux desktop/server configurations with some of the configuration done ahead of time. Getting email (including POP3, IMAP, SMTP, spam filtering, webmail) and other groupware up and running in Linux can be more daunting than setting up an Exchange box. I hate to say that because I'm not a fan of Microsoft generally, but it's true. Knowing which email packages to install and how to c
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Sun and SGI have both done pretty well with their preinstalled Linux (and Solaris and Irix boxes, respectively). I'm hoping Oracle and Rackable systems continue what they started in that regard.
I always preferred setting up Postfix or Exim and Courier or tpop3d (with our without Perdition) to setting up Exchange. I guess it has to do with what you're used to and what you like. Sendmail is a bitch, though. I hate m4. As for webmail, Horde used to be painful to install, but I haven't tried lately (although I'
Hopefully they make good choices (Score:3, Informative)
As long as the bundled software doesn't start to act like the ad-ridden "free" software that has come with any PC I've purchased in the last decade, I'll be happy.
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Yes, but SMB is a must for SMB.
Retail sector? (Score:5, Interesting)
If this means that they're going to offer bundles to retailers, I'd really be interested in seeing what POS software they decide to bundle. I've been looking for open source POS software for several years now, and there's really nothing out there for small to medium retailers out there that's even remotely competitive with stuff for Windows. If they can find something decent, they'll take a huge share of the retail market.
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I've been looking for open source POS software for several years now
You mean like Open Office?
Oh, you mean "Point Of Sale". Ah, okay then.
I kid, I kid! :)
Re:Retail sector? (Score:5, Funny)
I'd really be interested in seeing what POS software they decide to bundle
You Linux fanboys are all alike! When POS software comes bundled on a Windows box, you're all "I don't want AOL" and "Who the $&!# is Netzero" or "Bonzi Buddy is stealing my identity" and you whine about having to "uninstall" it. But as soon as it's on Linux you're all excited about it!
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I thought Windows was POS software
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I'd really be interested in seeing what POS software they decide to bundle
You Linux fanboys are all alike! When POS software comes bundled on a Windows box, you're all "I don't want AOL" and "Who the $&!# is Netzero" or "Bonzi Buddy is stealing my identity" and you whine about having to "uninstall" it. But as soon as it's on Linux you're all excited about it!
I'm sure that as long as the POS is not a POS everyone will be happy.
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Well, I don't know all the legality around this, but I can imagine rebranded binaries of OOo or Firefox.
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Sounds like my policy (Score:3, Insightful)
Less money on software = more money for hardware. I can see how this can benefit Dell.
However, see NComputing (Score:2)
Less money on software = more money for hardware. I can see how this can benefit Dell.
However, less bloated software == less demand for hardware. People can add extra terminals, made by companies such as NComputing, to their desktop PCs instead of buying more full-blown PCs.
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I agree. All of my business PC's come from thrift stores. My servers are all off-lease models, none of which I paid more than $400 for (RAID 5, redundant power supplies, dual NICs, etc.). Less bloated software = cheaper hardware.
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I think we may be done with people upgrading desktop PCs just to keep up with increasingly bloated operating systems-- at least for the time being. Anything desktop from the past 5 years is good enough for basic web browsing, word processing, etc. If you're upgrading for faster hardware, there's a good chance that you're a gamer, an engineer, or maybe someone who just wants the latest-and-greatest regardless of whether they actually need it. If I were Dell, I wouldn't be relying on Microsoft bloating thi
U.S. and Asia (Score:1, Funny)
...only available in the US for now, but Dell expects to lauch a similar offering in Asia...
Ahh, yes. It's good to see they're offering this in both of the world's countries.
Open Source Apps, what Operating System ? (Score:3, Insightful)
I suspect that it could be Thunderbird, Firefox, Gimp, OpenOffice under MS Windows.
Given the close relationship between Dell & MS (read: Dell accepting MS money to decide what software it pushes on its hardware) I would not be surprised if the ''open source applications'' were things that did not really compete with MS offerings, eg: Gimp, pidgin, games, ... and avoid competing with the MS cash cows that make up MS Office & things like MS IE & Outlook.
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Well, the fact that they say the bundle is targeted at the retail industry would lead me to suspect that there might be Email, Web, plus some sort of Point of Sale/Inventory Management/Accounting/Customer Relationship Management system (hopefully all integrated together seemlessly, so that the CRM is tightly integrated with the Point of Sale portion, and the Point of Sale portion is tightly integrated with both the inventory control and the accounting). I might be giving Dell too much credit here, but if I
Dell is full of crap (Score:4, Interesting)
They only have two PCs sold Ubuntu and two PCs sold with no OS - none of which are even halfway modern systems. It's almost like they don't want to make money from Linux users. You'd almost think that some large monopoly was using them for a hand-puppet.
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They used to have 3 machines with Ubuntu, but they killed the Insipiron Ubuntu line back in December/January. I ordered it before they killed it and they forced me to order a Windows-lappy instead. Fucking pricks.
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Same thing happened to me. Beginning of the week, they had the XPS M1530N with Ubuntu, but by the time I put the order in, they remvoed it from the Ubuntu offerings and I had to get a Windows one instead (for more money). Then I checked a minute ago to see if they had brought any models back, but the opposite is true, there are less models with Ubuntu than there was a month ago. It looks as if they are liquidating their Ubuntu inventory. Now all you can get is the XPS 1330N, a Dimmension desktop and the
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I've periodically checked the Dell site for the Ubuntu laptops and each time there were fewer options than there were the last time.
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They only have two PCs sold Ubuntu and two PCs sold with no OS - none of which are even halfway modern systems. It's almost like they don't want to make money from Linux users.
In India dell is not offering many/no ubuntu options . Dell store India [dell.com] shows 3 netbooks ,all of them with "Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition" :(
There is a discussion [google.com] in chennai linux users group [iitm.ac.in] regarding this .
You'd almost think that some large monopoly was using them for a hand-puppet.
No need to guess :P
Who wants to bet... (Score:3, Interesting)
"Why thank you for coming Mr/Mrs Microsoft-Sales-Person. We've had this interesting proposal where we have this free operating system to give out. We only have to pay about half of our prior fees you recieved and we get to customize it so that our product stands out from your other customers... in a way you wouldn't allow before. Tech support will be further outsourced to the internet support as those linux folks do love showing how smart they are (and most decent techs hit google first anyhow). So... what do you have for us today? Besides an unbalanced negotiation not in your favor?".
It'll be interesting to see if Dell sees this through or drops it once MS meets their pricing demands.
Doubt it (Score:1)
While the OS they put on their retailer packages costs $100/seat, the POS POS from Intuit that they use now costs $1600/seat. My guess is they're re-negotiating with Intuit. The price of Windows is negligible, especially in this situation.
http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/us/segments/bsd/point-of-sale-accounting?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd [dell.com]
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Android would be awesome (Score:1)
I find it a little amusing that a friend and I were discussing the very possibility of Google coming out with their own computer OS, and debating whether or not it would be a variant of Android, or something else they have been cooking up. So, we are happy to see google talking about offering and