Dell To Offer Ubuntu Laptops Again 218
An anonymous reader writes "TechCrunch reports that Dell will be officially re-entering the Linux laptop market. Beginning this fall, it will sell a 'developer edition' of one of its Ultrabooks that comes pre-loaded with Ubuntu 12.04. Dell first started offering computers with Linux installed in 2007, but they dropped the products in 2010. This spring, a skunkworks effort called Project Sputnik was announced, and now, after the completion of a short beta test, the Ubuntu laptops have been given a green light for commercial sale. Canonical has been working alongside Dell to help make this happen."
Can't wait.... (Score:5, Funny)
...to buy one, wipe off that buggy, proprietary OS and install Debian on it.
Re:Can't wait.... (Score:4, Interesting)
... because you can't do that now with a windows-based dell machine?
yes yes, I know, it's fashionable to hate ubuntu. Because if there's one thing that unites hardcore linux fanboys, it's hating any other distro except their own. Sometimes I wonder if they hate other distros more than they hate MS.
Re:Can't wait.... (Score:5, Funny)
Linux is so divided over each distro that I sometimes wonder if MS doesn't have agent provocateurs stirring the pot just to keep the community divided (and forever ineffectual). But then, like my grandma always used to say "Kid, never attribute to conspiracy what can be attributed to sheer blind fanboism."
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yes yes, I know, it's fashionable to hate ubuntu. Because if there's one thing that unites hardcore linux fanboys, it's hating any other distro except their own. Sometimes I wonder if they hate other distros more than they hate MS.
Ubuntu still is very popular, and for good reason. Its very good, because a lot of work is done on it and it is based on Debian unstable, which in itself is pretty good, unsurprisingly this means immature technology gets rolled out [pulseaudio, Intel drivers] for the sake of features over stability. Some users prefer the stability move to Debian, Some users get bitten by bugs/regressions from running more unstable options. Overall though most benefit from the new features because even unstable...is pretty s
Re:Can't wait.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yes it is popular, and that's part of the reason so many of the linux faithful hate it. Despite whatever many linux users claim about how it's the true best choice and everybody should use it, a good number of them like it specifically because it gives them computer hipster status. Ubuntu's popularity is a bad thing to them. if "the masses" use something, it -must- be bad, since the masses are idiots.
that said, rational discussion follows:
Having used both cinnamon (about a month) and unity (going on 3 months now I believe), I'll go out on the limb here and mention I actually prefer unity. for all the complaints i hear of "tablet interface", I swear I wonder if people don't realize you can resize the unity bar and unity icons. my unity bar and icons are only slightly larger than the windows 7 taskbar on the computer next to this one. Also, considering that on modern displays, horizontal screen space abounds and it is vertical screen space that is at a premium, I don't mind the taskbar on the left at all. I dig it actually.
I'm not saying I don't have any problems with unity, but 12.04's version at least (never tried any of the previous versions) isn't bad. I also applaud canonical for producing the first linux interface i've used that really feels as polished and modern as the competiting interfaces from apple and MS. sure maybe it's got a little knock on it here and there, but at least they're trying. good ole gnome 2 is rock solid and reliable but god is it boring and sterile. it feels like state-of-the-art circa 2001. unity has some character at least.
cinnamon is an interesting gnome3/gnome2 hybrid, but it was buggy as all fuck when last i used it in mint lisa. maybe it's better in the new mint? haven't tried mint again since I went to ubuntu 12.04.
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Yes it is popular, and that's part of the reason so many of the linux faithful hate it. Despite whatever many linux users claim about how it's the true best choice and everybody should use it, a good number of them like it specifically because it gives them computer hipster status. Ubuntu's popularity is a bad thing to them. if "the masses" use something, it -must- be bad, since the masses are idiots.
I love Xubuntu in spite of losing all my geek cred by using anything related to Ubuntu. I still use *BSD for servers and routers, so it's not like I'm a sellout, but I'd rather have a slightly unstable laptop/desktop than go to the effort of using a higher-cred distro that is similarly-unstable. Huge bonus points for being realistically-usable by people without special training.
I, for one, welcome a future where MS Windows is just an option among many.
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I've always been fascinated by the term hipster. Ignoring the usual fashion change that associated with white yoof. Its the whole liking ironically thing. Which as far as I can see is simply coping with being ashamed of liking best of low art [pop] culture of prior generation or non mainstream. The only ironic thing is its stuff I just like. I don't need to justify myself to society at large.
The bottom line is Linux is pretty good, and your talk of "hipsters"; "hate"; "fanboys" is ridiculous.
As for your res
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Good luck getting your $0 reimbursement check from Canonical. You think it's difficult to get in touch with a US company... try a South African one!
Re:Can't wait.... (Score:5, Interesting)
You joke, but the big benefit of computers sold with Linux pre-loaded (any Linux- even crap) is that there's a good chance that it'll be 100% Linux-compatible hardware. Makes life far easier when installing your actual distro of choice.
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And furthermore, no Microsoft tax.
We'll see (Score:2)
Last time I bought a Dell laptop, it was because I needed a high end laptop workstation, and it had to run Linux. I ended up buying a Windows one and putting ubuntu on it because ubuntu had restricted linux to only the really low end laptops.
At least they've got an ultrabook this time.
Is this announcement from Dell, or Canonical? (Score:4)
Is this announcement definitely from Dell, or is it more bullshit from Canonical? Canonical has previously announced various machines as coming with their Linux preloaded. Canonical claimed that for an EeePC model. [slashdot.org] Didn't happen.
Re:Is this announcement from Dell, or Canonical? (Score:5, Informative)
It most definitely did happen, but not in all geographies. Asus ships Ubuntu on a number of machines (including those EEEPc models), both online and in retail. Sorry that it is not available in your location - Canonical are working on expanding the reach of Ubuntu with Asus, Dell, and other OEMs.
-- A Canonical employee
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And I've tried a LOT of distros.
Fortunately I got rid of that crap and put Arch on it fairly quickly.
How could Asus (who make some good gear) put such (unsupported, unupdated) crap on their machines?
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Dell's official page for Project Sputnik [dell.com] legitimizes it.
Will it be any cheaper than Windows? (Score:5, Insightful)
Last time I looked at one of these Linux laptops, the price was higher than the $350 Windows laptop I saw at staples. Therefore it saved me money to buy the Windows version, download Lubuntu, and install a dual boot, rather than support Dell Linux offering.
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And Staples saved themselves having any support for Linux, testing for Linux, returns because the buyer didn't really want Linux or it didn't work out for them. And if you say geeks support themselves I think you'll find that switches quickly when they've paid for a Linux laptop, they'll be expecting that it works far more smoothly than a DIY install that may or may not run well on that model. If it did, great for you. Linux is niche. Niche usually means expensive to stock, expensive to test, expensive to s
Re:Will it be any cheaper than Windows? (Score:4, Funny)
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All that crapware that comes with your new PC pays for the Windows license AND a bit of the hardware. Software vendors basically beg, plead and bargain their way onto the default image with an OEM, and the OEM gets paid a per-unit fee for doing it.
Heck, M
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I rather suspect there is a lot less begging and pleading and a lot more forking over cash.
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Last time I looked at one of these Linux laptops, the price was higher than the $350 Windows laptop I saw at staples.
Product that sits on the shelves costs money. Successfully marketing the "Other OS" has always been a problem --- even Walmart couldn't crack that one. Dual inventory and support structures cost money. After-market sales in the Windows market are golden. The return is always better on the mass market product.
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Last time I looked at one of these Linux laptops, the price was higher than the $350 Windows laptop I saw at staples.
That's because the OEM makes a profit from the folks willing to pay to have their crapware preinstalled (Norton, AOL, Yahoo, whoever). It actually is cheaper for the OEM to pay ten bucks for the Windows license and make another $100 from the crapware firms. Windows users don't know any better, because all their computers come with crapware, but Linux users would scream bloody murder (I would,
Very cool, no Microsoft tax! (Score:4, Funny)
Now I can get a cheaper laptop and put on my pirated Windows 7 Ultimate! w00t!!!!!
(because *nobody* pirates the home edition)
Re:Very cool, no Microsoft tax! (Score:5, Funny)
"(because *nobody* pirates the home edition)"
Since you mentioned, I checked and (at the moment) this has 421 seeders and 145 leechers! Comedy Gold!
http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/6863991/Windows_7_home_premium_64_bit_by_(oldBen) [thepiratebay.se]
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Seems like every time I see some P4 with 1GB ram and Windows 7.. its Ultimate edition. Must be just my luck.
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Of course.
BTW, anyone can download a clean LEGAL .iso from digitalriver since it's the license key that matters. No point in warezing unless you like the package.
That makes it all even more amusing.
Really? (Score:4, Funny)
I've always reserved "skunkworks project" for what I thought were interesting, kinda secret, complicated pursuits.
You know, like the exact opposite of dell slapping ubuntu on a laptop and selling it on their website. ;)
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Or else maybe lockheed martin researchers got tired of making the next stealth plane and decided to go in a different direction.
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Yeah Lockheed is what everyone knows the name from, but it's been used elsewhere for a long time since. Their Skunk Works (tm) still exists and they've made attempts to protect the name and logo.
Looks like it's time to negotiate OEM pricing with (Score:5, Interesting)
Looks like it's time to negotiate OEM Windows pricing with Microsoft. Out comes the old pal, Linux, and stays there right up until Microsoft complies with Dell's demands. This is getting tiresome. It's the third or fourth time they've done this, there's no element of surprise to anyone but people with Alzheimers.
Re:Looks like it's time to negotiate OEM pricing w (Score:5, Interesting)
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>>>It's the third or fourth time they've done this,
Don't you mean second? You can draw a line with two points, but you can't establish a pattern. You can't claim this is Dell's modus operandi with only 2 samples.
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No. He means 3rd or 4th.
I can certainly remember 3 iterations including this one. If you just fell off the turnip truck just yesterday, then that's just you.
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Yep. Dell kept doing the same thing for years with AMD, threatening to start selling AMD-based systems to keep Intel motivated to give them sweetheart deals.
By the time Intel got tired of the tactic, the Core 2 had been released anyway so AMD was no longer the best. Kind of how Ubuntu's interface is no longer as-good-or-better than Windows' now that it's saddled with Unity.
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At least with Ubuntu it is easy to install any Linux DE you want it, but with Windows 8 you can't remove it.
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Looks like it's time to negotiate OEM Windows pricing with Microsoft. Out comes the old pal, Linux, and stays there right up until Microsoft complies with Dell's demands. This is getting tiresome. It's the third or fourth time they've done this, there's no element of surprise to anyone but people with Alzheimers.
Then I think they are doing it for the wrong reasons. They have with the launch of surface been sent a clear signal, "You are our bitch, It is our OS", we will take all the high end early adopter money, and we will keep all of your margins.
Dell needs to get going with a strategy that involves Coreboot; Libreoffice; dual boot android; full refund for windows + free penguin plush + credits; Chrome for Ubuntu Store; massive investing in Open source OS [hell their own closed source] and putting their skin all o
Cool! (Score:2)
$write you "Dude, you're getting a Dell"
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I wonder whatever happened to the "Dude, you're getting a Dell" kid. I'm betting drug addiction and eventual homelessness. Even as I write this, I bet he's somewhere selling his blood for crack. Kinda warms my heart.
Re:Cool! (Score:5, Informative)
On February 9, 2003, Curtis was caught attempting to buy a bag of marijuana on Manhattan's Lower East Side.[2] Curtis was arrested and charged with criminal possession of marijuana. Due to recognizability of Curtis, word of the arrest spread quickly through the media. A chain email of the story even cropped up as it was forwarded around the internet using the iconic parodied phrase "Dude, you're getting a cell!"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Curtis_(actor) [wikipedia.org]
Dell has never stopped selling Ubuntu machines (Score:5, Informative)
Even now, there are some notebooks [dell.com] available on their website, and you can probably get even more options when you ask them on the phone.
Comment removed (Score:3)
Dell XPS 13 Ultrabook (Score:2)
I was actually very interested in a XPS 13 Ultrabook. It had good reviews, a decent price and Linux would work on it. My only problem was that it supported a max for 4GB of memory. If it had at least supported 8GBs, I would probably own one right now.
*zzzzzzz* (Score:3)
I want a good laptop. Wake me up with Lenovo sells ThinkPads without Windows.
great idea (Score:3)
I'll buy (Score:2)
I currently have a MacBook Air, which is a nice piece of hardware, but I've yet to stamp out all issues (hangs on external display, random suspend borks, etc) running Ubuntu. If they deliver a laptop of similar quality with everything working nicely, I will buy it.
It's still a Dell. (Score:2, Informative)
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I'm posting this mainly because you mentioned Asus, and I've sworn an oath of vengeance against them.
Asus sucks. It seems to have started sucking recently, last year or two. But they suck.
Dell laptops crack within weeks. My Asus laptop fried itself within hours. And then took over a month to repair. And when I finally did get it back, it was in a cheap cardboard box instead of the original packaging they had insisted I use, and the power cable they had also insisted I return was half-missing as well. And th
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You're so right. The company I work for allows you to buy a Dell laptop for a certain budget. I can't choose anything else, even if I wanted to. So my new laptop was a Precision M4500 which has Windows pre-installed. I changed Windows to Linux and all was well. Until after a few weeks the battery would no longer charge. Fine, small problem and one call to CS ensured a new battery was shipped the next day. Then a few weeks later the keyboard malfunctioned. Okay, that was replaced as well. And then the charge
Downward slide (Score:2)
I actually bought a Dell back in 2000. First computer I bought for myself using my own money. It was a 2700$ Dell Dimension 4200. Had a PIII 800 in it. Seems expensive now, and the video card was rubbish (TNT32), but it was rock solid.
Literately the thing is so heavy and over engineered, I would take odds of it smashing other PC's to splinters and being just fine if you used it like a physically PC smashing device. It also came with a piddly PSU (by today's standards), I think it might have been 230W, but y
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You experience with Dell's graphics cards was similar to mine: about two years ago I needed to buy a new laptop, and I wanted something that might run Civ 5. The reports indicated the processor requirements weren't bad, but you needed at least a mid-range graphics card. Dell had their consumer / business line at $300-400, but had the cheapest integrated graphics possible; or their Alienware line that started about $1200 if I remember correctly. I wound up getting a refurbed Asus laptop for $750 from Newe
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Having said that, the first one that I had, back about 2006, wasn't worth the powder
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I'm still flogging a Dell Inspiron 9000d laptop. It's been through one display, one power supply, and one hard drive, all of which Dell shipped to me "free" under the terms of the only super-duper extended warranty I've ever bought (which did pay for itself). I also fed it a new battery a couple of years ago (the old one lasted forever, and didn't owe me anything).
It's 8 or 9 years old, by this point. Runs Windows 7 along with whatever else I throw at it with ease. I see no need to replace it.
It's been
as a long time Dell user... (Score:3)
As a user of Dell for Linux before the N Series came out and as a person that still uses an N series laptop and Ubuntu, I can tell you my next laptop, even if the are partnering with Ubuntu, will not be from Dell. Over the years I've felt pretty screwed over as a Linux user and the last re neg of their commitments to Linux users has convinced me to no longer be their customer. My next laptop purchase in on the horizon, and it will be from a vendor like System 76 or someone else that seems committed. Who knows when Dell will decide to defecate on the Linux community again.
Windows 8 also launches this fall (Score:3)
Lenovo make the best Ubuntu laptops (Score:3)
I was going to order a Dell with Ubuntu, but the price was almost the same!
Instead I buy lightly used IBM and Lenovo laptops and add Ubuntu. They rock.
Be nice if I could find Linux drivers for the fingerprint reader and my camera is kind of dark, but other than those minor niggles, they're great Ubuntu boxes.
Odd Marketing (Score:2)
Windows R8 response... (Score:2)
This is likely in response to Microsoft's announcement/memo to PC distributors that they are basically getting into the hardware business.
Dell: "Yeah, well we'll just use Linux then!" *pouty lip*
Dell does more harm than good for linux (Score:3)
Dell started offering Linux in 1999, not 2007. (Score:2)
Dell start selling PC's [sic] with Linux [slashdot.org] (although in 2001 Dell Drop[ped] Linux on Desktops and Laptops [slashdot.org]); also, AFAIK you have always (well, since at least the late 90s) been able to order PowerEdge machines from Dell with Linux pre-loaded (Red Hat Enterprise, natch), and Dell has been pretty good about supporting Linux on their servers (see, e.g., the Dell Linux Engineering Web [dell.com]).
Dell still makes laptops? (Score:2)
I thought they had strategized the paradigm to move everything to tabletspace vitally interlinked to all social media all the time. Laptops are so 3 minutes ago.
Re:Two steps forward, one step back (Score:5, Informative)
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It's interesting that Gartner doesn't include tablets running iOS or Android but they do include tablets running Windows. I wonder how they justify that? I wonder if Windows RT tablets will be counted as a PC?
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Dell is the fourth largest PC vendor in ...
a declining PC market.
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Are we looking at the same article?
They would have to lose another 50% to fall below ASUS.. and ASUS is still listed above "Others"
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I use and prefer their gear all the time. Every ASUS motherboard I have used has been an real pleasure to work with. I bought their transformer tablet and quite honestly, the only thing that bests it right now is the prime marginally and the infinity. I can overclock to 1.5ghz on stock and really the gap just narrows. The nexus 7 is only marginally faster, but lacks the lovely keyboard dock with sd card reader and powered (super useful!) usb port. Want the tablet to keep the usb port powered in sleep? Play
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Probably due to customer returns from people not knowing what linux is and getting upset when they found out that windows wasn't on the machine that they bought.
Re:Two steps forward, one step back (Score:5, Informative)
Did you ever actually look for the Linux laptops on Dell's web site? I did, and it wasn't like they plastered them on the home page. It's not like it was even a choice when you were configuring your system. You had to go to a special sub-site with few or no links from other pages. You really had to know where it was to get to it.
Trust me, people weren't buying Linux machines by accident.
Re:Two steps forward, one step back (Score:4, Insightful)
1) It's highly unlikely that anyone looking to buy a Windows laptop will accidentally type "Dell Linux Laptop" into Google. Prove to me that it can happen by accident.
2) That link only shows how to buy rack-based server hardware with linux. Even back in 2009, when Dell did sell consumer based machines with linux, they had a huge section of the website about linux, but it was all server-based information. You could spend an hour clicking link after link through the Dell linux site without finding the consumer products. Actually finding a link to configure a dell laptop or desktop model with linux pre-installed was nearly impossible. I know... I tried.
Re:Two steps forward, one step back (Score:5, Informative)
When I bought mine you had to go looking for the Ubuntu machines page; when you got there it explained very clearly, in non-technical language, that if you don't know what we're talking about you don't want one: go over here to buy a Windows machine. They thought that out ahead of time and were very clear about it.
Re:Two steps forward, one step back (Score:5, Insightful)
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And what about the cost of supporting an entirely different operating system? To have to train and pay for a linux-educated support staff surely represents an additional cost.
That's hilarious. For business support, they already have those people in the server division. For home or small business sales the people aren't trained anyway: it's just another call center script/q&a that needs to be written and sent to India.
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it could be a great way for dell to re-vitalize the brand, and a great way for linux to get into the home.
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I've worked at 4 businesses in the past 10 years, varying in size from a small enviornmental testing lab (about 10 total employees) up to a prominent cosmetics company owned by a global conglomerage, including a software company that had about 400 support technicians and a giant room full of enterprise servers.
each and every one of those sourced the vast majority of their workstations from dell, and a good number of servers as well.
in my experience, it's 'who ISN'T buying dell' anymore.
Hell, even I'm writin
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i should note, for on-topic's sake, that the dell laptop i'm writing this on -is- running ubuntu 12.04, but I put it on there, not them.
Re:Two steps forward, one step back (Score:5, Informative)
i should note, for on-topic's sake, that the dell laptop i'm writing this on -is- running ubuntu 12.04, but I put it on there, not them.
from the Project Sputnik FAQ:
You and everyone else, apparently.
Re:Two steps forward, one step back (Score:4, Funny)
I hate Windows as much as the next guy, but if they're bundling a $250B company with each XPS laptop purchased, even *I* want to get in on this promotion!
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Today you can order a XPS13 off dell.com which will come with Microsoft pre-loaded. I hate Windows as much as the next guy, but if they're bundling a $250B company with each XPS laptop purchased, even *I* want to get in on this promotion!
... hadn't thought of it that way....
Truth in advertising, bitches! You owe me a software giant!
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I hate Windows as much as the next guy, but if they're bundling a $250B company with each XPS laptop purchased, even *I* want to get in on this promotion!
I'll take two!
Argue with Dell if you don't want MS (Score:2)
Intentionally Damaging their Brand to Upsell it. (Score:5, Interesting)
"'who ISN'T buying dell"
Nor am I, nor will I ever. Back in the mid to late 90s DELL was an awesome system.
Anyone remember the Dimension 450? Anyway, in the early and mid-2000s, their overall service and quality level just tanked.
Intentionally so, actually. I am posting this as AC since I worked for Dell for a great many years as a Gold Tech Support Agent, and I don't particularly like the idea of being sued for letting the cat out of the bag.
The reason your service and quality level tanked -- why calls were outsourced to India, why parts became just a little bit flakey, etc -- was to give sales a reason to upsell you.
Yes, outsourced techs are cheaper (they make pathetically low wages), but they also gave us an opportunity to sell you a service contract to speak to an American for a vastly inflated price, and they make a killing doing so.
Yes, the cheaper parts are cheaper, but they gave us an opportunity to sell you a next day or 4 hour service contract for your hardware, rather than have you ship in the laptop or wait for service, and again, they make a killing doing so.
It's the latter (upsells) not the former (direct discounts) that Dell was interested in.
The higher ups were quite open with this when they were explaining why we couldn't help frustrated customers who India sent over to us -- if India couldn't fix something, and it was past 5 o'clock over there, they'd punt the customer over to us-- and we'd punt them right back, most of the time.
And yes, you can still get an American. When you buy your next Business model Dell, ask for a "Pro Support" warranty. Unfortunately, you won't get me, as my site (as well as all the Canadian sites) were outsourced... to Dell. They closed our site claiming they didn't need 3 Pro Support sites, then outsourced our jobs to a company Dell owns down in Florida -- but this way, they don't have to give benefits nor a fair wage. Ain't economics grand?
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It would be interesting to know who buys these.
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I have a Vostro V131n... it was $400 for a 13.3" laptop that tips the scales at just over 3lbs. And because it came from the business line of product rather than the consumer line, it included 1 year of next business day onsite hardware support at that price.
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I purchase Dell Precision N-series desktops at my workplace all the time.
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In Mexico it's as far as I know the only brand one can buy that doesn't have piss poor support (HP/Compaq, Acer), have the option of an USA keyboard, etc. Built your own? You must be kidding... parts are here both antique and overpriced (sometimes 2x as much as they used to cost in the USA). And if you want to order them, don't be surprised if you have to pay at least 50% in advance. And warranty? Good luck with that. Last time it took me 50 minutes of talking to get my 2 month (!) old router (well under wa
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as noted - selling it without the windows tax is significant. Only selling a high end model is not going to foster adoption, however. It's when they sell the low end models that Dell would actually matter. People who spend $1500 on a laptop are not as common as those who spend $500.
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I miss the 16x10 ratio screens on the e6x00 and e6x10 models. with the e6x20, dell caved to the "1366x768 res is synonymous with 'laptop'" BS that has been going on the past few years.
Also, I like the keyboard on the non-backlit e6x00s the best (what I'm using right now).
other than that, I agree. The 6x20 series is a fantastically built laptop. light, smooth, incredibly sturdy. it inspires confidance in its build quality.
It's attractive too, without being gaudy. For some reason, consumer laptops the past fe
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Or you could just install a distribution that includes things like mp3 support right out of the box.
Although it's not like it's hard to "install" support afterwards. You simply let Ubuntu do it's thing and stuff gets sorted out much better than they would under Windows or MacOS.
It's time to put the codec FUD to rest already.
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But you could still add medibuntu.org to your list of repositories.
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Two beers later and I still can't figure out what you're trying to say....?
In any case dell actually seem to put some effort into their BIOS version... As do ASUS.
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News flash: Dell has nothing to due with the hardware or BIOS in the laptops they sell.
I don't understand, maybe you mean they license the BIOS from third parties rather than produce their own. In fact Compaq did legally reverse engineering IBM's BIOS. There is no reason at all why they couldn't invest in coreboot, or create their own, other than time and money.
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In two years, first level support: "What is this Linux? You must reinstall windows 8 and send it back or warranty invalid!"
You need the right accent, too.
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What money? Dell's offerings have always been lackluster at best. If they have spent any money or other resources on them then that is genuinely and truly sad.