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48 Comments
- davidrools, on 12/20/2007, -0/+27Nice to see they're actually putting in some effort to improve the Linux/Dell experience.
- infiniphunk, on 12/20/2007, -0/+20Yes, a linux desktop that "just works" -- not an easily accomplished task in a world of hardware manufacturers that are hostile to open-source and tied up in agreements with certain giant software vendors. Anywhere you look at linux having problems in a desktop environment, you will see cheap hardware from companies who only allow drivers to be developed for Windoze.
I for one applaud Dell in their efforts to offer Ubuntu for desktops and notebooks, in addition to their continued commitment of offering other distros on their line of servers. Gradually, they'll start selling more of them, and before long other PC vendors will follow suit with their own linux desktop products. - danielsamuels, on 12/20/2007, -7/+25"the Adobe Flash player installed by default"
Epic. - Vektuz, on 12/20/2007, -1/+18Thats actually a good thing.
The free non-proprietary version of the flash player is great for most things but theres plenty it just doesn't work with yet. On a philosophy of "it must just work" out of the box, the free one is not an option, so this makes sense.
Basically dell has decided that if they have to choose between something working for everyone, and something being opensource and free but not working correctly, they choose the one that works. - Vektuz, on 12/20/2007, -0/+17a linux desktop that "just works"
Wow. You'd think that someone would have thought of that revolutionary concept sooner. ;p
Yeah, this is a bit snarky, but its about time someone said "you know, just working out of the box" has to take priority over all other considerations - Phate8263, on 12/20/2007, -0/+14I read recently that they had shipped in the neighborhood of 40,000 ubuntu units thus far (maybe someone can verify?).
at 500 bucks a pop for a conservative estimate, thats 20 million in revenue. If they make even 10%, that is 2 million dollars profit.
That sounds like a big mistake to me?!? - infiniphunk, on 12/20/2007, -0/+12and your reasoning behind that statement is?
- sesstreets, on 12/20/2007, -0/+12So it just works?
- daengbo, on 12/21/2007, -0/+10For pay versions of Linux have done this stuff for a while, you know ... as far back as Xandros 1.0 in 2001, I think. There are lots of "just works" editions, but they cost money and few people pay for them, opting for the free-but-set-it-up-yourself method of install. Ubuntu has a mandate to maintain one, completely free version. By default, that can't include such non-free stuff as mp3 and CSS for DVDs.
Ultimately, "you know, just working out of the box" is in the domain of the OEMs. The manufacturers will add whatever proprietary bits they need to get to make the system work. They'll also pressure the hardware suppliers for drivers which make the OEM's job easier.
Let Free software developers go where they want to go. With hundreds of thousands of developers, there's room enough for everyone to follow their own stars. - openguru, on 12/20/2007, -3/+10Cool..
- TheZorch, on 12/21/2007, -1/+8To all those pundits who said that Linux would never become mainstream nor be adopted by the major PC manufacturers ... IN YOUR FACE!!!
This is the best thing to happen to Linux in a really, really long time. Linux is getting the attention it deserves and is being positioned as the viable alternative to Windows that we've always known it to be. - z0mbie2099, on 12/21/2007, -0/+7I don't think there was an argument on choosing Gnash over Adobe Flash. And I don't certainly think Dell was trying to undermine Open Source either.
- Stonekeeper, on 12/21/2007, -0/+6If you doubt Dell's commitment to linux, check out their impressive list of projects: http://linux.dell.com/projects.shtml
- spltimg, on 12/21/2007, -0/+5I have to give props to Dell for actually caring about Linux. They didn't just slap it on some computer and push them out the door. Instead they are working hard to get manufactures on board and finding solutions to common Linux annoyances. If all the tech bloggers are right (2008 is the year of Linux) this will certainly give them a leg up. Thanks Dell
- kitejumping, on 12/21/2007, -0/+4x3100 is blacklisted because it doesn't support direct rendering to redirected windows, from what i have heard Intel gma950 runs it better. I use an 8800gt on my desktop with dual monitors and compiz-fusion runs perfect with all the effects at an insane frame rate. (about 750fps spinning the cube, 250-300fps with cube transparency and glxgears inside the cube)
- rogerbly, on 12/21/2007, -0/+4well said. that is way a free OS will go to the next level... OEMs packaging up free with proprietary and driving the ecosystem to support it.
- andycr512, on 12/20/2007, -3/+7And more to the point, why would they be expanding it even further if it's a failure instead of just canceling it? Even I expected it to fail, since people who want Linux generally already have a PC and just put it on it, but it hasn't; rather, it's been a big success.
- gudnbluts, on 12/21/2007, -0/+4FTA:- "a second option to restore their OS, in addition to the reinstallation partition already located on the hard drive"
Because all laptop owners love to have a reinstallation partition taking up a load of their disk space. - Hello1024, on 12/20/2007, -3/+7I just hope all those "extras" dell includes are installed properly with the package manager so they're easy to remove and aren't just hacked on.
- pgm_01, on 12/21/2007, -0/+4LinDVD, InterVideo's Linux software DVD player, is currently available only to manufacturers for evaluation and integration.
http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/Product_Profile.jsp? ...
Intervideo is part of Corel. Google always knows the answer! - Gavagai80, on 12/21/2007, -0/+4That old software doesn't open formats created after it was released, and newer software can? Not really.
- zwaldowski, on 12/21/2007, -0/+4Um... when you have a 250GB+ hard drive, it's not really a problem. You are right, though.
- DBNKR, on 12/21/2007, -0/+3They need to get X3100 working properly with compiz + watching videos. Guess that goes for all who uses x3100 in their laptop lines.
- kitejumping, on 12/20/2007, -1/+3I don't know if anyone else here has tried running compiz fusion with x3100 integrated graphics, but its far from stable... (at least video playback works if you use the X11 plugin) I use kubuntu, which might be causing some of the problems. They include:
* When using shiff switcher cover / flip the previews disappear after a while
* Sometimes windows fail to redraw, unless you resize or minimize the window
* Other times it will just cease to work, and you'll have to reload it.
* (not to mention the lack of direct rendering to redirected windows)
Hopefully if dell is using x3100 there will be some decent drivers available by the time they release this. - Garfunkel, on 12/21/2007, -0/+2I congratulate Dell on their effort to please customers by providing choice. Unlike competitors like HP who shaft their customers aside for choosing to run Linux, Dell supports them.
- jancewic, on 12/21/2007, -0/+2www.linux.dell.com
- TheWindBlows, on 12/22/2007, -0/+2Gnash throws everything on youtube off balance on firefox, doesn't respond correctly it was a horrid...experience for me, and this was last week...
- crazybrit, on 12/21/2007, -0/+2I'd like to add that it's not hard at all to install this stuff by yourself. I don't see what the big deal is.
- andycr512, on 12/20/2007, -0/+2Intel video cards have always been pretty shaky on any platform, not to mention bad visual quality and poor speed. However, I don't think that all you describe can be attributed to the hardware itself, so I hope they fix it.
- ha1f, on 12/20/2007, -2/+4make it yourself
- gudnbluts, on 12/21/2007, -0/+2True, but when you have a 40Gb HD, and 9 of those are taken up with a recovery partition (as with the last Compaq lappy I bought), you do briefly roll your eyes before reaching for the ubuntu Live disk.
- theaceoffire, on 12/21/2007, -0/+1I bought prebuilt for my GF so that she wouldn't have to worry about issues and still have a very nice system. Convenience wise it was very nice, and it is still doing great so long later.
- Fratz, on 12/22/2007, -0/+1Good find! If you don't go through the Google backdoor, intervideo.com redirects to corel.com, and still no mention of LinDVD. I really wonder why they aren't even showing a product page for it. If they have something to sell, even to a limited market, why not at least reproduce the page you linked to? Let's hope Dell makes good on their offer to make the software available for general sale next year.
- djbon2112, on 12/20/2007, -0/+1I'd say "average users tired of Windows" or "people wanting a free [as in beer] OS", but given their pricing scheme right now I can't say either is really working.
- 0x1B, on 12/21/2007, -0/+1I just configured a system on Dell's web site. They come with an NVidia card (a GeForce 8300GS, though for $100 you can upgrade to an 8600). Should run compiz just fine.
- willcode4beer, on 12/21/2007, -0/+1trying to figure that out too.
Hell, I am willing to pay for a decent Linux DVD player - truck87bp, on 12/21/2007, -0/+1Dell has positioned itself to be the PC leader and will be, within a few short years. Good move Dell.
- shifty2, on 12/21/2007, -0/+1I have a slightly older Latitude... i wonder if the re-install DVD iso will work with my laptop 100%. the hardware specs are nearly identical except for the video card NV110 or 7300go. I hope the video drivers are not specifically for the 8x00 series cards only.
- gudnbluts, on 12/21/2007, -0/+0I'd consider it. Laptops are notoriously difficult to set up (always take a lot of fiddling). Knowing every bit of hardware in it was compatible would certainly make me more confident about buying it.
- Fratz, on 12/21/2007, -1/+1LinDVD doesn't even show up in a search on Corel's site. So how did Dell get them to sell them a product that they don't admit that they have?
- Artemis3, on 12/21/2007, -2/+1This is one of the known problems with current xserver-xorg-video-intel (and i810) (open) drivers. Please don't use compiz-fusion (turn desktop effects off) to avoid problems with video playback and 3d gaming.
- schoate09, on 12/21/2007, -2/+1A lot of that stuff isn't so well supported on 64-bit linux. That which is, is often unstable, and at currently very little of a performance boost, thus, it's not really worth it.
- inactive, on 12/20/2007, -4/+2Linux mint i think has all of this install, problem is no 64bit version. Can someone not make an ubuntu 64bit version with everything setup in the install ? like flash, codecs, compizfusion, etc
- psyclonic, on 12/21/2007, -3/+0what I forgot to mention - got a Powerpoint file the other day with a pptx extension and no luck opening it with my old Office 03 running on XP - had to use the Wal-Mart linux box with gOS to view it - ain't it ironical?
- psyclonic, on 12/20/2007, -7/+1Ubuntu 7.10 and E17 as gOS works right out of the box. Way to go Wal-Mart - not bad for $200
- cptnspoon, on 12/20/2007, -8/+0Still not 100% sure what kind of market they're targeting with this. I love my Linux but I'd never buy prebuilt from Dell.
- musntSurfatWork, on 12/20/2007, -15/+1Dude, you're still getting a DELL?
- TheKarmaCrip, on 12/20/2007, -41/+1This has got to be the biggest mistake Dell has ever made.
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