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Dell doesn't dump Ubuntu

theinquirer.net — In a follow-up to yesterday's inaccurate story The Inquirer has now posted a story in which Dell state that they are currently updating their notebook Ubuntu offering and that Ubuntu will continue to be available on both the Inspiron 530n desktop and Inspiron 6400n notebook as normal going forward.

Who dugg this? Made popular Nov 8, 2007

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31 Comments

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  • WhereAmI, on 11/11/2007, -0/+311. Make some false claim in a desperate attempt to get viewers to one of the worst website tabloids out there.
    2. Retract
    3. Profit this whole time due to ads.

    Please, don't submit or even look at theinquierer.net, its not good for you. Its the tech version of the tabloids at the local checkout.
  • schestowitz, on 11/11/2007, -8/+31See? I told you. As the headline says, "Dell doesn't dump Ubuntu in the UK (DOESN'T)." So the Inquirer got attention for spreading damaging disinformation which reached other sites that track the Inquirer and now it's a front page for correcting their mistake? They should be more responsible. They could phone Dell before publishing an article "Dell dumps Linux" because some forum threads had some blurb about it.
  • WhereAmI, on 11/11/2007, -2/+181. It's possible if Microsoft would make it.
    2. Companies and others are working on it.

    I'd like to see Aero do Compiz effects.
  • victorh86, on 11/10/2007, -2/+17Oh, I'm sorry. Were you trying to be funny and witty?
  • WhereAmI, on 11/11/2007, -1/+12It's not English. But I suppose to the common American idiot (I'm an American), its just gibberish and therefore worthless.
  • Tenoq, on 11/11/2007, -0/+11I'd like to see Vista perform as well as XP. :p
  • Mejogid, on 11/08/2007, -1/+11I don't get what's so dumb about Ubuntu - it's an African word that broadly summarises the goal of the distro. Gutsy Gibbon is intended to be slightly geeky, unintimidating and light hearted and I'd say it does that fairly well. Just because they don't join the cooperate monoculture of 'different' yet predictable names doesn't mean it's dumb. Take 'XP' for example - two essentially meaningless letters that happen to form part of 'experience': what's clever or meaningful about that?

    Oh, and replacing syllables with swear words has never been witty.
  • WhereAmI, on 11/08/2007, -1/+8As I said below, The Inquierer did it for the money (ads.) Just bury it, ignore it forever. The Inquirer would post anything if it got hits.
  • dukeinlondon, on 11/11/2007, -0/+7I wish Dell had something exciting in their Linux range. Hopefully a revamp will do that.
  • macoafi, on 11/11/2007, -0/+5I'd like to know how Direct X 10.1 improves my ability to use gcc, LaTeX, write code, and chat on IRC.
  • HonoredMule, on 11/11/2007, -0/+5Yeah, imagine something that's REALLY dorky and meaningless in English, like Samsung or Nintendo. Companies with stupid names like that will never make any headway in the western world.
  • schestowitz, on 11/08/2007, -5/+9> Its probably just a matter of time before Dell drops Ubuntu anyway

    No, on many occasions (I can provide references), Dell insisted that it's very pleased with the sales, which exceeded its expectations. That's also why Linux was made available in Europe (later on).
  • GMorgan, on 11/09/2007, -0/+4Your mistake is assuming that isn't normal. Nearly every product line ever envisioned originally had more support than they eventually saw in sales. Dell knew that it wouldn't translate into anything like the response they got in idea storm. They decided to go along with it in that knowledge.

    They will only drop it if they don't make a profit on it in any case, even if it was a lower profit than expected.
  • MikeN, on 11/08/2007, -0/+3I had thought about putting a question mark at the end of the story title I submitted yesterday and I wish I had done so in retrospect. Ho-hum...
  • technobabble042, on 11/08/2007, -1/+4I love the backlash from the Inquirer. It's so hilarious.
    Anyways, I doubt they'd drop Linux this quickly. They'd lose a *****-ton of power against Microsoft. "Well, we could pay your price, or we could just start pushing these Linux boxes..." They've also invested a lot in pushing companies to open up their specs. According to Phoronix, Dell was one of the major vendors pushing ATI to make better Linux drivers, or open the specs for it's cards.
  • technobabble042, on 11/11/2007, -3/+5I love every time the Inquirer posts something wrong. Just the backlash from people is hilarious. I doubt Dell would drop Linux this quickly, anyways. They'd lose a lot of leverage against Microsoft that way. "Well, we /could/ pay your price for Vista, or we could just advertise these Linux boxes..."
  • technobabble042, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2Ack, comment didn't show up after a few minutes so I retyped it and put it up again. Then it shows up. Digg me down, folks!
  • MeneerR, on 11/08/2007, -0/+2You are both right.
    Yes, only a small fraction of all linux users go out and bought a dell linux pc.
    Yes, Dell expected this, and therefor it can still be the case it is more than EXPECTED.
    Predicting the amount they are going to sell is one of DELL strongest expertises. Why you think they are this good with their formula (built on demand) compared to others.

    Dell expecting customers to buy a linux pc because they needed. A small fraction also bought one out of loyalty or because their current hardware did not have the best support in linux. This means they sold more than expected.

    But they never expected allt he ubuntu fanboys to run out and buy new hardware. This group of people aren't the types that buy a new pc very often. In the windows eco-system users buy a new pc to run a newer version of windows, or because they experience problems with the current pc. They do not understand that most of these problems are software related. So they buy a new pc and wow, its working ok again. Linux users aren't like that. Dell knew.

    Give them some credit. They don't need you to predict how much they going to sell. They knew.
    Still, 1% of all linux desktop users, might still amount to about 3% of all their sales. Because they have fewer competitors in this field. And the linux-only-specialized-vendors are just way more expensive. (which has to do with scale. dell gets really big discounts because they buy so much)
  • saturn5, on 11/08/2007, -2/+3Dell will always insist that sales are great. Sales would be even worse if they admitted they were poor. And if sales are really so great, why not release some of the numbers? Initially it may have been okay, but I'm sure sales dropped dramatically. That's why no other major vendor has offered Ubuntu. The "enthusiast" market for Linux is very small.
  • schestowitz, on 11/09/2007, -0/+1Two mistakes herE:

    * Dell's figures were leaked and they exceeded expectations by far (unless my sources were flase)

    * H-P, Lenovo, Epson, Acer and many other smaller companies followed Dell's footsteps.
  • brundlefly76, on 11/08/2007, -5/+5Its probably just a matter of time before Dell drops Ubuntu anyway - if you read the Linux Format (UK) article from last month with the Dell Linux department head, there were a hell of a lot more people who insisted that Dell carry Linux then there were people who actually *bought* one - sales of Dell Linux laptops have been poor.

    Which is completely understandable - I have *never* bought new hardware to run Linux (well except servers), thats what old hardware is for.
  • brundlefly76, on 11/08/2007, -2/+2Well, the Dell Linux guys need to get their story straight I guess, because thats what the guy in charge of the program told Linux Format.
  • burntfaceman, on 11/08/2007, -2/+2The article mentions "And the marketing man we spoke to perhaps knew not his backside from his elbow." I assume they're referring to someone from Dell.
  • ldog, on 11/11/2007, -2/+1If Dell would put something better than the E2160 chip on the Ubuntu desktop machines I'd probably take two of them. As far as I can tell if you want even a low end core2 duo(more L2 cache, VT extensions), you have to get one with a windows license.
    I've been putting my own together for years, but 4 to 5 hundred bucks for a decent desktop computer with a warranty isn't bad.
  • chillypacman, on 11/09/2007, -2/+0So it's fine to spread misinformation about Microsoft but we all have to realize what a tragic mistake has been made when some random Dell spokesperson gets his/her facts messed up?
  • WhereAmI, on 11/11/2007, -5/+2After some thinking, yes, if Microsoft programmed it it could do those things. If Microsoft programmed anything to do something chances are if its possible it will work. But will they do it? Will it be efficient? Chances are no, not now. Compiz Fusion needs some more media attention before Microsoft copies it. Chances are the next Windows will have it.
  • majortom1981, on 11/11/2007, -6/+0I am sure that the dwm can do the same things. Microsoft didnt program the theme to do those things. Windows blinds 6 uses dwm to do some impressive things under vista.
  • suo97119, on 11/09/2007, -7/+0Cake was a lie. How do we know Dell isn't a lie?
  • RyanDFA, on 11/11/2007, -17/+6Dell sucks
  • IllBeBack, on 11/11/2007, -15/+3I thought it was pretty funny. "Ubuntu" - dumbest name ever. Oh wait, that's not correct. "Gutsy Gibbon" - THERE'S the dumbest name ever.
  • inactive, on 11/11/2007, -32/+5Windows Vista is much better than Crapbuntu.

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