cs.uml.edu — With Dell's new Ubuntu offerings, everyone had been wondering how much cheaper, if any, an Ubuntu PC would be compared to a PC with Windows Vista on it. Now that Dell has actually posted their Ubuntu offerings, I've configured some similar PCs on their site and compared them. I'm pleasantly surprised - the Ubuntu machines are noticeably cheaper.
May 24, 2007 View in Crawl 4
nutcaseMay 25, 2007
Just buy buy Vista one, and then install Ubuntu, have both, an easy decision.
homunculiheadedMay 25, 2007
"Just download the Ubuntu disks for free - or even ask them to deliver it FoC! <a class="user" href="https://shipit.ubuntu.com/">https://shipit.ubuntu.com/</a>Try doing that with Vista ;)"I did, it works great: <a class="user" href="http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/academic/default.aspx">http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/academic/default.aspx</a>I'm not trying to be a vista fanboy, I love ubuntu, I just like free legal software, and anyone whose a CS students should know that they can get tons of useful MS software free, and legal.
slacker1031May 25, 2007
Here's issue #1 with all of this:If a customer is having trouble connecting to their wireless router with their computer, or connecting at all, who can they call? The only OS support Linux has to offer is online, and i know the dell call centers aren't equipped to handle anything to do with Linux. I had someone over today to fix my machine in the basement, and I asked him if he knew of anyone with problems with the Linux PC's off the line, and he said he wasn't even aware they came with it now. Granted that might just be one instance, but the question still remains, where is the OS support for the average user?
unitedatheismMay 25, 2007
What's the difference between having a free OS and none at all?Would you feel better if you know that there was never a ground for an operating system on your computer hard disk? Like some sort of virginity?
thisoldmageMay 26, 2007
<a class="user" href="http://othyr.com/?p=7">http://othyr.com/?p=7</a>blogspam of me making my argument that infact the opposite is true!
pctsguyMay 26, 2007
May I make a few observations if you please. To start off. I do technical support for one of the major computer manufacturers here in the USA. I have been doing Technical support for systems that ship with Windows Pre-installed since windows version 3.11. I originally worked for The company that was the first to ship a computer with a Prue-installed operating system. During a brief move to another part of the country I spent about a year working for one of the major Internet service providers in the country. These observations are in no particular order. 1 - Have you looked at the micrsoft website? Your first 2 tech support calls are free. After that you have to pay for support. And that is only if you purchased it at retail. 2 - One of the microsoft updates wiped out the the home page of the users of a major Internet service provider. These users were using the main page of the ISP and their home page was the ISP website. The update was for windows XP. The user would log onto the Internet and get a blank blue screen. The USP contacted microsoft with a request for assistance (after all it was a problem with a microsnot update) and the answer they got was "tough sh%$t, fix it on your own." Those were not the words , but that was the answer. When I left the ISP to move back to my home state the issue had still not been resolved. 3. We get quite a few calls from people who are suffering from the Microsoft Genuine Advantage (MGA). These people have had the misfortune of getting the automatic update for MGA. Once the update completes it scans their system and then tells them that their copy of windows is not genuine and in some cases shuts their system down. Formatting and restoring the system does not fix the problem because as soon as they go on the Internet windows tries to register and the customer ends up with the same problem. If they call microsoft they are told that they have to call their OEM. But we cannot fix it because A) Microsoft controls all the registration information, And B) Microsoft will NOT release the code to us so we can fix it. I bet that the3se people are beginning to wonder where the Genuine advantage is. 4 - Even if the cost for a Dell were the same whichever OS you choose, you still have to consider the cost of additional software. Have you priced Microsoft office lately? I think that I saw it for about $300 recently? I think I saw it for about $300 at Xmas time. What about Photoshop (not a microsoft product)? A Friend of mine got it recently for about $500 on sale. Yet comparable software to these and many other programs is available for free with Ubuntu/Linux. I have recently installed ubunto on 3 systems and it has worked fine. I am never going back to windows, The real Genuine advantage lies in choosing an operating system other than that provided by microsoft. That is My opinion. You may take it with as many grains of salt as you wish,
pctsguyMay 26, 2007
:-)
blackadderiiiMay 26, 2007
What are you paying for with a pre-built system with a supported OS?Not the parts. You're paying for a tested, supported hardware platform for the software you'll run, with a warranty if you want to use it.That's got value worth paying for. You know ACPI, hibernate, wireless and everything else are supported fully from day one on your laptop with zero effort. Again worth paying for.
chandonMay 28, 2007Submitter
They offer phone support through Canonical (the company that backs Ubuntu) for all of these machines. The support costs money, but it's available if you think you'll need it.
10001Jul 19, 2007
when the next president is a Marxist
10001Jul 19, 2007
among other things (like intel's poor plan) is infinite backwards compatibility. let old hardware die. MS doesn't believe in that. mmm bloatware
10001Jul 19, 2007
"Isn´t the whole Open Source community there to support the OS? "no. support isn't free. dell is selling support for a fully functional, OS-plays-well-with-hardware box