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doshindudeJul 28, 2010
Why not just sell desktops with blank hard drives and then just download a Linux distro for free? I mean, for all we know Dell is loading up the Ubuntu distros with crapware.Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
beson669Jul 28, 2010
Because people who buy these computers from a place like Dell would have no idea what you just said there. "A blank hard drive? Well how do I get on the internet to download that destro you're talkin bout?"
Besides if I wanted to have to go through the "trouble" of having to do that I would build my own system. I buy one from Dell so it's already done and I can just turn it on and go about my business.
Plus a vendor as large as Dell selling a blank desktop would never happen; they need an OS up and running to confirm everything is working as it should and any problems created happened from the user, not the company.
downwithoppJul 29, 2010
I'm scared of Destro, and also Cobra Commander.
xptweakerntnAug 3, 2010
I bought one of these computers from Dell with Ubuntu on it...a 530N. I bought it to actually speak with my money that I support the Linux movement. Love or hate Dell, they are trying something that years ago noone would have thought they would do. I'm sure they aren't selling a lot of them, but I bought one just to say that I like the idea. I've also started from the ground up on a Gentoo install, and also since buying this PC also installed a few hard drives and doubled the memory (because Dell charges twice as much for RAM as they should). I have been very satisfied with this machine.
adhomineeJul 28, 2010
Because well.. try pitching that as something you could sell to the average user.
itanshiJul 29, 2010
yeah it might be hard to believe, but i met a family that was on welfare with a still boxed pc by the front door. everyone has to have a computer as some sort of status symbol, but they have no idea what to do with it, much less how to download from the tubes. :/
cawpinJul 29, 2010
"for all we know Dell is loading up the Ubuntu distros with crapware."
You obviously haven't used one. They're plain Ubuntu boxes with a couple of extra repositories from Dell for special drivers.
haploJul 29, 2010
They already do so, if you ask nicely like I did: http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2008/02/11/dell-vostro-200-windows-tax-free-mexico.html
typing this from Ubuntu 9.10 running on a Dell Vostro 200 ST *without* having paid for a MS OS.
mweatherJul 29, 2010
"Why not just sell desktops with blank hard drives"
Because their OEM agreement with Microsoft says they can't.
haploJul 29, 2010
Nonsense, see my reply and tnoy's reply just above you...
rchargelJul 29, 2010
Because loading an "unlicensed" OS invalidates your factory warranty. They don't want to pay to support any POS you load onto your machine.
headhotJul 28, 2010
I guess Dell returned Microsoft's pay off since Dell got nails on their illegal intel deal keeping AMD out.
pfknineninesJul 28, 2010
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itwasonlyajokeJul 28, 2010
*Microsoft weeps*
enantiodromiaJul 29, 2010
I'm sure they still get their cut of every PC Dell sells, regardless of the OS installed.
mithrasinvictusJul 29, 2010
Yet they still weep.
keviniskoolJul 29, 2010
*Microsoft is largely indifferent to the idea of a non-default operating system*
enantiodromiaJul 29, 2010
Can you say that again without the double-negative?
donkiAug 5, 2010
No they don't. They know Linux makes a terrible desktop OS. Everyone who's not a freetard knows that.
halationeffectAug 11, 2010
Well, of course a kernel by itself makes a terrible desktop OS. Now STFU and get back under your bridge.
galvoJul 29, 2010
HOORAY
bicepJul 29, 2010
Awesome - my ideastorm.com requests came true:
Dell with accelerated graphics (ATI or NVIDIA):
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000000hrYAAQ
Desktop option (more easily upgradeable):
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000000hrYAAQ
rmxzJul 29, 2010
Lol - came true again.:)
Wonder how long it lasts this time.
(Typed on an nVidia-powered Inspiron 1505N which Dell shipped with Ubuntu in Jun 2007)
bicepJul 29, 2010
Right on.... Here's mine:
http://www.humans-enabled.com/2008/11/dell-inspiron-530n-nvidia-9400gt-ubuntu.html
scabnabbitJul 29, 2010
Wow.
I made a jab on a previous article basically saying: "Go figure."
I am very happily corrected.
dwtcJul 29, 2010
I don't know that I care for the headline -- "Dell Expands Ubuntu Linux Desktop Offerings"
They didn't have any desktops, and they added one. At one point in the past I know they had at least one model, possibly more.
A more accurate headline would have been "Dell Revives Ubuntu Linux Desktop Offerings". Or maybe Restores.
sixthreeJul 29, 2010
People who would buy a Dell are not people who would want to/know how to use linux.
ethana2Jul 29, 2010
Ubuntu seeks to become more easy to use than Mac OS X. We're revising descriptions in the software center so they're not geeky. We're implementing a global menu bar.
..And our website makes absolutely NO mention of Linux.
My mom uses Ubuntu and loves it.
enantiodromiaJul 29, 2010
cart before the horse
haploJul 29, 2010
Fail: http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2008/02/11/dell-vostro-200-windows-tax-free-mexico.html
In Mexico, right now, the best option (for me) is to buy a Dell. There is no NewEgg or something similar here, and parts you can buy in the little computer shops are outdated and/or extremely (think 50%+) overpriced. And the stuff one can buy in the Supermarket (HP/Compaq, Acer) is made for Latin America (crap, wrong keyboard for me). So in short: in Mexico, I buy Dell because the price is right and the quality is good. (My Latin American Acer died after a year or so, and the HP/Compaq I had to fix myself: http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2008/03/03/fixing-a-heatsink-problem-in-a-compaq-presario.html )
archiesteelJul 29, 2010
@sixthree: I know how to use Linux, and I bought a Dell mini laptop.
plainoldfoolJul 29, 2010
Oh wow. I guess I'm not smart enough for my Ubuntu/Win7 dualboot Inspiron 1501. That's for clearing that up for me.
sixthreeJul 29, 2010
@plainOldFool: "That's for clearing that up for me."
You can't even speak English.
plainoldfoolJul 29, 2010
::facepalm:: to myself.
mattbdJul 29, 2010
I own three Dell laptops, and have run Linux since early 2007. The oldest, which I got in 2004, now runs Slackware 13, while the other two both dual-boot Ubuntu and a version of Windows.
diggerlaterJul 29, 2010
So what is it gonna take to get new video games working on Ubuntu? Is anyone working on that?
absolutzombieJul 29, 2010
Steam is being ported to Linux
enantiodromiaJul 29, 2010
Which is good of course, but Steam is really just a game store. If there aren't games behind it, it's not that good akshully.
s73v3rJul 29, 2010
True, but that makes it easier for games to be sold on Linux. Also, that implies that most Valve games would be available on Steam.
cesclaveriaJul 29, 2010
Steam means that the Source engine is coming to Linux too. That gives us Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead, alien swarm, portal and some others as possible games on launch of linux steam.
absolutzombieJul 29, 2010
When Steam for OS X came out, code was found within the source that referenced linux, and Valve later confirmed they were going to port Steam and the Source engine, but haven't given a release date. The biggest hurdle to games being ported to OS X (and ultimately Linux) is that they had to port the engines from Direct3D to Open GL.
The first release of games on OpenGL showed the benefits of the optimized\mature D3D games, with frame rates considerably lower on the same machine running OS X vs Windows.
Games have been playable, but room for improvement for sure. My MBP gets 30fps in CS Source and TF2, running at native 1920x1200 resolution, which plays faster than scaling down (17" 2.8ghz core 2 duo, 4gb ram, GeForce 9600M GT 512MB). The updates seem to be consistently scaling up performance, but we're probably 6-12 months away from games really optimized for the hardware.
AgentGotseJul 29, 2010
Officially Valve hasn't made an announcement regarding this, but there are many hints that suggest they are trying to port it. Phoronix has found several clues about this and the Telegraph has confirmed it.
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=valve_steam_announcement&num=1
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7715209/Steam-for-Mac-goes-live.html
Moreover Postal 3 (release 2011) which is based on the Source engine will support linux as well. My opinion is that we willsee the steam client released with or before Postal 3 somewhere in 2011, but I doubt it will come out by the end of the summer, which used to be rumoured around May.
theosterJul 29, 2010
start telling the companies that you want a linux version. eventually it will be seen as a legit market (i.e. a money making market). not only that, but open standards on the scale of OSes and Major apps is still in its infancy. the big corps will sooner or later see the benefit of coding in/for them.
saranagatiJul 29, 2010
Buying desktops from OEMs with linux installed on them would be a good start on getting that movement really moving. From what i read (haven't looked into it yet), dell is selling the ubuntu systems at the same price as the windows systems which means they're making a larger profit from those machines. If enough people started buying them, the OEMs could/would put more pressure on the gaming industry to create games that could run on linux (really they just need to switch to using opengl instead of direct3d which isn't THAT huge of a switch). They would do this because they would be making a better profit by selling ubuntu systems instead of windows and linux would eventually become common enough that everyone knows someone who runs it already and could ask them for advice.
absolutzombieJul 29, 2010
I shopped these systems a couple of weeks ago for a project at work (we have a Dell business account) - the same machines were running about $50 less with Ubuntu, than Windows 7.
saranagatiJul 29, 2010
oh ok, that's what i had remembered from when dell first started selling them. in the comments for the article a few days ago when dell removed them from the site i recalled seeing a few people saying dell was selling them for the same price as the windows machines. Even still i'd imagine dell is making at least a little more profit from the linux machines.
absolutzombieJul 30, 2010
I'd be willing to bet its null - I can't imagine M$ charges much more than $50 per license for a big manufacturer like Dell. I'm guessing they're also not just throwing a stock Ubuntu install on and and calling it good - they've spent some programming\engineering time creating and maintaining the images they're installing on the Linux machines. The lower volume spreads those costs out over a lot less machines. They still offer normal support for those machines too - so they've got to train workers, etc etc.
I ended up having to buy some off the shelf $350 laptops from Best Buy, because I was on a tight deadline, and really wished I wasn't having to pay for the Windows 7 licenses they came with. Installed Ubuntu straight away, and while they were s**tboxes, Ubuntu ran really well - I did a couple pseudo power-up tests and Ubuntu booted, logged in, firefox started, and iGoogle loaded; before a twin machine with Win7 had even finished booting.
halationeffectAug 11, 2010
>> dell is selling the ubuntu systems at the same price as the windows systems which means they're making a larger profit from those machines
Not necessarily. They get paid for all the crapware they pre-load on Windows machines, which significantly offsets the cost of the Windows license.
scottussJul 29, 2010
Get a games console?
loudmusicJul 29, 2010
Ignoring all the comma splicing in the article, the PCs look good. I might actually buy one!
bicepJul 29, 2010
Awesome - my ideastorm.com requests came true:
Dell with accelerated graphics (ATI or NVIDIA):
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000000hrYAAQ
Bring back the desktop option (more easily upgradeable):
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000000g12AAA
Now if they just start selling Ubuntu GNU/Linux at Walmart...
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000000iVCAAY
Comment is buried, click here to see the rest.
bicepJul 29, 2010
Now if they would just sell them at Walmart...
http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000000iVCAAY
mithrasinvictusJul 29, 2010
I don't care what comes preinstalled, inserting a DVD is not rocket science.
It would be enough if they confirmed hardware compatilility their site.
waspbrJul 29, 2010
dude, to some people it may very well be. I was talking to this girl the other day and she confessed that until last week she though that twilight and tweeter were the same thing.
Do not underestimate the computer illiteracy of the common folk
abxbxJul 29, 2010
Ubuntu is great.
nascenttJul 29, 2010
Well considering they stopped offering any Ubuntu options when buying from the dell website, this isn't good enough.
haploJul 29, 2010
I managed to order a Vostro 200 ST without a MS OS two years ago by nicely insisting to stick with the text on their site (with any software you want installed, so I asked for FreeDOS :-)) : http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2008/02/11/dell-vostro-200-windows-tax-free-mexico.html
But I am happy that Dell keeps supporting pre-installed Linux systems.
Also, Dell does develop OSS (e.g. DKMS).
cmostJul 29, 2010
This is all well and good but when you peruse Dell's site, specifically the PC and notebook systems mentioned in this article, you see nothing but Windows offered as an OS choice and no mention whatsoever of Ubuntu being offered as an option. WTF!?! As per usual, the Ubuntu PCs will be very hard to find, not much cheaper than their Windows bearing counterparts, and a pain in the ass to purchase. As a result, few will buy them and then Windows pundits will proclaim how Linux isn't ready for the mainstream. Yada yada yada. Personally, I wouldn't bother with a Dell anyway. "Dude, you're getting screwed!"
Closed AccountJul 29, 2010
I just with they had an option to buy any machine without OS. most Linux users will reinstall OS anyways, so why not save a few bucks?
rdarylJul 29, 2010
I'm sure Canonical is pretty happy to hear that Dell's still pre-loading Ubuntu on their machines.
shinkouJul 29, 2010
It looks like Dell Japan is not offering what the PR manager said.
http://www1.jp.dell.com/jp/ja/home/desktops/studio-xps-7100/pd.aspx?refid=studio-xps-7100&s=dhs&cs=jpdhs1&~ck=mn
It's not even available through the customization. :(
http://configure.apj.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=2098bprem&c=jp&l=ja&s=dhs&cs=jpdhs1
cantormathJul 29, 2010
Sweet.......
tedwardkJul 29, 2010
Dude......
parboJul 29, 2010
Ubuntu was an easy switch for me. If you haven't tried it, maybe you should.
I won't say it's for everybody, but it wasn't hard to use, wasn't hard to set up or install. And, you can try it without even uninstalling windows (with wubi, it installs in windows, right in your program files)
reaper527Jul 29, 2010
is there a reason to get it installed as the default os? last time i looked into it, there was no price savings over getting a machine with a windows license. i could understand taking it if it had better hardware for the same money as a windows machine, or if the price was dropped to accommodate for ubuntu being free while windows is not, but that wasn't the case. why not take the windows license and install ubuntu yourself?
vip3r007Jul 29, 2010
I haven't looked lately but I when I originally looked when Dell first sold systems with Ubuntu there was no price difference, but there should be a price difference.
jasonkostempskiAug 9, 2010
Does this mean Digg will have new 'Popular' Linux articles more often that once every two weeks? Did Linux go on vacation for the whole year?