Dell will use Ubuntu - bit-tech.net Forums

The_Pope · 2nd May 2007, 09:51

If you were Dell, which flavour of Linux would you have chosen? Is offering Linux the right move for Dell?

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/05...ll_use_Ubuntu/

Jamie · 2nd May 2007, 09:54

Not on the UK store?

bilbothebaggins · 2nd May 2007, 11:45

While I think Ubuntu is a great product - I use it myself and have installed it on the PC of my parents - I shiver to think what will happen if the average, windows trained, computer user tries to use these.

It will be interesting, though I really fear neither Dell nor Linux nor Ubuntu will get a positive feedback out of this ...

*crosses fingers for Ubuntu*

br,
-btb-

p3n · 2nd May 2007, 12:09

Why on earth do you need linux preinstalled ? Surely they should just add an option for no OS and let people decide as after all its free...

konsta · 2nd May 2007, 12:21

For exactly the same reason as any OS is preinstalled....

labr@t · 2nd May 2007, 12:31

be great

Glider · 2nd May 2007, 12:46

How much as I dislike Ubuntu, I think this is a great step for Linux.

The average Windows user will cope just fine with Ubuntu. After a week they would have forgotten Windows

mclean007 · 2nd May 2007, 13:00

Will it be cheaper than the Windows equivalent though? If so, I can envisage a substantial minority purchasing the Linux version, zapping it and installing a less than wholly legitimate copy of Windows to save a few $£€. Heck, I'd zap Windows from a Dell PC and reinstall clean anyway - who knows what kind of crud the Dell installer monkeys put on there!

Glider · 2nd May 2007, 13:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by mclean007

Will it be cheaper than the Windows equivalent though? If so, I can envisage a substantial minority purchasing the Linux version, zapping it and installing a less than wholly legitimate copy of Windows to save a few $£€. Heck, I'd zap Windows from a Dell PC and reinstall clean anyway - who knows what kind of crud the Dell installer monkeys put on there!

Like there is a marginal minority that does that today on homebuilt PC's...

bilbothebaggins · 2nd May 2007, 13:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

...
The average Windows user will cope just fine with Ubuntu. After a week they would have forgotten Windows

That remains to be seen. Insofar this is an interesting experiment by Dell

Veles · 2nd May 2007, 14:02

They'll probably charge £50 for the bother of putting a free OS on there.

mclean007 · 2nd May 2007, 15:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glider

Like there is a marginal minority that does that today on homebuilt PC's...

True, but I don't see Microsoft being too happy about Dell pitching consumer PCs at a lower price with no MS OS installed. First, it will encourage piracy, and secondly, it will reveal to some extent the cost to Dell of Windows licences.

Confused Fishcake · 2nd May 2007, 19:54

While I only use linux, and would never have windows on any of my pcs, I'm dubious of this new move. The average person is going to either not try it at all, or more likely:
1- Buy a Dell pc with Ubuntu installed
2- Have no idea what to do, post some useless post on the Ubuntu forums
3- Find out that their new game/software won't run (Yes I know wine rules, but its not easy enough for your average user)
4- Get seriously pissed of at Ubuntu, Dell, and Linux, and buy a copy of windows, and pay for it to be reinstalled. This will badly damage the reputation of linux among scared new users.

TBH, anyone who cannot install ubuntu on their own will never be able to use it.

Hamish · 2nd May 2007, 20:20

be good for situations where you need a fairly large number of basic machines, internet cafes etc, that would set you back a lot in windows licenses

mattthegamer463 · 2nd May 2007, 20:43

Ubuntu drove me insane in wholly 20 minutes, I could never see a average or above average PC user who's ever used a Windows PC being able to do anything on Linux. "Just use WinZip" his friend says. WinZip doesn't work for Linux he finds out quick so he has to search the internet for the equivalent Linux program to do the job for him. Viewing a funny picture now became a 30 minute webhunt and Linux nerd jargon-translation, and the end result is a very annoyed consumer with a picture of a beaver in a hat.

Perhaps a 30 day Windows trial and an included Ubuntu Live and Install CD included in the bundle? That gives the consumer a chance to weigh their options at least.

Bogomip · 2nd May 2007, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Pope

Is offering Linux the right move for Dell?

I'm a seasoned gamer and computer enthusiast, I regularly use PCs in all of their glory and have been around long enough to know a large amount of programming languages in some capacity and even DOS commands!

I installed Ubuntu the other day - the simple linux. 2 days and much pain and misery later the graphics work!

Linux isn't the right move for dell - people who use linux really want to work for their computer to do stuff, people who buy dell really hope AOL and the internet comes pre-installed, in my personal experiance. You can't give people a system that isn't going to run the games they want, that isn't going to be able to run the program off your NTL disk to install the internet and isn't going to be fixable if it breaks.

edit: And I can honestly see no reason to use linux over windows except for cost - security is only a matter of not visiting dodgy sites (which people probalbly would tbh) and as for stability, my linux crashed all the time - not good at all. Back to windows now though, ah sweet bliss

Aankhen · 3rd May 2007, 00:08

I wonder just how much their support calls will go up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bilbothebaggins

Insofar […]

"I do not think that word means what you think it means."

2nd May 2007, 09:51	#1
The_Pope Geoff Richards Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: UK Posts: 2,089	Dell will use Ubuntu If you were Dell, which flavour of Linux would you have chosen? Is offering Linux the right move for Dell? http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/05...ll_use_Ubuntu/

2nd May 2007, 09:54	#2
Jamie bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 7,621	Not on the UK store? __________________ bit-tech hosted by tsohost.co.uk twitter \| flickr \| last.fm \| moot \| PSN Jayseeyou

2nd May 2007, 12:46	#7
Glider /dev/null Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Belgium Posts: 4,102	How much as I dislike Ubuntu, I think this is a great step for Linux. The average Windows user will cope just fine with Ubuntu. After a week they would have forgotten Windows __________________ There Are 10 Types Of People, Those Who Know Binary and Those Who Don't

2nd May 2007, 13:00	#8
mclean007 Officious Bystander Join Date: May 2003 Location: Nodnol Posts: 1,597	Will it be cheaper than the Windows equivalent though? If so, I can envisage a substantial minority purchasing the Linux version, zapping it and installing a less than wholly legitimate copy of Windows to save a few $£€. Heck, I'd zap Windows from a Dell PC and reinstall clean anyway - who knows what kind of crud the Dell installer monkeys put on there! __________________ Demand Naked DSL in the UK!

2nd May 2007, 19:54	#13
Confused Fishcake Hypermodder Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Hertford, UK Posts: 684	While I only use linux, and would never have windows on any of my pcs, I'm dubious of this new move. The average person is going to either not try it at all, or more likely: 1- Buy a Dell pc with Ubuntu installed 2- Have no idea what to do, post some useless post on the Ubuntu forums 3- Find out that their new game/software won't run (Yes I know wine rules, but its not easy enough for your average user) 4- Get seriously pissed of at Ubuntu, Dell, and Linux, and buy a copy of windows, and pay for it to be reinstalled. This will badly damage the reputation of linux among scared new users. TBH, anyone who cannot install ubuntu on their own will never be able to use it. __________________ My Laptop: Inspiron 1501: Turion64 X2 TL-52 @ 1.6GHz, 1GB DDR2, 120GB SATA HD, 256Mb ATI 1150, 15.4" widescreen lcd, 8x DVD+/-RW, running Gentoo amd64. My Server #1: Pentium III @ 500MHz, 192MB DDR, 290GB in total, running headless Gentoo x86. My Server #2: Athlon 4 @ 1.7 GHz, 128MB DDR, 40GB, running headless Gentoo x86.

2nd May 2007, 11:45	#3
bilbothebaggins Multimodder Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Austria Posts: 113	While I think Ubuntu is a great product - I use it myself and have installed it on the PC of my parents - I shiver to think what will happen if the average, windows trained, computer user tries to use these. It will be interesting, though I really fear neither Dell nor Linux nor Ubuntu will get a positive feedback out of this ... crosses fingers for Ubuntu br, -btb-

2nd May 2007, 12:09	#4
p3n Hypermodder Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 737	Why on earth do you need linux preinstalled ? Surely they should just add an option for no OS and let people decide as after all its free...

2nd May 2007, 12:21	#5
konsta Multimodder Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: London Posts: 92	For exactly the same reason as any OS is preinstalled....

2nd May 2007, 12:31	#6
labr@t What's a Dremel? Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: UK stowmarket Posts: 15	be great

2nd May 2007, 20:20	#14
Hamish I Mod, Therefore I Own Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: London Posts: 3,587	be good for situations where you need a fairly large number of basic machines, internet cafes etc, that would set you back a lot in windows licenses

2nd May 2007, 20:43	#15
mattthegamer463 Mod Master Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 2,805	Ubuntu drove me insane in wholly 20 minutes, I could never see a average or above average PC user who's ever used a Windows PC being able to do anything on Linux. "Just use WinZip" his friend says. WinZip doesn't work for Linux he finds out quick so he has to search the internet for the equivalent Linux program to do the job for him. Viewing a funny picture now became a 30 minute webhunt and Linux nerd jargon-translation, and the end result is a very annoyed consumer with a picture of a beaver in a hat. Perhaps a 30 day Windows trial and an included Ubuntu Live and Install CD included in the bundle? That gives the consumer a chance to weigh their options at least. __________________ Latest Work: Boombox Build Project PCB- Complete Digital Picture Frame 2.0- Complete RumbleMouse - Complete Latest Project: TestPC- Complete Lian-Li PC7: C2D E6600, XFX 8800GTS 640MB, Corsair 2GB PC6400, 320GB Seagate Barracuda, EVGA 680i SLi, OCZ 850W