Dell's Ubuntu love-in expands to new laptops Linux lovers take note, Dell is feeling another round of the community spirit tugging on its heartstrings. The Round Rock vendor said it will pre-load the Ubuntu operating system on two new boxes, starting early next month. It's also arming its current selection of Ubuntu PCs and laptops with an updated version 8.04 (AKA …
The 'n' refers to "Non windows"
Why not "Non OSX"?
Or "Non BSD" even?
I mean really. Why couldn't they just add an "L" for "Linux" for chrissake?
It seems to me that every time Dell tries to pander to the geeks who demand Linux they will also do something to obfuscate the relevant models from the non-geek public.
We wouldn't want Joe Sixpack to see the dreaded 'L' word somewhere on our website or brochures now, would we? Uncle Bill might get upset.
Coincidentally, I went to Dell's website today to check out how the Ubuntu machines were now (after a few weeks, and since my 6 yr old machine is starting to feel its age) and was pleasantly surprised that they now upgraded the OS, and there is more choice of hardware customizations than a few weeks ago. Including a couple of Quad Core options at least (besides some Duals), yummy... Without monitor, some $400 (I'll upgrade the memory myself, Dell charges too much for theirs -- c'mon, you can find 4GB of PC2 6400 for $80-90). And yes, they do offer a couple of video cards there alongside the default on-board Intel video. More choices of desktop options instead of just laptops would be nice too.
They are supporting the OS on their machines, which is good, but, at last in France, you never find discount or special offer bundled with Ubuntu.
So I finally went for a Vista laptop just to install Ubuntu later on : it was clearly cheaper, even if I count as a Vista user for them.
On a side note : if they didn't review their hardware, let me tell you that the Inspiron 1525 has fairly noisy fans which runs every five minutes whatever your usage of the laptop...
Balmer because he likes this Vista license sell even if I don't use it !
"Dell also said it has taken steps towards making Linux more accessible to a global marketplace by adding the ability to select different languages during the first boot."
Sorry, Dell, I think you're taking credit for something Ubuntu's alternate installer was designed to do. As shown here: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Ubuntu_OEM_Installer_Overview OEM mode install starts up in a "I'm not sure who this new user is, so I'll ask some l10n/i18n and account questions" by design. Sorry to be picky and there's no doubt they're doing a great service for the open source movement but, as the BSD license hints, "Do anything but don't claim you wrote it."
Yes, the screenies are from Dapper, but this functionality was in Feisty and I'm pretty sure they won't have ripped it out of the alternate installer in 8.04. Full disclosure, though: I haven't touched 8.04 yet. I still have Feisty images on the pxeboot and I've been too lazy to update them.
Dell have yet again released Linux machines that are only slightly cheaper than Vista machines with lots of extra hardware. I know this represents the negative value of Vista. Why can't Dell ask for linux versions of crapware and adware to reduce the price of their linux systems? They would actually sell some kit if people could by Linux on good hardware without having to pay for an unused Vista licence.
"if they didn't review their hardware, let me tell you that the Inspiron 1525 has fairly noisy fans which runs every five minutes"
The idle temp is about 35, no fans - this is with FireFox and KMail being used but it's obviously not taking both cores.. You're right that it wakes up every 10 to 15 minutes to bring the temp down from 45 or 50, but the fan is *very* quiet. Esp. compared to my previous Toshiba which sounded like a jet.
I know the comments section is meant to be a fact-free zone, but I've done the legwork and so I thought I'd post the results here. An Inspiron 1525 of the same specification (except a 3945 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card (Linux) instead of a 1490 802.11a/b/g Mini-Card (Windows)) reveals that Vista costs 30 quid more.
So much for a quick marketing dodge to get a better price from Microsoft. After a year, they are still selling Linux loaded computers. And it seems, expanding these models.
Face it.. People want Linux as a choice. Not everybody, but enough to make it worthwhile. And not all are skinflints that dare not buy unless they are getting their PC as part of a discount.
If the hardware spec you want is cheaper as a Linux pre-install, great. If not? Well, soddit. Why NOT let MS/Symantec/Google/Whoever subsidise your new machine?
If MS are that desperate for sales figures that they're happy to pay for part of your new lappy, who are we to argue? Take the money, and blitz their crappy OS at the first possible opportunity...
<fx: fondly pats Vista-pre-install Lat D830 running Hardy>
Finally a decent OS preloaded on a new system rather than limited microsoft rubbish.
Iv been using ubuntu now for ages and the abilities it gives you is great.
Iv been able to do everything windows gives you...i might have to recode some config files but thats fine.
from duel screens to getting my wireless working.
Long live linux
Encouraging news.
But does anybody understand Dell's economic models? Specifically the costs of support vs. the kickbacks they get for installing all the third-party Windows crapware?
Much as I love GNU/Linux, I wouldn't like to be the tech support bod trying to explain the vaguaries of Pulse and ALSA (e.g. Flash audio and Skype competing for exclusive control), why a desktop restart is required to switch between laptop LCD and external screens using ATI's own drivers, etc etc.
Hopefully the so-far-elusive "critical mass" should persuade application developers and device mfrs to stop fucking around and provide something near parity in functionality across OSes, but I'm not holding my breath.
I also just compared 2 virtually identical laptops - saving £54.99 using ubuntu over windows. Will probably order in next day or two, if I can't find a better deal.
The spec. is as close as possible with the windows version having bluetooth built in (not optional), and ubuntu missing it as standard. Why pay more??
"If I buy one of these ('cos they're cheaper), then bang on a warez'd copy of Server 2008, would you Penguin lovers choke on your oatmeal?! :-D"
I would still think your doing us a favour. There is nothing worse than buying a machine for linux, only to buy one with a windows tax. Thats clocks up +1 for M$ windows figures. You add +1 to linux figures.
Hell, I ran Win2k8 Server in a VM on a Vostro 1400 laptop as a domain controller, DHCP/DNS, WDS, PXE server, for half a dozen Win2k/XP/Vista VMs on my main workstation.
While still using Ubuntu for wanking/banking on a seperate workspace. Seemed to work OK once it had a couple of gigabytes of RAM in it.
Why bother wiping it? :-P
Steven R
The Register 
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