Dell To Use Ubuntu?

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The internet has been kicking around rumors of Dell offering Linux on its PCs for months. Well, eWeek says that they have inside sources claiming that Dell is now ready to make the move and will be going with Ubuntu when they do.

While unable to confirm this through official Dell channels, we have heard the same story now from several internal Dell sources. They tell us that the Austin, Texas, computer giant will be preinstalling the newly released Ubuntu 7.04. These systems will be released in late May 2007.
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I have mixed feelings on this... I have Ubuntu Feisty running on my laptop and I love it. Everything works great. My concern is this:

Who's gonna buy cheap hardware that will be even cheaper now that you're not paying for an operating system license? Yeah, grandma and grandpa and a lot of other clueless computer buyers. How many of them do you think are going to figure out Ubuntu Linux? Virtually none! Most of them have trouble with XP and MacOS, let alone something like Linux!

The people who use Ubuntu or whatever flavor of linux are going to put it on their own hardware that they built; not some $300 dell shitbox. The only decent computers that dell makes are the high end, way overpriced models; and do you think they would even offer Ubuntu with a high end box? Would anyone buy it?

My guess is they're going to put ubuntu on the cheaper machines to make them even more affordable, but that brings me to my first point; who is the target audience?
 
Wow, before a company like dell started doing this, I would think that they would make some linux distro where it was easy to install programs. I understand it isn't too bad right now... but the command line is going to scare your average user.
 
MasterShredder said:
I have mixed feelings on this... I have Ubuntu Feisty running on my laptop and I love it. Everything works great. My concern is this:

Who's gonna buy cheap hardware that will be even cheaper now that you're not paying for an operating system license? Yeah, grandma and grandpa and a lot of other clueless computer buyers. How many of them do you think are going to figure out Ubuntu Linux? Virtually none! Most of them have trouble with XP and MacOS, let alone something like Linux!

The people who use Ubuntu or whatever flavor of linux are going to put it on their own hardware that they built; not some $300 dell shitbox. The only decent computers that dell makes are the high end, way overpriced models; and do you think they would even offer Ubuntu with a high end box? Would anyone buy it?

My guess is they're going to put ubuntu on the cheaper machines to make them even more affordable, but that brings me to my first point; who is the target audience?
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Target audience is probably goint to be for those who wants to pirate thie own OS and skimp on dells offerings.. but there is already an option out there to order without the OS.

So yeah, like you said, who is really their target... pretty much no body, perhaps this is their brute force attempt at trying to get Microsoft to give them OS'es cheaper for exclusivity? More of a way of blackmail?
 
bobsaget said:
Wow, before a company like dell started doing this, I would think that they would make some linux distro where it was easy to install programs. I understand it isn't too bad right now... but the command line is going to scare your average user.
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Try the most version of Ubuntu they are referring to. I haven't had to use the command line yet, and installing stuff is easier than Windows.
 
Yeah I can just imagine the phone call now....


"Okay grandma.. open terminal.. Now type sudo apt-get....." :D
 
Red Hat and SuSe can't be happy about this...then again, their business comes mostly from the server market, which would be tough ground for Ubuntu to break into seeing as most businesses love teh support contracts that RH/SuSe/etc can offer.
 
Honestly, I have been thinking a lot about that. Using the terminal commands will fix problems faster over the phone. Telling grandma exactly what to type will be easier than trying to guide her mouseclicks navigating though multiple screens and/or menus.

It will probably be my motivating factor to learn the command line.
 
i wonder if DELL would be offering tech support.... it's going to be a nightmare

cheers for ubuntu.... but they are not ready for widespread desktop use
 
Nice. Gains Ubuntu more popularity thus increasing productivity of development hopefully. Maybe I can switch from XP to Ubuntu sooner. :)
 
Looks like they will offer it on whatever system you want. It's an option. I wonder if they will make the overall system price cheaper...
 
I'm sort of doubtfull that it will convert many users away from xp/vista. Once you find something that works most people tend to stick with it (and it seems especially true with computers, I know people who still like to use software made for win98). What I'm hoping for out of this is more/better driver support. If a company's hardware product is in the Dell catalogue they're going to want it to be able to be used on ALL configurations. Great press for Ubuntu though, I'm a very satisfied edgy user at the moment.
 
Reposted from a now closed duplicate thread elsewhere. The first and third of these comments are mine.

Just like the "OMG! Dell is putting XP on its machines!" report a few days ago, all this means is that Dell will provide a limited range of its catalogue with the option to have the OS of preference pre-installed, to meet the needs of the small proportion of its customers who want such a thing. Small businesses, primarily.
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Personally I think it is a good thing, about time the monopoly MS has over pre-loaded consumer machines is breaking
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I'd have thought it was more about erosion of the the hold RedHat has had on Dell systems with a Linux distro pre-installation. Signs of that alliance breaking have been showing up for a few years now.

Dell systems equipped with Linux installations aren't something new which have just appeared to 'break the Windows monopoly'. Dell have been selling those for ages, for the small proportion of its customer base which demands the product.
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This isn't about moving Dell customers away from Windows. Instead it's about acknowledging that Dell customers who want Linux don't necessarily want RedHat. Dell and RedHat have had 'partners' arrangements in place for years. This isn't about moving Linux to mainstream but instead about ackniwledging that a niche market commodity still generates enough revenue to be given serious consideration amidst corporate planning.

The number of desktop Linux boxes sold is growing, but not at as great a rate as the overall desktop market. In terms of market share it's slipped back a tad in recent times. Who is really the target customer? A proportion of the business market is who. A small one, in relative terms, but still containing enough numbers to merit Dell's consideration.
 
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