10:06 a.m.
On 15/03/07, Alan Pope <alan(a)popey.com> wrote:
Not true. Whatever distro they choose will be good for every other
distro in
some way. If Dell choose one distro and make sure all their hardware works
on that distro, then chances are it will work on any other distro (given a
recent/similar kernel).
Sorry Alan but thats cods wallop Dell have been selling servers with
Linux pre-installed for donkeys yonks the new kid on the block for
Dell is Ubuntu which is inherently problematic with certain hardware
so while I agree this would be good for Ubuntu users, saving them the
grief of writing their own drivers, theres nothing new here really
other than pre-install on base units and Laptops which at the moment
they don't do.
Its the same with vendors such as LinuxEmporium. You can buy a laptop
from
them pre-installed with a distro of your choice, confident that if you wipe
it and put another distro on chances are high that it will work.
So my point still stands whats new why are we voting?
If you bought a vista laptop there is no guarantee that it will work
with
Linux at all.
Yep your right.
It raises awareness though, most of joe public don't know what
Linux is, or
even that there could be a choice of OS on their computer. They really
believe that there is only one "option" and that is to run whatever version
of Windows the box is supplied with.
Mmm, I have to say I disagree, I'd love too see a survey report on the
types of purchases made I'm willing to bet a good 95% are MS based I
doubt very much that a potential MS purchaser is gonna say "Ooh hang
on that Dell-Ubuntu box is £80.00 cheaper I think I'll have that
instead" now if your going to say "Ah but Pete if they are looking for
a Linux machine then they can get it from Dell now" most Linux users
know or will be advised to go to Dell anyway, I have to say Dell is
always my first choice for Linux installs I've never had any problems
with installs on their kit although in respect of their pricing and
business practices (With my IT sales hat on) I really dislike them
they are killing us.
If they have a little drop down box on the "configure my
dell" screen which
offers linux, you're right, they may well not choose it, but at least they
have the choice and are made aware that there is an option available. IMO
that's a good thing in itself.
Thing is Alan the choice is already there, on the Dell site, true you
have to rummage around to find it but I assure you it is there. Having
said that and I know it looks like I'm anti all of this I agree with
you any form of advertising for 'Linux' is a good thing however what
really gets my hackles up is the clever way Linux-Distro supporters
are surreptitiously being played off one another for the benefit of
Dell.
Ask yourself why the survey is not more transparent with respect of OS
what I mean is surely it should be asking "Do you want Linux
pre-installed? such as blah blah blah" not "Choose which one should go
on our machines".
See for me Linux is about choice I don't want there to be only one, be
that RH, Ubuntu, Suse etc and the survey, as I read it, asks you to
choose a release over another one.
How about not focussing on the technical ins and outs of how they
conduct
the survey/poll and take it for what it is. It's one of the worlds largest
hardware companies taking an opportunity to listen to us.
They're not! they are asking you which one you want them to sell you!
I don't know anyone who uses Linux who is out of work. All of
them are
either gainfully employed, students or retired. Granted there may well be
people on this list who are unemployed, but that's not within my social
circle of friends/family.
Hey that was not a derogatory statement with regards unemployment, I'm
on loads of lists I choose not to post to most of them. The point I
was making is I have seen it over and over again where individuals do
not have two halfpenny's to rub together so will not be buying a Dell
machine anytime soon.
This wont help. You might buy a device and find that you need some
binary
blob to make it work, or worse, that the machine has no linux support at all
because in order to cut costs they used some manky chipset which only has
windows drivers.
But thats exactly what they do? Here at work We/I am A Dell reseller
we sell tonnes of them however the Dell engineer (We are not supposed
to fix them) practically lives here, he walks in says hello and walks
straight out to our workshop! Oh and thats mostly brand new , just
delivered, machines by the way.
<snip>
This is somewhat inaccurate. They aren't after our money. We (as
geeks)
generally don't account for many sales at Dell. They make the vast majority
of their money from the great unwashed public who see a Dell ad in the paper
or online and click through to buy. THEY are the people who need to be
offered Linux as an option, for us it's a nice to have, for them it is
essential for all our benefit.
I wouldn't had said it was inaccurate, true you are correct that their
biggest market is the home user but this is a business we are talking
about who offer predominantly proprietory Linux releases yes there is
a knock on effect that you could wipe it and stick on opensuse instead
of sled but then whats the point of that you might as well buy an MS
machine and dual boot.
Schools buy Dell kit too. Imagine a school buying rooms of Dell PCs
pre-installed with Linux.
But Alan that will NOT happen not in the way you think can you imagine
the IT teacher of a state run school putting a request in to central
purchasing for a Dell machine that has no MS on it? The 'Red Tape'
boys will have a fit suppose that IT guy leaves? what guarantee do
they have of getting another teacher who knows Linux? so that kit will
sit in the corner because the teacher cant use it and sure as eggs are
eggs he is not gonna let students use it and show him or her up after
all THEY are there to teach not learn.
I suppose I've blotted my copy book with you know? I'm afraid I tend
to defend my opinions otherwise whats the point of saying something.
--
Dick Turpin
"At theses prices I'm mugging myself!"