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Finally A Major-Brand Desktop With Linux, Not Windows
Fugwidzard writes "Sounds like an okay box from HP at an okay price, the NewsForge review says, but no modem, and even optional modems are Winmodems although they say they have Linux drivers for them. Plus it's not a true Linux preload - they give you a couple of Mandrake CDs and you're on your own, no support. Better than paying Microsoft tax, anyway, and a step in the right direction for HP. Supposedly they're going to have all their PCs 'Linux certified' in the near future. I hope other big PC mills do the same."
Evesham supply a preloaded, supported, all nicely configured system.
mmmmm... taste the preloaded goodness...
foo mane padme hum
Is dell not a major brand?
The modem issue is not a big one, I don't think. Many people today are using broadband, so as long as there is a network card in the box it should be all right. Also, in case they do want a modem, at least they are providing Mandrake. After installing Mandrake 9.0 and 9.1 on my box at home, I was amazed that 9.0 told me I had a Winmodem and gave me a URL to find out how to make it work, and 9.1 even installed the Winmodem drivers! (If only Dell had not given me a Winmodem in the first place...)
Given that God is infinite, and the Universe is also infinite, would you like some toast?
What do you mean. I do everything I do on windows in Linux on my DVD drive.. libdvdcss is easy to find :)
To me they always seem to require expensive memory for it to be guaranteed to work, un-upgradable components, and arcane BIOSes that run a version of windows to configure it.
This is all well and great for big companies that want 1000s of the same PCs for easy maintainance and vendor support, but for the average geek it is nothing but trouble.
I'll just stick with buying components or bare-bones PCs, those have always been without M$-Tax as well, thank you.
...you pay the HP tax? Dell's got a much lower cost operation and can afford to undercut HP by a substantial amount, you might as well just buy from them, and get your copy of Windows for free (relative to the price of the equivalent computer from HP w/o Windows).
"The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than that of whether a submarine can swim" -EWD
Of course, you do have to order them with RedHat, but they do give you the option.
Right off of the Dell site:
Linux Products
Dell Linux Overview
Qualitas edurus commercium, nullus penitus net rimor, nullus deus beneficium
"What good will a DVD drive be on a Linux machine? "
DVDs can be used to store data or video, the DVD drive could be used to retrieve this information.
I'd have to agree with this. The only versions of Linux I've ever installed are Slackware and Debian (I use Debian now), but I would never suggest either of them for a beginner. With Debian it's not just the initial installation that's an issue. I have an embarassment of riches with Debian and generally have to figure out what flavor of just about anything it is that I want to install. A newbie needs an OS where you don't have to decide every little detail about what you want.
Big Brother Bush is doubleplus ungood.
I just bought an HP laptop and apart from 3d acceleration under X, linux works great. I'm wondering if they will make all of their PCs "Linux compatable" retroactively so that i will have full hardware support. Regardless, usually drivers get written eventually by somebody although it might take longer than direct intervention on the part of HP.
But why not offer a dual-boot Linux/Windows machine for the price of a Windows-only machine?
Rumor has it that Microsoft licensing prevents a dual-boot Linux/Windows machine. Supposedly there is some clause that prevents it, but we won't know for sure because the license is supposedly a trade secret.
But you're right, dual-boot would be best for consumers.
--Drunk as in Beer
People are saying that HP has to supply the source because it's a commercial distribution. This is completely wrong. HP is not charging you for Linux, they are charging you for the machine. Hence, this is just as if you downloaded the RPMs from the web. People can get the source from mandrake. If they really want the source, they will know how to get it =). I like HPs solution.
I seem to recall that allowing dual-boot and shipping machines with no OS were two things the anti-trust settlement were supposed to fix.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm!
Dell has been selling systems with Linux on 'em for a while now. HP seems late to the game.
Support is via RedHat.
If you live in the U.S or Canada, great! But, HP Australia still uses harris technology as a distributor. HT make it appear as though WinXP Pro is the only OS worth owning. The way it's presented on their website is very -smug-. Anyway, it looks like a nice system. A shame I can't buy it because I refuse to pay for an OS (WinXP) that I will invariably remove the day I receive the machine. Farewell HP :'(
Sounds like an okay box from HP at an okay price ... it's not a true Linux preload - they give you a couple of Mandrake CDs and you're on your own, no support. Better than paying Microsoft tax, anyway ...
You can also get a nice box from Dell with FreeDOS or Red Hat Linux (also can get with Windows). I think Linux is a true pre-load, but FreeDOS is not - they include a CD-ROM with the FreeDOS distribution on it, and you're on your own to install it. Dell only offers these to Canadian customers, AFAIK. We ran a news item about this on the FreeDOS Project web site, and it's still on the front page. Check it out! Here's our news item:
Dell Canada has updated their site, and they no longer offer the Precision 350 desktop with FreeDOS. However, they do offer the newer Precision 360 with "Free DOS Operating System Kit - CD with Source Code": small business and medium and large business and higher ed and health care desktops. Nice systems, too: up to 3.06GHz CPU. For Canadian customers only / Pour les clients canadiens seulement.
Rumor may have it wrong.
PC's for Everyone in (Cambridge, Mass, US) offers pre-loaded Red Hat or SuSE or Windows 2000 or XP Home/Pro. I don't think they'd risk their Windows reseller status to build (I'm guessing) a low volume of Windows/Linux boxes for enthusiasts-who-don't-want-to-do-it-themselves.
They'll do dual-boot setups for an extra $49.
While the cost isn't trivial, and you pay for two operating systems, it might be useful for a corporate pilot, a QA environment, etc.
Small shops like this are good for giving you customized builds with good install procedures (properly routed cabling, OS+hardware testing, etc). Of course, they don't stock low-volume parts like 1GB DIMM's, but if you want to keep your costs down without sacrificing quality components, small vendors like this can be really great. I've bought six dual-athlon development servers from them and I couldn't be happier with the price/performance ratio.
There are alternatives to big vendors and build-it-yourself, but they aren't without trade-offs.
-don