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."

Comments

Tier One Support?

[SteveX]

"Windows version of the d220 does include a modem option, but it is a Winmodem. HP tells me there is a Linux driver available for it on the Internet."

So if I read this right, you have to go on the Internet and download a driver for the modem in your new PC. Um, unless I have broadband, how am I supposed to get on the Internet to download this driver?

Seems about as smart as putting the installation instructions for your CD-ROM drive on a CD...

Can't do it right.

[mikesmind]

Yes, a step in the right direction but... Why couldn't they do it right? It wouldn't take much for a company like HP to do a decent preload. (Even Lindows has accomplished this!) I'm sure that HP has the right infrastructure and skills to do this job right. Just good enough should not be good enough!

Re:It takes just one

[ultraw]

It is indeed good news that one of the bigger vendors is putting a Linux box in their catalog... However, just giving a blank box and a CD set is not the way it should be done.

Quite a lot of software should be preloaded, all nicely set-up to enable the buyer to start using it right away. When, in a later stage, someone asked him if his PC worked well with this all new, thing-of-the-underworld, very-neet-and-1337, futuristic OS on it. Only if the person can say then "yeah, sure, it had everything on it, I plugged it in and it started in 60 seconds, it came with an office suite preloaded and i browsed the internet and read e-mails in no-time...".

Only then Linux will Linux hit the home-market.

Re:Well, it's a start

[Daniel Dvorkin]

Problem with the incremental approach being, by offering a half-assed system that will only appeal to people with a fair amount of confidence in their ability to set the system up from scratch, they're limiting the market drastically -- and in six months, they get to say, "Well, see, people don't really want to buy Linux boxes, so let's just go back to selling Windows only." I rather suspect that corporate politics are at work:

Bright Boy: You know, sir, we really should be selling at least one PC with Linux. It'll be a big hit!

Windows-drone PHB: Heh, heh. Sure, we can do that. [pats BB on the head] Here you go, sonny.

This is a looong way from actually selling and supporting Linux PC's. I'd love to have that option from a major manufacturer (and I'd love a good laptop from a major manufacturer with Linux only even more) but for now I think it's best to stick with the small specialty manufacturers, or build your own, if you want a Linux-only box without paying Microsoft tax.

On a related note, from the article:

As far as the preload situation goes, it appears we will have to wait a little longer for a preloaded Linux desktop from a major vendor. Following a conference call with HP about the d220, HP spokesperson Tim Constance commented in a follow-up email that "Because of the many flavors and geographical preferences for Linux, HP offers the customer a choice of installing the included Mandrake Linux operating system, or a system of their choice at first boot-up ..."

Weenie. Windows doesn't have geographical preferences? This is a cop-out, and again, IMO, reflects a lack of real commitment to the idea.

Re:DVD Drive?

[Kurt Russell]

What good will a DVD drive be on a Linux machine?

To play DVDs