Posted by
timothy
on from the on-again-off-again-baker's-man dept.
Zed writes "Showing a distancing of itself from Microsoft, Dell now offers businesses a chance to purchase computers without a Windows operating system. The N-Series computers start at $319 from Dell's website and ship with a FreeDOS CD in the box."
I may be wrong, but didn't they start this a long time ago?
Re:Is this new?
by
JPriest
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
And were are not without/. saying Dell is trying to "distancing of itself from Microsoft". Myabe Dell is only one small step away from throwing down the windows flag and offering only Linux as an option? No, I don't think that is it. I think someone is just spouting off at the mouth. Zealots are blinded by the way they want things to be, not the way things are.
-- Saying Java is nice because it works on all OS's is like saying that anal sex is nice because it works on all genders.
Re:Is this new?
by
AstroDrabb
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· Score: 4, Insightful
While I cannot stand MS, I'd have to agree here. Dell is so far up Billy boys butt, it isn't even funny. I think Dell just offers a few poorly packaged PC's without MS software in the same manner that a teen would rebell against his/her parents.
I personally think that only HP, IBM and Sun are any of the big boys PC makers that offer real non-MS products. We just got in some multi-million dollar SANS from HP and they threw in a bunch of dual Xeon 3.2 GHz w/HT, 2GB, 136GB U320 Raid 5 Linux servers. HP has Open Source drivers for the Gig cards and even drivers/software for thier HP Lights Out management app for the Linux servers. With Dell you don't get any of that.
-- If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
The idea is that it is "Free", and probably doesn't violate some obscure Agreement Microsoft made Dell agree to, to not sell Linux or such, to be able to sell Windows at all.
--
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
What is the point?
by
ryanmoffett
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· Score: 4, Insightful
While it's nice to see that there is an option, this seems like an empty gesture. Not to knock the FreeDOS project, kudos to you, there are SO many better offerings out there that could be packaged. What are businesses or home users going to do with FreeDOS? If anything this comes across like a message that says, "Here's your other choice, it's not really an option at all, is it?"
I think they are trying to avoid parts of their OEM agreement with Microsoft that bars them from shipping PCs without and OS, and FreeDOS is more neutral than picking a linux distro to ship with it.
Why not Linux
by
Morosoph
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· Score: 5, Insightful
Why FreeDos Opposed to Linux?
Simple. Every linux distibution is readily available, and attracts zealots. Why offend them thorugh favouritism?
Re:Why not Linux
by
Anonymous Coward
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
I think the answer may be even simpler than that.
In one word, "Support"
It's a lot easier (i.e. cheaper) to support FreeDOS than linux. You are still free to wipe the drive and install your OS of choice....I'm pretty sure that's what they expect you to do anyway....but this way, Dell doesn't get stuck supporting anything more complicated than FreeDOS on it's low end PC's.
When I first read this article, I thought to myself "What use is FreeDOS to a current business user? Is this a flashback to 10 years ago, when DOS was still useful?"
Then it occured to me that obviously Dell is still just as scared of Microsoft as it was two years ago when they attempted to ship Linux. Microsoft doesn't care if Dell ships with an OS that isn't a threat really. They just don't want Linux in the mainstream.
Shame on you Dell!
--
--
The last digit of pi is four.
Re:Yes but...
by
InodoroPereyra
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· Score: 5, Insightful
Yes but what can you honestly do with FreeDOS?
Not much, but it doesn't really matter. Dell is sending a message to Redmond, wait a couple weeks until they get a new deal with M$... everyone is doing this very same little trick these days, and I guess freedos is easier to support than linux for Dell while the negotiations take place...
Avoids double dipping
by
etymxris
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· Score: 5, Insightful
I believe the point has been mentioned before in similar threads, but it bears repeating here.
Many businesses already have licenses for all the software that they run--either a seat for every user or a site-wide license. For such businesses, a PC that comes with Windows is just wasted money. It would make sense to try to wrestle a discount from Microsoft when such a situation occurs, but monopolies are not often sympathetic to such things.
Re:FreeDOS?
by
Via_Patrino
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· Score: 4, Insightful
Another probably answer of why they don't, sell with Linux but with FreeDOS is that they need to offer little support or none at all. If you sell a computer with a software you need to support both, and supporting FreeDOS is much easier than Linux
I bet a large number of buyers will run MS on them
by
MadAnthony02
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· Score: 4, Insightful
My guess is that a decent number of these will be bought by companies, schools, or other organizations that already have some sort of Microsoft site license. They will still pay microsoft, but won't have to pay for a machine with an OS, then pay more to install something over it.
The college I work at has an MS site license through a college consortium. We would buy PC's with one version of Windows then overwrite them with images of another, usually because we weren't ready to deploy whatever the latest and greatest OS yet. I'm sure a lot of businesses have site licenses for NT or 2k and aren't ready yet to deploy XP, and don't want to have to pay for XP licenses when XP would be wiped off 5 minutes after opening the box.
Re:IMO, This is great
by
Pharmboy
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· Score: 5, Insightful
Someone give him a point for the good, relevent article. One quote did bother me tho...
N-series PCs will cost the same as PCs that ship with Windows, a Dell representative said.
Which means they are technically charging you MORE for the computer, since they do not incur the cost of the Microsoft license. Or you can look at is as: "We charge you the same for FreeDOS as we do for Windows", which is kinda expensive for FreeDOS (I have installed it, its a mediocre DOS 3.3 clone by their own admission).
This does mean bigger profits for Dell, but it doesn't represent a better value for customers.
-- Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
Re:Price difference
by
claygate
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· Score: 4, Insightful
He knows that. That is why if you subtract $200 rebate from $599 you get $399. With the 2400N costing $369 and the Microsoft Dell costing $399, the Microsoft tax is $399 - $369 = $30. This is how I read it.
Slashdot Mirror
I may be wrong, but didn't they start this a long time ago?
The idea is that it is "Free", and probably doesn't violate some obscure Agreement Microsoft made Dell agree to, to not sell Linux or such, to be able to sell Windows at all.
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
While it's nice to see that there is an option, this seems like an empty gesture. Not to knock the FreeDOS project, kudos to you, there are SO many better offerings out there that could be packaged. What are businesses or home users going to do with FreeDOS? If anything this comes across like a message that says, "Here's your other choice, it's not really an option at all, is it?"
I think they are trying to avoid parts of their OEM agreement with Microsoft that bars them from shipping PCs without and OS, and FreeDOS is more neutral than picking a linux distro to ship with it.
Wikileaks, no DNS
When I first read this article, I thought to myself "What use is FreeDOS to a current business user? Is this a flashback to 10 years ago, when DOS was still useful?"
Then it occured to me that obviously Dell is still just as scared of Microsoft as it was two years ago when they attempted to ship Linux. Microsoft doesn't care if Dell ships with an OS that isn't a threat really. They just don't want Linux in the mainstream.
Shame on you Dell!
--
The last digit of pi is four.
Not much, but it doesn't really matter. Dell is sending a message to Redmond, wait a couple weeks until they get a new deal with M$ ... everyone is doing this very same little trick these days, and I guess freedos is easier to support than linux for Dell while the negotiations take place ...
I believe the point has been mentioned before in similar threads, but it bears repeating here.
Many businesses already have licenses for all the software that they run--either a seat for every user or a site-wide license. For such businesses, a PC that comes with Windows is just wasted money. It would make sense to try to wrestle a discount from Microsoft when such a situation occurs, but monopolies are not often sympathetic to such things.
Another probably answer of why they don't, sell with Linux but with FreeDOS is that they need to offer little support or none at all.
If you sell a computer with a software you need to support both, and supporting FreeDOS is much easier than Linux
My guess is that a decent number of these will be bought by companies, schools, or other organizations that already have some sort of Microsoft site license. They will still pay microsoft, but won't have to pay for a machine with an OS, then pay more to install something over it.
The college I work at has an MS site license through a college consortium. We would buy PC's with one version of Windows then overwrite them with images of another, usually because we weren't ready to deploy whatever the latest and greatest OS yet. I'm sure a lot of businesses have site licenses for NT or 2k and aren't ready yet to deploy XP, and don't want to have to pay for XP licenses when XP would be wiped off 5 minutes after opening the box.
I have blog like everyone else
Someone give him a point for the good, relevent article. One quote did bother me tho...
N-series PCs will cost the same as PCs that ship with Windows, a Dell representative said.
Which means they are technically charging you MORE for the computer, since they do not incur the cost of the Microsoft license. Or you can look at is as: "We charge you the same for FreeDOS as we do for Windows", which is kinda expensive for FreeDOS (I have installed it, its a mediocre DOS 3.3 clone by their own admission).
This does mean bigger profits for Dell, but it doesn't represent a better value for customers.
Tequila: It's not just for breakfast anymore!
He knows that. That is why if you subtract $200 rebate from $599 you get $399. With the 2400N costing $369 and the Microsoft Dell costing $399, the Microsoft tax is $399 - $369 = $30. This is how I read it.