Dell to Ship Linux Desktops in Europe

Anglophile writes "Looks like Dell has launched a new line of desktop computers. The Dell Optiplexes will be sold in Europe, come with the Linspire operating system and include a one year free membership to their download warehouse. "

Comments

Less is more?

[xOleanderx]

So are they gonna be $150 cheaper?

Re:Less is more?

[Anonymous Bullard]

Some more details has emerged

From another news article:

Starting at about $575, the systems will be targeted at businesses, schools and consumers.

The Dell OptiPlex systems loaded with Linspire are available only through Questar. Dell was not offering any Linspire-based systems on its Web site.

Dell spokesman Jeremy Bolen said Questar purchases the computers from the PC giant and then resells them to its customers. He said Questar is a direct customer of Dell and not a partner.
"That's the extent of their relationship with us," he said.

The basic Questar system ships with an Intel Celeron processor, 256 megabytes of memory and a 40- gigabyte hard drive.

No similar configurations are shown at Dell's U.S. Web site, though a low-end OptiPlex PC running a Pentium 4 with Windows starts at about $400.

Executive summary:

• Dell isn't offering any Linux preloads.
• Some Dell customer (Questar) buys boxes from Dell, installs Linspire and charges hefty premium.
• These boxes would appear to be at least $150 more expensive than Dell's own low-end MS boxes.
• Dell wants to distance themselves from this outrageous Linux offering.
• The Redmond Overlords most probably get their usual cut as it is nigh impossible to get Dell to ship anything without a pre-paid Microsoft licence.
• Linux customers should consider patronizing vendors with bona fide Linux support instead.

Makes sense.

[Future Man 3000]

In an office environment where the servers and workstations are Linux (as they are in increasing numbers throughout Europe) the secretaries might as well operate in parity. The cost efficiency of these machines and the number of 'low-end' systems that tend to be deployed in a business environment make these a good solution for places that desire something a little better/easier to implement than a dumb terminal.

I'm surprised Dell hasn't done this sooner. But then again, Linspire is of recent vintage and was the first to make desktop Linux feasible on the large scale. Now people can obtain an entirely-Linux solution from Dell -- from the server to the desktop -- and all I can say is it's about time.

Linspire!?!!???

[Moby Cock]

Why Linspire? Why not use a bigger, (dare I say it) better distro. SuSe 9.1 is Europe's biggest distro, why not that? Is there some anger between Novell and Dell?

They used to...

[mustangsal66]

So Dell returns home to Linux...

I bought several PC's from Dell in 2001 with RedHat preinstalled... They shipped with driver disks too...

Trickle-down economics

[dankney]

Finally there's a version of the trickle-down theory that actually works.

I'd bet that Dell made this decision because there are many large users (Munich decision, with many more considering) who will be switching over in the work-place.

Many non-techie employees of those organizations will want to have the same environment at home as at work -- two OSs is simply too "confusing" for point-and-click types.

And as more and more large institutions move to Linux whatever reason (there are many), I think we will see more and more pre-packaged systems available on a retail level.

Re:Download Warehouse?

[mustangsal66]

Seriously,

The only way to get my mother off windows was to get her onto (then Lindows). She didn't trust that 'free' stuff. She felt comfortable paying a few dollars for it, and the 'support' behind it.

Can I license to ship with Dell too?

[192939495969798999]

Maybe Dell can work out a deal where anyone can sell their machines with any o/s preloaded as a ghosted image, provided you send them the CD and you're liable if the image is crap... that would be sweet! Then we could all compete with our favorite o/s's and with wal-mart (to some tiny degree)

Re:great

[igrp]

I guess - and I am only assuming here - that a big distributor could get away with a lot more with a small distro.

The big distributions aren't exactly operations run out of a garage any more. Redhat has some (serious) money. SuSe is backed by Novell. The Debian folks probably wouldn't exactly be too thrilled to budge to Debian's demands (well, let's say requirements) and customize a distro. They simply don't really need the money that bad. A lot of the other distros either have their own agenda or niche or simply are too specialized (e.g. Gentoo).

Things are different if you're running a small distro though. There are bills to pay and contributions are always more than welcome. A company like Dell could therefore easily push some changes they deem necessary through. That way, they don't have to put their own people on it and, effectively, save a whole bunch of money.

Re:Econ 101 (WHY WAS THIS MODDED TROLL)

[GreyWolf3000]

Noooo...you see, in our world here, corporations like IBM and HP have secret meetings where they agree to only make the appearance of competing. Really, they just pool cash to buy Republicans into office (which will presumably go out of their way to legislate all of the money out of the pockets of the masses), jack up prices, and more importantly think of ways they can screw end customers out of money, even if it hurts them too.

Please don't try to hurt what we've done here. We've brought as many brainless anti-corporate zealots together to form our own little "pretend" community, where we can spearhead a global movement against a non-existant threat. I personally would much rather consider myself a 'revolutionary' than an 'arrogant intellectial with hidden self esteem problems.'

Posts like yours only remind us of that reality that exists upstairs where our parents are working hard to make this dream possible.

Europe!=All of Europe

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

Checks Irish Site...
No Linux option...

This bugs me especially considering they make the danm things right outside my back door. And yet I will always be the last customer to get bargins.

The real mainstream distros

[Animats]

While on Slashdot we hear endlessly about Red Hat, Debian, etc., the volume manufacturers are going with Lindows, Linspire, Thiz, and in China, Red Flag. Maybe those should get more coverage. What do the installed base figures look like?

Re:linspire?

[Waffle Iron]

Everybody calls it Windows, not Microsoft Windows.

Irrelevant. Everybody in the South calls a glass of Pepsi a "Coke". That doesn't mean that Pepsi should get a trademark on the word "Coke".

To further confuse things, Microsoft has several variations of Windows like 2000, XP, Me, etc that people are familiar with. Calling it "Microsoft Windows" is not enough by a long shot, especially when compared to "Lindows.Com Lindows".

[ ] Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
[ ] Lindows.com Lindows

If those two choices seem confusing to you, you've got bigger problems than choosing an OS.

What they'd need is a big bold sentence saying "This is not the same as Windows! Watch out!"

And yet they're supposed to read, understand and agree to abide by the 10-page EULA full of obscure legal and technical language.

If Microsoft made a product called Winux, you all'd suddenly change sides on this issue.

I don't see any problem at all with the name "Winux". Notice that the fact that it's not an English word makes it a good choice for a trademark name. I would encourage them to go for it, but unfortunately it seems to already be the name for an Indian Lindows-like product, as well as the name of a recent cross-platform virus.