Dell Releases First Consumer Product with Mandriva

WindozeSux writes "Dell Laptops(Latitude 110L) are now shipping with Mandriva Linux pre-installed. Mandriva says this represents a milestone to make Linux more available to consumers. From the article:"This product shows the world that Mandriva is today ready for the consumer market. We've been developing products for the corporate and enthusiast markets for years. Addressing the needs of the consumer market is a different challenge, because it is all the more difficult, as you don't have a system admin or professional technician at home", said François Bancilhon, Mandriva CEO"

Comments

Available in USA or just France?

[baomike]

Can the machines be purchased in the USA?

Sadly...

[Dankling]

Sadly I don't think the availability of Linux systems that is holding the average consumer or business person from buying one. If the IT guy of a company wants the employees to have Linux, they get Linux - no matter how easy or hard it is made.

then the average consumer... of course "line-ux?"

So we know how it all works then ....

[Alain Williams]

One of the big pains with a laptop is getting everything to work, ie include power management& stuff. Dell would have made sure that this all works, so pretty soon $YourFavouriteDistro will support everything on these Dell machines.

Whatever you think of Dell, this is good for Linux.

Re:This is irritating

[rm69990]

Actually, no, there is no goal in Linux that says that all providers have to provide their products for free. Perhaps you should retake GPL 101. Actually, since you are cheap, just skip the course (doesn't really exist btw) and read the GPL.

If this really was the goal of Linux, perhaps releasing it under a license that specifically allows you to charge money for the software wasn't such a good idea, no?

Oh, and just to let you know, Red Hat and Mandriva do in-fact provide full source code for every open source component in their products, as they are required to by copyright law (they cannot distribute others code unless adhering to the attached license).

It really disgusts me some people around here. Half of you that bitch about Red Hat are sitting there running kernels and other Open Source packages that contain code that Red Hat paid to have contributed to these projects so you could use them FOR FREE, yet you get in a huff when these companies try to make some money. Quit being so fucking selfish I say. Don't want to pay for something...great I say...Red Hat could care less. Let all of the companies and enterprises that do value Red Hat's value-add pay for their services. If I were you, I'd be happy Red Hat is doing this. It lets them continue to pay people to improve code you are using.

Oh, and one last thing. You can download Mandriva x86_64 edition for free.

PS I'm not saying you HAVE to pay for Linux....I am running a free distro myself, one that is based extremely heavily on Red Hat's products (CentOS). But to use their code and complain when they try to make money is really low.

Dude, You're Getting Linux

[Doc Ruby]

Normal people are always asking their geek friends and relatives which computer to buy. Geeks never want to tell them to get Linux, even if it will be better and easier, because even that lower "Total Cost of Ownership" will then partly be paid by the geek who recommended it. Unless they recommend Dell, HP or some other vendor with a helpline, which will field (at least much first-level) support requests. Of course, the normals will buy a Dell or HP anyway, with Windows, no matter what the geek recommends, and then ask the geek for Windows support. Which the geek will be even less interested in giving.

Now that we can recommend Dell or HP with Linux, we'll do it much more often. When they get the Windows machine and ask us for support, we'll be able to say "send it back and get the right one this time". That kind of "word of mouth" is the best advertising Dell and HP could ask for. Way more valuable than a primetime season of "Dudes".

Just wondering....

[rm69990]

What is this obsession of the Slashdot community towards calling everything a degrading name. Examples: Deadhat Winblows M$ LinSux etc. Can't you people get out of your mom's basement and grow up? Try getting a job in IT and then explaining to your CIO why you shouldn't use deadhat or winblows and see how long it takes for them to laugh in your face. Sorry, just a small gripe of mine.

Maybe desktop Linux will just always be niche

[cgenman]

I don't mean this to troll, but why does Linux have to dethrone desktop Windows to be considered successful as an operating system? Why can't it just live happily as a rock-solid server OS with a desktop component that some advanced users use?

Re:Maybe desktop Linux will just always be niche

[poofyhairguy82]

I don't mean this to troll, but why does Linux have to dethrone desktop Windows to be considered successful as an operating system?

I never said that. I said "Desktop Linux" needs such support. Getting Dell on the side of Desktop Linux is needed if it is ever to be as popular as "Server Linux" and "Embeded Linux." I don't really care about crushing MS, I just want my desktop OS to work with more pieces of hardware and I want my family to use Linux even though they won't buy from anyone but Dell.

Why can't it just live happily as a rock-solid server OS with a desktop component that some advanced users use?

Because:

1. That is boring.

2. I want more linux drivers for things like wireless devices, that won't come till the marketshare does.

3. Why can't Linux be good at both. Why hold Linux back at all?

Re:Maybe desktop Linux will just always be niche

[sean23007]

Because the way Microsoft is fighting the battle, they're trying to lock you out of being able to install Linux at all on new hardware. They're trying to prevent you from being able to watch your legally purchased media. If desktop Linux doesn't make a push into the mainstream, the advanced users might not even be able to use it any more. That's why it's vitally important.

We don't need to crush Microsoft, we just need Linux to become enough of a player that companies are forced to support it.

Re:Must be Vista OEM pricing time.

[heffel]

I've said it before, It doesn't really matter if Dell is doing this to get a discount from Microsoft.

If this is really the reason they are doing this, it is because it is an effective strategy to get those discounts. The fact that it is an effective strategy is reason enough to celebrate.