Dell Offering "Open" PC

Sans writes "Dell began offering a new desktop Dimension E510n PC this week with no operating system installed. The machine is designed for people who want to run open-source software such as Linux instead of Windows. The PC comes with a blank hard drive and a copy of the FreeDOS operating system, which can be installed by customers."

Comments

Perhaps I should look IN to these.

[LaminatorX]

Dell calls them "Open." Microsoft calls them "Naked."

[Quagmeyer]Aall Riiiight[/Quagmeyer}

Re:Perhaps I should look IN to these.

[NeuroManson]

I heard they ship with a 40 Giggigity hard drive (OH!)

Bill was right

[should_be_linear]

he envisioned back in '80s that PC with DOS will be good enough even in 2005.

Re:news?

[Surt]

What I think you're seeing is the definitive proof that windows is worthless.

Difference between Dell PC and a trampoline

[cerberusss]

What's the difference between a Dell PC and a trampoline?

With a trampoline, you take off your shoes first.

Re:news?

[LaughingCoder]

Of course another interpretation is that the costs of the hardware and support dwarf the Windows license fee about which everyone loves to complain ... and I strongly suspect that support for an OS-less PC could be pretty expensive.

Customer: "Um hello, yes I bought your Open PC and installed my favorite Linux distro and it doesn't work."

Dell: "Let me forward you to our Linux expert."

Linux Expert: "Hello, which distribution did you load?"

Customer: "Well, it was Redhat."

Dell: "Let me forward you to our Redhat Linux expert."

Redhat Linux Expert: "Hello, which version of Redhat did you install?"

Customer: "It was version 8.0"

Redhat Linux Expert: "Let me forward you to our Redhat version 8.0 expert"

Redhat 8.0 Linux Expert: "Hello, which configuration did you install?"

Customer: "It was the Professional edition."

Redhat 8.0 Linux Expert: "Let me forward you to our Redhat 8.0 Professional Edition expert."

Redhat 8.0 Professional Edition Linux Expert: "Hello, can I help you"

Customer: "My Open PC doesn't work"

Redhat 8.0 Professional Edition Linux Expert: "And you installed Redhat 8.0 Professional Edition?"

Customer: "Yes, but of course I rebuilt the kernel to improve disk performance by 0.05%"

Redhat 8.0 Professional Edition Linux Expert: "I'm sorry, we can only help you if you installed a Linux distribution from our list of supported distros."

Customer: "So how do you handle defective hardware?"

Redhat 8.0 Professional Edition Linux Expert: "Perhaps you should install Windows to verify that the machine works before putting in your distro. Or you could use one of our supported distros."

Customer: "You call that Open? I need an RMA so I can send this piece of crap back."