Helping Dell To Help Open Source

Glyn Moody writes "Dell's IdeaStorm is turning into a fiasco — for Dell, and for open source as well. Instead of just shouting at the company to sell pre-installed GNU/Linux systems, how about helping them find a way to do it? Here's a suggestion that I've posted on the IdeaStorm site: that Dell set up an independent business unit for GNU/Linux systems, just like The Innovator's Dilemma tells us to do when faced with a disruptive technology."

Comments

Re:Look At It From Dell's Perspective

[Anonymous Coward]

Right on, Mpapet. The fan boys all want to say "Go to Linux", but they rarely think beyond the instant gratification of having a major computer manufacturer justify thier "tech superiority". If Dell, or any other major PC manufacturer, jumps on the free OS bandwagon it will be because it makes cents. Not sense, as the market is rarely rational... but because it will make a profit. I know some of you bristling at the concept of a profit model, but ultimately that's what companies do. They provide a good or service to a market that demands it. If the goods or services cost more than the market is willing to pay, then the product isn't made.

But, but Linux is FREE you say? How can it not be cheaper??? Well, the software is. But as Mpapet so ably described, if you have to rip up the groundwork to include it, that costs money. Money, that may or may not be returned by the market. This isn't a decision to make lightly. Most computer users aren't techical, nor do they want to be. A computer is an appliance, just like my TV or refridgerator. When was the last time you had to tweak the configuration of your freezer? As a result, customers percieve any fault of the "appliance" is the responsibility of the manufacturer. If Dell or HP or Lenovo sell it, thier customers will call asking for help with it.

I'd also like to add, if one of the big three started selling Linux it would become almost instantly mainstream. If more users are using Linux based OS more really bad software will be written and SOLD to run on it. If more people are using it, virus and malware authors will have economic incentive to attack those boxes. Go back and REALLY look at Microsoft's reports on error generation in thier last three OS revs. It's not the OS that causes the problems: It's the multitudes of users installing bad software, without any concept of how (or even if) it affects the system. To thier credit, that's one thing Apple really did well: they were able to minimize the number of crapplications written for it. Of course, they also minimized much of the usefulness and value of having a computer (especially in the early days)... and it's why there still isn't any software to speak of and among the reasons why they have a tiny marketshare. And as my fellow /. readers know, all of the purported benefits of OS X are slowly disappearing as they target the #2 marketshare OS.

Linux may be better, but listening to the Linux fan-boys is alot like listening to the hydrogen car crowd: "Stop using petroleum products, it's bad!!! Hydrogen is clean and the exhaust is water. If you don't switch to hydrogen, you are evil!" And perhaps I am evil, but I'm not chunking down that kind of cash to feel good and have a product I can't use. Until there's hydrogen pump in most service stations, I'm not gonna adopt. You make big changes because there is an unequivocal benefit to doing so.

Right now, I don't see the benefit. I'm just not going to exchange a working solution for limited compatibility with hardware and software (even among comparable versions of OS), and an OS whose only real security is obscurity. But that's my take. However, I can pretty much guarantee the big manufacturers are scrambling to find out if there's sense (and cents) in offering you a free OS.

Re:Dell tried Linux before and it was unsuccessful

[Billly Gates]

Well that is probably good because I hate Dells and they are kia's of the computer world. :-)

Seriously my compaq laptop has great linux support and it runs very cool. You want a vendor who uses standard parts and Dell likes to modify things like their nvidia cards and laptop chipsets so the Linux drivers and even Windows drivers wont run. .... and of course Dells own proprietary drivers are years old and are not updated. It sucks for gamers and Linux users.

Anyway try a laptop with an intel chipset. HP actively supports Linux and the windows tax is not much since they do not even include a restore disk. This is just my own opinion though and most geeks like dual booting windows so this is why they do not offer linux only.