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Will Dell Be Bad For Ubuntu?
vcore writes "Many people are excited for Ubuntu's upcoming release on Dell computers, and while it is certainly good news there are a few causes for concern. Very few details have emerged so far so it is not completely clear what impact Dell with have on the thriving Ubuntu community. But there are questions concerning support, logistics, pricing, and a number of other areas that are affected. From the article: 'Dell is in the practice of filling their computers with large amounts of "bloatware" and also all sorts of co-branding, but it remains to be seen what they will do with Ubuntu. It has been reported that Dell will be shipping a standard version of Ubuntu 7.04...'"
it probably wouldnt hurt ubuntu to put it on the dell pcs- look what it did for windows
Sigs are too short to say anything truly profound so read the above post instead.
I don't think it'll be bad for Ubuntu overall. Almost all PC vendors, not just Dell, put bloatware on their PCs, and that's one of the reasons they like Windows, i.e. the bloatware they want to distribute runs on it. That's why I always reinstall Windows after buying a new PC, and then install only the software I actually want.
they are giving such great support for windows already
... they just need a little icon "runs with ubuntu" and "runs not with ubuntu" and i wouldnt mind either
i cannot even install the generic ati driver for my card, although it would work without any problems - have to use those hacked omega drivers instead for it in windows, so actually this article is a bit of nonsense
what support does dell need to give for ubuntu?
answer: nothing, thats why we have those ubuntu forums
just install it on the machines and take care that graphics drivers, sound drivers etc are installed and activated and voila, ready to go
and let them install just so much bloatware as they like - if they wanna get kisses from me, they install a commercial video player for dvd and up
and depending on their other hardware like printers etc
The problem with Linux is not using the system. Linux, with GNOME and KDE, has become userfriendly enough for 'normal' users to use it. The problem is installation (note, 'normal' users can't install Windows either).
Je ne parle pas francais.
The summary is pitiful. This is not a good/bad question.
Yes, Dell will have to make a huge infrastructure investment just to sell Ubuntu-equipped equipment. Someone PHB with authority at Dell will have to force the various departments to get this stuff done. Typical to a large company, it will probably be done poorly because change is rarely welcomed. It shouldn't surprise anyone that a linux-equipped Dell will probably be more expensive than windows.
There are two much bigger questions:
1. How will Dell structure Ubuntu sales? PHB's will, at some point, review Ubuntu sales and decide if it generates enough ROI to continue. How that ROI will be defined will heavily influence whether or not they stick with it. This is where politics meets the accounting department and decides the fate of this effort before a single unit is sold.
2. How will Microsoft respond? I'm thinking this is really more of a stick to beat Microsoft with more than anything else.
I don't really want Dell selling Ubuntu-equipped PC's. It will be bad for distro diversity.
Got Trader Joe's? friendwich.com RSS feeds work now!
1) Exposure to something, whether good or bad, is good. More people will, at the very least, know what Linux is now.
2) Anyone who actually chooses to install Ubuntu over Windows will probably either have the motivation to try something new, or they'll already know what they're doing.
3) The FOSS community should be embracing and celebrating this. This is a huge step for Ubuntu and Linux in general. The general computing public is now seeing more alternatives from the big beast in Redmond. The more they see choice, the more likely they will be to choose - either now or in the future.
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Dell supporting Ubuntu is EXCELLENT!
But, please, remain in contact with the mothership - Debian.
I've chosen to ween my regular free support requesters from their troublesome software, to eventually switch them to a Linux operating system all together.
First I've convinced them to use Firefox. I've gotten inconsistent results from users. But most are pleased. Next I've been talking people into ditching whatever mail provider they currently use, their ISP or Hotmail or whatever, in exchange for gmail. The results are generally positive. The last big hurdle for "average users" is a productivity sweet to replace MS Office (which I've found is rarely licensed anyway). OpenOffice.org works GREAT for about 99.99% of their uses and that last tiny bit can be done some other way. I've also personally had good results from Google's online stuff. But I haven't actually set anyone up using either of these solutions yet.
The last thing to do is install a free OS and let them keep using their existing apps and services. Personally I think that Google's solutions, Firefox, and Open Office are the best tool for converting troublesome 'computer dependents' to Linux, and eliminating the vast majority of our problems. The best part is, you can get them using all these options before you take Windows away from them.
No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
This is funny. Dell has only recently decided to acknowledge Linux (technically for the second time), and people already found something to worry about! After years and years of moaning and whining that Dell sells Linux, it's suddenly a possibility that Dell may be bad for Ubuntu.
I have a little folk tale for this situation, coming from Bulgaria where I'm natively from.
Peter was a very poor villager. He was saving some money to buy eggs and grow chickens with which to feed his family. One day he took the money, went to the market and bought the eggs, then headed to home.
On the way, he started thinking "nice, nice, nice, I have 4 fertile eggs, from those eggs I'll grow 4 chicken. Those chickens will give eggs, and they'll grow into chickens too. I'll soon have hundreds of chickens, and I'll buy a farm house to keep them in. Those hundreds of chickens will give me hundreds of eggs, which I'll sell, and I'll buy four cows. Those cows will have many calves, and each of them will grow into a cow and all those cows will give me lots of milk. I'll be rich, and buy a second farm for my cows and calves. I'll buy a house in the city, and meet with the mayor and all important people. People will recognize me on the street and say, hello Peter! That'll be great!"
And while he was thinking about all those things, he tripped in a stone and broke the eggs.
I don't expect Dell to be doing much of the Ubuntu support at all; I think that's going to be Canonical's role
Geology - it's not rocket science; it's rock science
If the wheel never was invented, we whould have flying cars.
Easy:
1. There will be reliable market research on Linux desktop penetration. This means the start of a new startup/IPO bubble that will do much more harm than good.
2. The most important aspects of Free software that actually drive innovation will be abandoned for hybrids like Ubuntu. These hybrids will not support the Free software components. Look at Redhat for an example of how this works. They've got sort-of-free software and lots and more and more proprietary software that goes on top of their sort-of-free software. Please don't diverge from this point and start talking about their contributions and PR stance regarding Free software.
3. Free is not a business model. Mark is sinking a fortune into Ubuntu at this point and will expect to make a return on his investment at some point. After that, the Ubuntu honeymoon is over.
Got Trader Joe's? friendwich.com RSS feeds work now!
... Dell verifys the hardware to be compatable with the release of ubuntu that it ships with it's hardware.
Considering Ubuntu itself has a paid line of support....
The key application for Windows is probably Office, which Microsoft also own, and could keep off of Linux. Most bespoke software tied to Windows is built with MS tools and uses .NET, ActiveX, etc., so that wouldn't be easy to port to Linux either. Two of the most important things tying users to Windows are thus owned by Microsoft, so won't be ported to Linux.
In any case, if 25% market share will allow Linux to kill Windows, then it's only a matter of time before it happens. However, I don't think it's so simple. I think Microsoft's own applications, development tools and vendor support add enough value to make Windows a competitive platform. As an example, none of the non-technical people I know who've tried Linux have stuck with it. Is it just the lack of applications, excluding the Microsoft ones, that drives them away from Linux? I doubt it.
Turn the pop-up off. (...)
gpedit.msc -> Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Update
Set "Re-prompt for restart with scheduled installations" to disabled.
Judging by the standards that are usually applied to linux distros I conclude that Windows is not ready for the desktop.
"When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns
True... but does that mean kids don't want the ability to play the latest games on their laptops? IMO games still represent the biggest single application area where Linux cannot compete. Eliminating that problem would be a boon for Linux.
Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy.
"I thought the BSD folks *WERE* the token elite"
Humm... that's Plan9 and Inferno.
If user only needs Firefox (with somewhat worse fonts) and office editor (somewhat worse than MS Word for document editing) and never installs other programs or does anything else, and has son familiar with Linux, yes, for him Linux computer is as good as Windows.
Judging by your post you're not ready to administer Windows on the desktop. It's more fun to side with FUD than to learn something outside your current realm of knowledge.
You are a moron. The expression "ready for the desktop" precisely means "usable without any special skills whatsoever".
"When I first heard Daydream Nation it quite frankly scared the living shit out of me." -- Matthew Stearns