Dell Refuses to Sell Ubuntu to Business

An anonymous reader writes "I had a surreal experience with Dell today. My boss asked me to order a new computer for our small, non-profit business. Wanting to support Dell in their decision to sell computers with Ubuntu installed, I decided to order one. First, I talked to a small business representative, who informed me that I could not order one of the Ubuntu-based computers through the small business department. I had to go through the "home and home office" department. I called the Home office department. I asked the representative if I could buy one of the ubuntu computers for my company. She said (and I quote), "these Dell computers are designed for personal use only, as long as you use it for personal use, you can purchase one." So I lied and said I would.... Next, I tried to buy it on our business credit card. They would have none of that. She told me that I had to buy it through a personal card. Now, as a non-profit, our business does not pay sales tax (10% in Tennessee). Had I bought it with my own card, I would have had to pay tax (~$90), which my company would not have reimbursed me for. So.....no Dell today."

Comments

You're all missing the point

[Hic sunt leones]

Businesses AREN'T SUPPOSED to have opinions on the likes of SOFTWARE! Only GEEKS do that...

Monty Python: Spam Skit

[Himring]

Customer: "I would like a Dell and Ubuntu without Ubuntu on it."

Dell: "You can't have it."

Customer: "Why not?"

Dell: "Well it wouldn't be a Dell with Ubuntu now wou'it?..."

Language

[bagofbeans]

My wife was gaped at when she asked "Is this the queue for the till?" in a supermarket. It's "is this the line for the checkout?" here.
  Most Americans are not cosmopolitan...

Re:The word is "oriented", you drooling mongoloid.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bah. You're just trying to cheat at 'Scrabble'!

Re:Seems unlikely

[Adam Hazzlebank]

Try the same experiment in another two or three years, though, and if current rates of progress are anything to go by in OSS world, Microsoft might find themselves with a much more permanent shift taking place that really would damage them seriously. [sob] When can I stop reading this exact same comment, year after year.

Re:Seems unlikely

[bl8n8r]

> Microsoft came off with not even a wag of the finger.

a lot of people wagged a finger, just not the index one.