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How Dell Is Making Ubuntu Linux More Attractive
CWmike writes "Dell was the first of the major computer manufacturers to support pre-installed Linux, but it's not just pre-installing Linux. The Austin, Tex. company is also adding functionality to Ubuntu Linux on its desktops and laptops, writes Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols. It began by adding DVD-playback to its systems shipping with Ubuntu 7.10. With the recent release of Dell PCs with Ubuntu 8.04, Dell is now including 'Fluendo GStreamer codecs for mp3, wma (Windows Media Audio), and wmv (Windows Media Video) playback' in its latest Ubuntu-powered desktops and laptops. On Ubuntu systems with ATI or NIVDIA graphics, Dell also now supports HDMI output. Yesterday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said his company hopes to steal a page from Apple's playbook and change how it works with hardware makers in an attempt to duplicate its rival's success. Is OS customization the way forward for desktop Linux, and Windows?"
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I just did a quick test, the Inspiron 1525(Windows) and 1525N(Linux)
same specs, the Linux system cost 350$ more than the windows one
http://img517.imageshack.us/my.php?image=windowsol0.jpg
http://img174.imageshack.us/my.php?image=linuxmq5.jpg
Your argument fails on 3 fronts:
1. It presupposes that most/all elderly are stupid.
2. It's easier to install the major Linux distributions than it is to install Windows of any flavor.
3. The need for restore disks isn't as vital as for Windows.
A. Windows users think it's normal to wipe and reinstall every quarter.
B. Linux doesn't have a half-life/slowdown rate. See 4.
4. The cause of needing restore disks is usually infection. While technically Linux is vulnerable to security problems, the number of "in the wild" Linux viruses is currently 0. Most, if not all, Linux trojans need some sort of user interaction to work. One needs to deliberately shoot one's self in the foot for them to work. Microsoft would do everyone a lot of favors in this department by abandoning Active Yecchs and abandoning the use of 3 magic letters at the end of a filename to determine executability.
5. It's easier to remotely admin through ssh Great Aunt Midlred's Linux machine than it is to go over to her house. While that's more convenient, I guess the drawback is the lack of cookies. (case in point, I went over to a friend's house the other weekend because he screwed up flash and java. I could have done it from my house, but I wanted to hang out and have beer and chourico sandwiches).
--
BMO - We do what we must because we can
Yes they come with a framework for creating recovery disks as well as a recovery partition on the hard drive.
It's not that hard to find Open Source/Ubuntu systems on the Dell US site:
Open www.dell.com, choose "For Home", then click "Laptop" from the drop-down menu. Open Source systems are linked under the heading "PC Operating Systems" on the left side menu (bottom of menu).
Or, www.dell.com, choose "For Office > Small Business", then click "Desktop" from the drop-down menu. Open Source systems are listed under "FreeDOS and Linux Desktops"
Now, as for the selection of systems, I'm happy with the systems they offer ($WORK just bought a fleet of new "N Series" desktops (Optiplex 755n to be exact), and there was a fine selection of hardware/upgrades available (including ATI discrete graphics cards)...
If they really wanted to hide them, they could have done a much better job of it... I think if I were truely looking for a system with no OS/Ubuntu, I could find it quite easily.
Ken
Dell are releasing BIOS upgrades for their laptops to cope with the Nvidia weak component problem (basically the fan will spin up sooner). This includes the laptop models that come with Linux preinstalled. Except there's no BIOS updater that will run under Linux; they're all Windows based (although if you have a DOS floppy knocking around you can use that)
Umm...Dell has a Linux BIOS updater in its SMBIOS library. The only downside is that you might have to install wine for the image extraction (though it says it is still doable without).
(although if you have a DOS floppy knocking around you can use that)
... how can you possibly not know about Free DOS?
What the hell? You have such a low userID
I have never been unable to apply a BIOS update using a bootable Free DOS CD. (And prior to that, OpenDOS.) There's an ISO at the Free DOS website. It doesn't get any easier than that. So what was your complaint again?
An Atom CPU is a modern CPU ... and I sincerely doubt that it could hand'e 1080p h.264 even at full speed.
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.
"Codices" is the plural of codex (i.e. book), not codec. Unless the summary really does mean that Dell is throwing in a collection of books from Fluendo about the mp3, wma, and wmv formats, in which case I apologize.
...wearing a skin-tight topless leather jumpsuit, with cutaway buttocks and transparent crotch panel.
Unless she bought a toy digital camera with a non-standard chipset, it should have worked fine. Either digiKam or f-spot should have been able to find and download the photos. If not, the camera should have shown up on the desktop and you could have used copy/paste to get them onto the hard disk. Sounds like Granny was talked into buying a cheap camera instead of a good one.
Good, inexpensive web hosting
Go to the Dell site and try to find a Linux laptop. It's quite hard to find.
um, maybe try http://www.dell.com/ubuntu?