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Where To Buy A Machine With Linux Pre-Installed
The Berkeley LUG has a neat aggregation of many different places where you can acquire a desktop, laptop, or even netbook with Linux pre-installed. The list starts with a link to Dell's Linux offering, includes many independent vendors, and many updates from user comments, almost all of whom seem to be drinking the Ubuntu kool-aid. "Over the last couple of years, Linux has come a long way in terms of hardware support, and these days it is relatively rare that an installation of ubuntu/fedora will be lacking any drivers for your machine. However, installing any OS can still sometimes be a tedious task and one that scares the wits out of the average computer user. And, for the expert users out there, it's just more fun to buy a computer with Linux already on it and not have to pay the Microsoft tax."
"And, for the expert users out there, it's just more fun to buy a computer with Linux already on it and not have to pay the Microsoft tax."
Actually, for the experts, it's more fun to build the computer themselves and install whatever they feel like.
Because, of course, not using Microsoft's Windows or Apple's Mac OS X isn't enough.
You need to use an obscure Linux distro or else you'll still be a mindless sheep that other Linux users will laugh at.
You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
I'll be at Milliways if anyone needs me.
I have lived with three dudes over the past two years and they are all now running Ubuntu in one form or another having not even heard of any windows alternatives before. Simply seeing it work, being close to someone who can help when they come up against problems and experiencing the sheer breadth of free applications on offer is enough for many people to make the switch. Incidentally one of those guys didn't even own his own computer when I met him . . .
If you don't like the default OS, just install your own.
But if you use the operating system that comes on the machine, it reassures you that the operating system will work OK with the hardware. I replaced Xandros with Ubuntu on my Eee PC 900, and I still have trouble with cloning the display and with audio after coming out of suspend.
So far I've bought 2 Ubuntu machines from Dell and they absolutely rock! I bought a Dell Latitude and a Mini 9. They were both rock solid, isn't too OEMified (i.e. no crapware preinstalled).
I'm a huge Dell fan now, because they give me what I want!
Rah rah rah, go Dell! ;)
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
It's more about getting "clean" laptop without any OS (or proprietary one) installed and hardware compatibility with free OSes.
I'd love to see some vendor shipping laptops "Tested with Ubuntu, Fedora, NetBSD and OpenSolaris".
From my experience (had 3 laptops with Linux pre-installed so far - 2 with Linpus and one with Xandros!), I always had to switch to something else than what came with laptop. With Acer laptops it was easy - hardware was fairly standard. Other thing was with early version of Eee PC, that had all sorts of problems with drivers for almost a year until I could install "stock" Debian on it.
If I even got a laptop from Dell with Ubuntu, I would:
- re-partition and encrypt hard drive
- upgrade to something more recent than 8.04
That means I don't need a laptop with Linux pre-installed, but one without Windows, with fairly standard hardware. I think most of you here would agree with me.
Actually, this gets touchy sometimes.
I prefer that my clients buy their own equipment. That way they know I didn't inflate the price, they are the customer of record, and I don't carry the risk of buying hardware the the client backing out. I've gotten stuck with a few pieces of equipment because the client "changed their minds". That really doesn't work well on stuff purchased through eBay, but even with many vendors I'd have to pay a restocking fee.
We found a 3rd party vendor that was selling a Supermicro motherboard and chassis, assembled to spec with CPU, memory and drives. It's a nice machine. 8 core Opteron, 64Gb RAM, etc, etc. When the client put the order through, he asked "What operating system do you want?". I was already clear in that we were putting our preferred Linux distro on, but would be testing various RAID and filesystems, so he wasn't to have anything put on. They were very clear that the machine wouldn't support Linux. I went back to the spec, and checked on everything. There were no problem. They were insistent on selling him a Microsoft OS. They actually wrote it on the build sheet "Must use Microsoft OS". He was really concerned. Could this tech guy who's known all the answers so far know more than the vendor? Is he wasting a whole bunch of money on something that he can't use?
When it got here, I opened it up and verified all the parts. Then I booted it up with my Slamd64 CD, and installed. Right out of the box, it worked perfectly. Every device was identified and the drivers loaded. No problems at all. I know he was much happier when he got the call "The machine works great. We're migrating to it now. It will be online by the end of the weekend."
Had the customer not known any better, and we had given an option of Linux or Windows, he would have spent some good money on a Microsoft OS, because the vendor told him to.
I know the vendors view. They can make extra money on it. Why would I want to slow a nice fast machine down with a heavy GUI, when I can strip Linux down to bare bones and run as fast as possible?
Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
Wait wait wait. One person said "You're not gonna build your own netbook and have it be of any respectable quality" and you say "I beg to differ" and offer a link as a counter example. Any reasonable person would assume your link would contain someone who did make their own netbook, because you didn't specify otherwise, and it was in response to a question about homemade netbooks. Instead of lashing out at other users,consider the possibility that your post was vague and cryptic.
How do you figure that? Last time I checked you save exactly $0.00 dollars by getting the Ubuntu over the Vista, at least on the Dell XPS I last looked at. So in this case if there is any savings from not going MSFT then YOU aren't the one seeing it.
As you can see here it is $1099 for EITHER Vista or Ubuntu. So why in hell would you WANT Ubuntu when you can get the Vista and then download the latest Ubuntu for $0.00 dollars and use the Vista License in a VM or to dual boot? While I am all for choice, this choice seems about as logical as saying "Hey Dell, you don't make enough money, here take that $50 you have to send Ballmer and put it in your pocket. On me pal.". Someone who is smart enough to run Linux as a day to day OS is smart enough to download and burn an .iso. Now when you get something for choosing Linux, like how the Asus would have a bigger drive? That I can see. This just seems stupid IMHO. Cue the Linux users labeling me troll because I dared to point out the Ubuntu deal is a ripoff at Dell.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
You need to use an obscure Linux distro or else you'll still be a mindless sheep that other Linux users will laugh at.
I use DARKSTAR Linux, you insen... wait, I'm the insensitive clod, you sheep!