Dell no longer to pre-install linux!

logic1

From newsforge

"Now that Dell has announced that it will no longer be pre-installing Linux on its desktops and workstations, but will continue offering RedHat Linux on workstations and servers, it's important to think about why Dell made that move. One of the reasons Dell cited was the lack of availability of desktop applications for the OS. Besides the soft hardware market in general, there simply isn't enough demand for pre-loaded Linux desktops and notebooks to justify the cost of supporting it"

.logic.

Trojan

It's true, apps suck for Linux.

And also it's too hard for newbie users to use, Linux-dev heads need to clone the Winblows front end properly ...

Al.

logic1

Yeah it's happening though. A few years ago it was nearly rocket science trying to install a distro.

.logic.

Trojan

Don't I remember...

My first experience was with Slackware 96, which was a bit of a shock for a (then) Mac-head!!

logic1

Mac head? Jaysus... the girlfriend has a G4 Cube at home

.logic.

Trojan

So I saw... meself and Dan were making coffee on Wed night, hit the mouse and the bloody thing woke up on us!

It looks nice though

I haven't been a Mac head since OS 7.6.1 or so...

Hobbes

If you go read Slashdot you'll see that Dell really didn't help the situation.

First they had the Linux installed laptops hidden from the normal online shop screen, second the laptops that had linux preinstalled were very old models, you couldn't get the latest model with Linux.

So if there wasn't enough people buying them, it was Dell's fault.

Trojan

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Hobbes:
So if there wasn't enough people buying them, it was Dell's fault. </font>

Wonder if our friend Bill had anything to do with that...

Al.

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Sedulously eschew obfuscatory hyperverbosity and prolixity.

moist

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Trojan:
Wonder if our friend Bill had anything to do with that...

</font>

Doubt it...

The thing is, most people that might buy a del+linux machine would most likely reinstall
it to their own tastes, I know I certainly would.
In fact, I don't think I've ever used the default on any machine I ever got.

Hobbes

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by moist:
The thing is, most people that might buy a del+linux machine would most likely reinstall
it to their own tastes, I know I certainly would.</font>

True, but your still paying MS tax on the machine. If I had a choice between top of the range machine with no OS or Windows I would take the one without an OS

moist

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Hobbes:
If I had a choice between top of the range machine with no OS or Windows I would take the one without an OS</font>

Ahh... I keep forgetting about this OEM malarkey.
I generally just buy the parts myself.

yossarin

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Trojan:
It's true, apps suck for Linux.

And also it's too hard for newbie users to use, Linux-dev heads need to clone the Winblows front end properly ...

Al.</font>

Mandrake w/ KDE 2.1 looks pretty good:
http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/fscreenshots.php3
and that install is sooo easy

Trojan

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by yossarin:
Mandrake w/ KDE 2.1 looks pretty good:
http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/fscreenshots.php3
and that install is sooo easy
</font>

I've installed it, it's actually on my laptop.

It's still not good enough, especially partitioning in particular, that's where non-technical people really make a hames of it!

Al.

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Sedulously eschew obfuscatory hyperverbosity and prolixity.

You really should you know.