Unsolved
This post is more than 5 years old
1 Message
0
983
May 29th, 2006 00:00
Linux Pre-installed Desktop FYI
Just an FYI to everyone ready to purchase their new desktop but do not wish to have it infected with Windows:
It is true that Microsoft and Dell have a deal which prevents Dell from selling you a Desktop computer without Windows preinstalled. How this is legal given Microsoft's legal situation is beyond me. Besides, what's in it for Dell? I know they get a "discount" for being a Windows-only shop but it seems to me that the largest PC manufacturer in the world should be able to write it's own ticket. If Dell offered Linux (free) next to Windows, wouldn't that force Microsoft to lower its prices in order to compete? Would that not be a win-win for Dell and its consumers?
In any case it is clearly a lose-lose for Dell and its customers to be force-fed 5+ year old garbage software. Microsoft's most recent contribution to the operating system market is already a half-decade old and has a very poor track record for security and performance.
About a week ago I came to Dell.com to buy a new PC with Linux preinstalled (I'm a huge Dell fan -- as well as a huge Linux fan). I was shocked to see that Linux was not offered on even high-end business desktops. Before I settled for paying for a Windows license I would not use I decided to check Gateway.com and HP.com to see if those companies were offering Linux desktops. The guys over at HP are clearly smoking crack but I'm glad I shopped around.
Gateway (one of Dell's competitors) currently offers desktop computers with Linux preinstalled instead of Windows. This includes preinstalled drivers and all applicable support and warranties. So if you are not tied to the Dell brand you might want to consider that route. Personally I always prefered Dell to everything else but not if that means paying big bucks for something that's going to get erased as soon as I open the box.
Gateway hardware prices run about the same as Dell's so you can usually expect to pay ~$80 less overall (the price of a Windows license). So needless to say, my new machine is a Gateway running Linux fully supported (3.0Ghz HT, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, DVD-RW for less than $1000)!
Hopefully Dell will snap out of it and realize that the public is demanding quality and that Microsoft can't deliver. I really think offering Linux to the general public as a pre-installed and supported alternative to Windows is the best way to pull the industry out of its current slump. I hope somebody at Dell reads this post and does something in this area.
Hopfully this post helps someone get a cool machine without having to settle for second rate software.
It is true that Microsoft and Dell have a deal which prevents Dell from selling you a Desktop computer without Windows preinstalled. How this is legal given Microsoft's legal situation is beyond me. Besides, what's in it for Dell? I know they get a "discount" for being a Windows-only shop but it seems to me that the largest PC manufacturer in the world should be able to write it's own ticket. If Dell offered Linux (free) next to Windows, wouldn't that force Microsoft to lower its prices in order to compete? Would that not be a win-win for Dell and its consumers?
In any case it is clearly a lose-lose for Dell and its customers to be force-fed 5+ year old garbage software. Microsoft's most recent contribution to the operating system market is already a half-decade old and has a very poor track record for security and performance.
About a week ago I came to Dell.com to buy a new PC with Linux preinstalled (I'm a huge Dell fan -- as well as a huge Linux fan). I was shocked to see that Linux was not offered on even high-end business desktops. Before I settled for paying for a Windows license I would not use I decided to check Gateway.com and HP.com to see if those companies were offering Linux desktops. The guys over at HP are clearly smoking crack but I'm glad I shopped around.
Gateway (one of Dell's competitors) currently offers desktop computers with Linux preinstalled instead of Windows. This includes preinstalled drivers and all applicable support and warranties. So if you are not tied to the Dell brand you might want to consider that route. Personally I always prefered Dell to everything else but not if that means paying big bucks for something that's going to get erased as soon as I open the box.
Gateway hardware prices run about the same as Dell's so you can usually expect to pay ~$80 less overall (the price of a Windows license). So needless to say, my new machine is a Gateway running Linux fully supported (3.0Ghz HT, 2GB RAM, 160GB HD, DVD-RW for less than $1000)!
Hopefully Dell will snap out of it and realize that the public is demanding quality and that Microsoft can't deliver. I really think offering Linux to the general public as a pre-installed and supported alternative to Windows is the best way to pull the industry out of its current slump. I hope somebody at Dell reads this post and does something in this area.
Hopfully this post helps someone get a cool machine without having to settle for second rate software.
0 events found
No Events found!
kwantum
7 Posts
0
June 10th, 2006 08:00
If I want a new computer, I will think about it. Thanks for the info. At the moment I`m thinking of getting a laptop. This in Belgium not done without MS software, so I still didn`t buy anything.
pvdvyve
7 Posts
0
June 10th, 2006 18:00