Live Linux Chat, Session 2 - Now Open

Great Thanks for offering Linux systems!! keep up the good work and also thanks for these live chat sessioins i know your time is valuable.

ToeBee wrote: Might want to lock this morning's thread... I posted in it a few hours ago assuming it would be continued tonight. I will repost here: I know you said you couldn't give specific numbers but could you comment on sales volumes at all? Has it been better/worse than you expected before you went live? Was there an initial rush that has died off? I WAS intending to buy one but my brother is making me an offer on an Inspiron E1505 that I may not be able to refuse...

We really cannot comment on our sales numbers other than to say they are inline with our expectations. :)

ToeBee wrote: Also, is the preinstalled Ubuntu on the core2 models 32 bit or 64 bit? I actually just installed Ubuntu amd64 on the 1505 from my brother last night and while most things worked, there seem to be a few more rough edges so I'm kind of assuming you are just using 32 bit for everything.

That is correct, we are factory-installing the i386 version of Ubuntu. There are still too many things that do not work quite correctly under AMD 64 -- things like Flash and certain media codecs.

ToeBee wrote: I played around with the laptop using a 32 bit liveCD and everything "just worked" perfectly. However I installed from an amd64 CD and a few things didn't. Not to turn this into a bug report but if you want specific examples: The nvidia driver doesn't show up in the "Restricted Drivers" utility and the version of the nvidia driver that is installed is the 96xx series instead of the 97xx that should be there for the card that is installed. After I got that sorted out Beryl still wouldn't start and I realized that xorg.conf had a default color depth of 16 bits instead of 24 which Beryl requires. I'm still investigating some wireless anomalies but at least the intel driver was installed and did show up in the restricted drivers list.

These are some of the reasons that we are not factory installing the AMD64 version of ubuntu.

The XPS 1330 is so new that we haven't performed any testing on it, so I don't know what works and what doesn't. I understand that it is fairly similar to the new laptop that we're selling, the Inspiron 1420n, so the drivers that we post for the 1420 may work for that system.

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@glaringdarkmatter22 wrote:
Hi There, I recently fell inlove with linux on my inspiron 8200 however it has just died with out hope of repair. As a consequence i want to buy a new laptop but do not want windows. The laptop that i want is the XPS m1330 that just came out but it is not offered with ubuntu. My question is: Will i have any problems getting ubuntu to work with the xps 1330? Also since most of the components in the new inspiron laptops with ubuntu are the same will you guys have drivers avliable for download that will work for the xps 1330 should i get one? Thanks -Christian

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We have heard a lot of feedback from customers around the world that want to buy Ubuntu systems from us. We should have an announcement later this summer.

Oh I forgot to add: if you really have suspend working on the 1420n, that is good news. I read that suspend is hard to get working with many laptops. So if suspend (and/or suspend2disk) works on a santa rosa based Dell Laptop, that would be a huge selling point. At least for people who know what it means.

..."just hit reply... roger that. I did quite a bit of professional support of Windows/NetWare for years. I left that realm in favor of GNU/Linux about 6 years ago. I've done some asking via Dell Support Live-Chat sessions, but no one else seems to know the answer to this question: How can a Wall Street experienced computer support guy get a job with Dell doing Ubuntu Support in the New York/New Jersey area?

ktraglin,

Here is the link just hit reply to ask a question.

Live Forum

Hi There, I recently fell inlove with linux on my inspiron 8200 however it has just died with out hope of repair. As a consequence i want to buy a new laptop but do not want windows. The laptop that i want is the XPS m1330 that just came out but it is not offered with ubuntu. My question is: Will i have any problems getting ubuntu to work with the xps 1330? Also since most of the components in the new inspiron laptops with ubuntu are the same will you guys have drivers avliable for download that will work for the xps 1330 should i get one? Thanks -Christian

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DELL-JohnH wrote: pchem: We just added two systems to the Ubuntu offering yesterday: the Inspiron 530n and the 1420n. The 1420n is a nice new laptop that may fit your needs. Sound, video, suspend, and hibernate "just work" for the configurations we sell.

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Yeah... the 1420n and e1505n models are "close but not quite." I am looking for relatively new discrete video, and 802.11n wireless. Something like a LED display helps too. So, from the Dell models, I hope that your M1330 is offered with linux soon. I plan to buy within a couple of weeks! I am hoping against all odds, perhaps.

Where is the link to submit a NEW post? I only see options to Reply (though admittedly, I could be overlooking something).

Hello, I am a graduate student in the market for a new laptop. I want and need to run linux. I am currently deciding between Thinkpads (T61/T61p), a MacBook Pro, or Dell. The specific Dell models I'm interested in are the Latitude D630 and D830, and the XPS M1330. The M1330 is especially appealing.

But, none of these laptops are offered with Ubuntu pre-installed by Dell. I know that I could install it myself, but I was wondering, is Dell going to expand their Ubuntu offerings to these models anytime soon?

If Dell offered Ubuntu pre-installed on any of those models, I would definitely buy a Dell instead of some other brand. I would know that things like sound, video or suspend "just worked." Anyway, thanks for offering alternatives!

Well, Dell's Ubuntu support is currently based out of Ottawa, so if you want to do Ubuntu support for us you might have to relocate. :)

Might want to lock this morning's thread... I posted in it a few hours ago assuming it would be continued tonight. I will repost here:

I know you said you couldn't give specific numbers but could you comment on sales volumes at all? Has it been better/worse than you expected before you went live? Was there an initial rush that has died off? I WAS intending to buy one but my brother is making me an offer on an Inspiron E1505 that I may not be able to refuse...

Also, is the preinstalled Ubuntu on the core2 models 32 bit or 64 bit? I actually just installed Ubuntu amd64 on the 1505 from my brother last night and while most things worked, there seem to be a few more rough edges so I'm kind of assuming you are just using 32 bit for everything.

I played around with the laptop using a 32 bit liveCD and everything "just worked" perfectly. However I installed from an amd64 CD and a few things didn't. Not to turn this into a bug report but if you want specific examples: The nvidia driver doesn't show up in the "Restricted Drivers" utility and the version of the nvidia driver that is installed is the 96xx series instead of the 97xx that should be there for the card that is installed. After I got that sorted out Beryl still wouldn't start and I realized that xorg.conf had a default color depth of 16 bits instead of 24 which Beryl requires. I'm still investigating some wireless anomalies but at least the intel driver was installed and did show up in the restricted drivers list.

pchem: We just added two systems to the Ubuntu offering yesterday: the Inspiron 530n and the 1420n. The 1420n is a nice new laptop that may fit your needs. Sound, video, suspend, and hibernate "just work" for the configurations we sell.

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@pchem wrote:
Hello, I am a graduate student in the market for a new laptop. I want and need to run linux. I am currently deciding between Thinkpads (T61/T61p), a MacBook Pro, or Dell. The specific Dell models I'm interested in are the Latitude D630 and D830, and the XPS M1330. The M1330 is especially appealing.

But, none of these laptops are offered with Ubuntu pre-installed by Dell. I know that I could install it myself, but I was wondering, is Dell going to expand their Ubuntu offerings to these models anytime soon?

If Dell offered Ubuntu pre-installed on any of those models, I would definitely buy a Dell instead of some other brand. I would know that things like sound, video or suspend "just worked." Anyway, thanks for offering alternatives!

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Hi, John and co.

Today, I noticed that Ubuntu-equipped Inspiron notebooks took a price hike and are also no longer available through EPP. Are there any plans to bring back either discount? I was going to purchase an e1505n and I missed the window by a hair.

Message Edited by Zyr on 06-27-2007 08:05 PM