The VAR Guy

OK, so Dell’s desktop Linux PCs aren’t setting the world on fire. The PC giant has sold about 40,000 of the Ubuntu Linux PCs since introducing them at the end of July. That’s a run rate of about 8,000 per month. And one of those systems was sold to The VAR Guy. So what will Dell do next? End the Linux experiment based on slow sales? Guess again.

The ocean called. They’re running out of shrimp. The VAR Guy consumed a few pounds of shrimp cocktail at OnForce last night during an open house to celebrate the company’s new headquarters. He stopped chewing long enough to hear a few good rumors — including one involving OnForce launching its online marketplace for VARs in Germany and the U.K.

Circle the date: Dell is inviting VARs to participate in a major channel briefing from the company on December 5. The VAR Guy will be all ears. Care to listen in on the discussion and potentially pose some questions? Here are the details.

The VAR Guy isn’t panicking. But Goldman Sachs is warning investors that software sector sales could be softer than expected in 2008. You can find a good, quick summary of Goldman’s views over on Barron’s. The VAR Guy, you’ll recall, is wondering if open source software companies are immune to an economic slowdown — or at least better positioned than their closed-source rivals.

Yes, you can purchase a $200 Linux PC from Wal-Mart this holiday season. That’s great news for consumers and the open source movement. But a lot of bloggers, including The VAR Guy, need to remind readers that it might be wiser to look elsewhere for affordable, reliable Linux PCs. One prime stop should be ZaReason.com. Here’s why.

The VAR Guy is turning into a snowbird. The native New Yorker spent last week in sunny Orlando, riding some of the world’s best roller coasters. Next week, we hear, he plans to return to Florida — this time for a major Cisco Systems channel event that will boast several surprising twists.

The VAR Guy spent the weekend visiting retails stores, searching for digital bargains. He couldn’t help but notice all of the Dell PCs, monitors, printers and ink cartridges — yes, Dell ink — on retail store shelves. Back in the online world, Michael Dell’s managed services push makes his company the channel surprise of 2007. But will the retail and MSP moves reward Dell shareholders, partners and customers? The VAR Guy weighs in with his thoughts.

The VAR Guy just awoke from a 24-hour nap in Orlando, Florida. Too many roller coaster rides for our fearless world traveler? Nope. Some sort of virus zapped his energy. Still, he managed to push himself through Universal Orlando’s theme parks. And he’ll be blogging again full-time after the Thanksgiving holiday break here in the US. In the meantime, here’s The VAR Guy’s Top 10 Rides in Orlando.

Is this a dream or a nightmare for the channel? The VAR Guy is thrilled to hear Dell has acquired Everdream, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) specialist. But the folks over at those old channel publications will likely ask more questions about Dell’s intentions in the managed services market.

The VAR Guy certainly loves his iPhone. But he’s keeping a close eye on Google’s open source operating system for mobile phones, called Android. If Google plays its cards right, Android could be the operating system that allows dual-mode VoIP phones to flourish. Here’s a first-look at Android, directly from Google.