Rumors are swirling that Dell’s U.S. Web site has stopped selling Ubuntu-based desktop Linux PCs. Here’s what The VAR Guy knows so far, and the potential implications for Canonical and the desktop Linux movement.
Earlier today, one of The VAR Guy’s readers stated:
“DELL stopped selling Ubuntu Desktop (530N) computers, July 2009. Where do we get quality Ubuntu Desktops?”
Skeptical, The VAR Guy surfed on over to Dell’s online store for Ubuntu-based systems (www.Dell.com/Ubuntu). Once inside, The VAR Guy noticed that the store no longer listed Ubuntu desktop PCs. Alas, Dell’s current Ubuntu system options were limited to:
- A Mini 10v netbook
- Inspiron 15n laptop
- XPS M1330n laptop
Hmmm… Is this a temporary situation at Dell? Or has the PC giant truly decided to stop promoting Ubuntu desktop PCs? The VAR Guy has reached out to Dell and Canonical for comment.
UPDATE, July 23, 8:42 a.m. eastern: ComputerWorld reported on July 9 that Dell was sticking with Ubuntu desktops and simply refreshing the PC line. But as of today, the new offering has yet to debut on Dell’s web site.
Two-year Experiment
It has been roughly two years since Dell launched Ubuntu-based PCs. Michael Dell himself tested Ubuntu on his home PC and gave the operating system a thumbs up.
Fast forward two years, and all seemed reasonably well with Dell, Canonical and Ubuntu. During a visit to Dell in June, company insiders told The VAR Guy that Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth and Michael Dell had met recently. The Dell insiders also considered Canonical a strategic partner on the Linux front — though the Dell sources indicated the PC maker had no plans to offer Ubuntu-based servers.
On the upside, Canonical , according to The New York Times, is climbing toward $30 million in annual revenue. Plus, Canonical is introducing storage and cloud services to drive profits.
But skeptics wonder if Canonical can deliver profits. Also, The VAR Guy has worried that both Google Android and Google Chrome would ultimately overshadow Ubuntu.
The bottom line for this blog entry: Fewer Ubuntu choices from Dell could harm market perception around Canonical. But Ubuntu fanatics shouldn’t panic. Smaller, Ubuntu-centric PC makers — such as System76 and ZaReason — continue to back Canonical’s offerings.
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FYI i use ubuntu but am not a fanatic thank you
What’s the beef?
I always use Toshiba laptops which have to be bought with a preinstalled Windows OEM.
But actually getting a copy of of Ub, and installing it is less of a hassle than getting a Windows machine to work out of the box.
I don’t think this claim has been made before. The last time I ran a Windows machine it didn’t work when I bought it so I had to go back the the shop! (something you never do with Ub – no shop) where he had to do magic like phoning the M$ activation line.
So if you can’t get the Dell you want, get a copy of Ub on another machine then:
Open cardboard box on new Dell, take out, plug in, start, change boot order to CD, boot to CD, having inserted Ub disk, select install, choose where you live (or want to), keyboard, at the partitioner wipe the Vista (Hasta la Vista gone yet?), and install Windows.
Do dual boot, Windows, all offerings bar none have been a dog.
Gates and Baller know it, and one day the peasants like me will rise up and have a great burning of the Windows.
Sir William, you have been warned.
Dell sells Ubuntu based PCs only in a few countries. In Austria there is only the Mini 10v netbook.
Moreover it’s not possible to buy a Ubuntu based notebook. We do not have shops like System76 and ZaReason.
You are lucky guys in Amerika with all this possibilities to buy Ubuntu based Systems
@Charles Norrie
what about people who doesn’t willing to pay the “microsoft fee”?
The Var Guy is behind on this one…a Dell rep is already on record addressing this.
July 9, 2009:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/dell_is_sticking_with_ubuntu
Anne Camden, a Dell spokesperson, “We are currently transitioning desktop models, moving from the previous generation desktop (Inspiron 530) to a current generation Inspiron desktop. The Ubuntu Linux desktop offering should be back on the Website soon.”
So what’s the story here? Is it the rumor or is it the fact that The Var Guy wasn’t aware that someone already did a better job reporting on it and getting a Dell rep on record.
Publishing an article based on a rumor without actually waiting to get a comment on record from a named Dell or Canonical rep is absolutely shameful. It’s more shameful in that you are digging this up this rumor two weeks after it was addressed by another pundit. At least pretend to care about the quality of your own reporting.
-jef
I doubt it. Dell will probably add some other desktop soon. The 530N was pretty outdated hardware, wasn’t it?
Ubuntu to not ubuntu, Dell has pretty large in house Linux team. So we should keep seeing Linux activity. Of course, I find it unacceptable for Dell or anyone else to force me to buy Windows. All machines should have an option to buy them with no OS (and get the OEM MS License subtracted of course)
Speaking of which, I buy my desktops in “white box” places. I just built a fantastic Phenom X3 off of a barebone from Portatech.com
Also, here you have at least three offerings: Mini 9, Mini 10 and Mini 10v
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-10?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs
They are just not linked from the dell Ubuntu page.
Jef @5: You’re right to point out The VAR Guy was behind on this one. Kudos to Steven J. Vaughn-Nichols for having the facts in order two weeks ago. But, um… it has been two weeks. Where are those promised Dell Ubuntu desktops?
Imagine if Dell eliminated Windows desktops for a few weeks in order to refresh the line with new Windows desktops. Not good business.
I live in Puerto Rico, and I bought an Ubuntu Inspiron 530 PC through Dell’s Puerto Rico website a couple of weeks ago. The only other option was an XPS laptop.
I just checked the website and now it ONLY shows a Mini 10.
Ok, so I bought a Dell Studio laptop and not a single distro I tried “just works” (SuSE, Ubuntu, Mandriva, …). So whoever posted that you just boot/install from CD… YEAH RIGHT. So you see, it might take some time for Dell to work things out before offering a new line.
I’d be happy if it were possible to simply buy a laptop or desktop from a makor vendor without any OS at all.
The Var guy should consider himself lucky to have a choice of three systems. So far as I can figure out we only have one in the UK. The Mini 10.
At least it’s no buried in the basement any more. One step forward. Ten steps back.
This tells me Dells sees Ubuntu as an OS for a device limited in use and functionality and not an OS for proper fully functioning PCs.
Good thing I know better. I’m running Ubuntu on an XPS 720 with an Intel Core 2 Quad and 8GB of RAM.
There’s a desktop right in the graphic on the front page. It’s probably just a temporary thing. But if you want to talk about the failures of Ubuntu in the marketplace, there are plenty of other examples to choose from.
It is not just Ubuntu’s failure. Dell is playing a part in it as well. When choosing hardware components they could have picked parts that are known to work well with Linux. But I am guessing it is not cost efficient for Dell (and others).
For a Quarter, (July, August, September) Dell has not sold Ubuntu desktop computers to home users here in the U.S.
Can we cut the bullsh*t. Rumor and wishful thinking aren’t computers and revenue. Dell and HP are effectively Microsoft subsidiaries.
Is Dell really going to start selling their 537 with Ubuntu any time soon?
They missed the whole back-to-school market, just like Microsoft ordered.
If only a major player would sell an Ubuntu Desktop Duo-Core, 2GB+ RAM, DVD-RW, with 19″flatpanel for under $500, there would be no need to look at Dell or HP when shopping Open Source.
Imagine Apple leaving the OS off and making an Open Source Box….
So much for radical dreams…
If MS-Dell was going to sell something, they would need more than the rumor mill, they would need a web page with working link to a desktop model…duh.