Comments on: Dell Prepares Ubuntu Encore

By: Cozmo

Cozmo — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:06:22 +0000

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 for Dell or HP when shopping Open Source.

Imagine Apple leaving the OS off a making an Open Source Box….
So much for radical dreams…

If MS-Dell was going to sell something, they would need the rumor mill as much as putting a web page with working link online…duh.

By: phillipe

phillipe — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:00:56 +0000

“if the Free Software Magazine article involves a single, isolated issue or indicates broader problems with Dell’s engineering”

Broader problem. Everyone knows the Paulsbo chipset (which the Mini 10 uses), is a nightmare for Linux support. It will never be a good Linux machine. Remember winmodems? The Mini 10 is a winbook.

By: aikiwolfie

aikiwolfie — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:07:52 +0000

At the end of the day Dell are currently doing themselves more harm than good by messing it’s Ubuntu customers around.

By: Leo

Leo — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:58:53 +0000

JanC: I would be happy, too. The only important thing is clarity: people need to know that this money is NOT going to a MS OEM license. Silly as it sounds, that’s what many “Linux” vendors used to do a few years back, particularly with laptops.

By: JanC

JanC — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 19:13:18 +0000

I won’t be surprised if Dell making a profit on Ubuntu systems depends on selling enough units with Ubuntu. Finding the right balance between “enough models with Ubuntu so that people find what they need” and “no more models with Ubuntu than we can support QA for” might not be that easy to find currently, and I suspect Dell is experimenting with it.

Also, if I look at the only systems with Ubuntu they offer in Belgium & The Netherlands now (Latitude 2100), they ask an additional 30 euro for WinXP. If I wanted to buy a Dell netbook (I already have another netbook, so don’t need one now…), I’d certainly be happy to pay the same price as for WinXP if that can help Dell (or any other computer manufacturer/store) to get profitable. Maybe The VAR Guy can do a poll to see what other users think about that?

By: Leo

Leo — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:35:24 +0000

Let me elaborate a bit more: because a good fraction of the Dell netbooks being sold new are running Ubuntu, and almost all refurbished ones are running XP, it seems as if Dell is buying an OEM license for each refurb and passing it on to the consumer. Is that the case? Why not give the option to run Ubuntu (or just no OS)?

By: Leo

Leo — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:48:01 +0000

Anyone knows why virtually all refurbished mini’s n Dell outlet come with win XP? I am shopping for a refurb with no MS Tax and disappointed!

By: aikiwolfie

aikiwolfie — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:39:22 +0000

Well like I said. I could be reading it wrong. But John Hulls comments do look bad for Ubuntu on Dell systems. Especially in light of Dell backing Windows 7 so heavily and so many Ubuntu compatible systems being pulled while still being offered with Windows Vista/7.

It all feels very very wrong.

By: The VAR Guy

The VAR Guy — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:07:16 +0000

Aikiwolfie:

The VAR Guy personally met John Hull a few months ago. And Hull has always made the same, logical statement: Dell doesn’t plan to offer Ubuntu on all systems because there’s no financial driver to do so.

Why incur the testing/compatibility costs on “all” systems when instead you can limit the costs and focus consumers on a few selected Ubuntu systems?

The VAR Guy stands by his report and his source: Dell will be introducing Ubuntu on more systems — though certainly not all systems. Stay tuned.

If The VAR Guy discovers his original source/report was wrong, our resident blogger will post a follow-up eating crow.

Side note: Aikiwolfie, thanks for taking the time to raise healthy questions.

By: aikiwolfie

aikiwolfie — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:44:36 +0000

John Hulls comments on IdeaStorm recently might make the VAR Guys source looks a bit stupid and out of the loop.

http://www.ideastorm.com/ideaView?id=087700000000AFRAA2&mc=0&p=2

I could be reading it wrong. But it looks to me as though John is saying Dell aren’t making money from Ubuntu. That’s why the number of systems have been cut back and why we’re not seeing any new offers from Dell.

Now when you don’t make much if any effort to advertise a new product. How can you complain about not selling it?

As an interesting side note. Windows 7 is just around the corner and Dell are very much pro-Windows 7 for obvious profitable reasons.

By: aikiwolfie

aikiwolfie — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 22:43:58 +0000

“…isn’t the Ubuntu deployment strategy about replacing XP installs as well…”

No. The Ubuntu strategy was about PR for IdeaStorm, leverage niche markets and applying some pressure to Microsoft. It was never about replacing any Windows based systems or cannibalising any of Dells Windows market share.

I think the way Ubuntu was initially introduced by Dell keeping it confined to the basement is proof enough of that.

By: ricegf

ricegf — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:21:17 +0000

Dell’s bumps are costing them sales, though. I, for example, now own an Ubuntu-powered System76 Starling netbook, which I use daily and love (see review at http://tr.im/wYOg). I’ve owned and enjoyed Dell products before, and went to them first for a netbook, but they didn’t offer one with 9.04. Best wishes to them, though – hope they get their act together soon.