[AuckLUG] Re: Dell Preinstalls Ubuntu

[Chilling_Silence]

> On 5/15/07, Ghodmode <ghodmode at ghodmode.com> wrote:
>> Hi Dec,
>>     I agree whole-heartedly with the sentiment.  However, I think we
>> should
>> consider the fact that there have been other vendors selling computers
>> pre-installed with Linux for a while.  We don't want to help Dell wipe
>> out
>> the vendors who have supported us for years.
>>
>>     Dell has been forced by the community to offer Linux.  While their
>> recent offering is fantastic for us, they have no real interest in
>> supporting anything other than their bottom-line.
>>
>>     We do have our work cut out for us, though.  If you want to run ads
>> for
>> vendors, I'd like you to consider other vendors as well:
>> http://www.linux.org/vendor/system/index.html
>> http://www.linux.org/vendor/system/desktop.html
>> http://www.linux.org/vendor/system/laptop.html
>>
>>     Mark Shuttleworth's decision that wine will not be included on Dell
>> PC
>> and his recent statement that he does not want to position Linux as a
>> cheap
>> alternative to Windows  also makes Dell less appealing for me (ref:
>> http://www.eweek.com/article2/0%2C1895%2C2125848%2C00.asp).  IMHO, an
>> inexpensive alternative to Windows is EXACTLY where Linux should be
>> positioned in the market.
>
> <snip>
>
> I can't help but be shocked and appalled by the last statement here.
>
> As soon as you start pitting Linux as a cheap alternative to Windows
> people start getting frustrated that Windows binaries don't work and,
> for heavens sake, where's the control panel. You lose them even before
> they give it a chance.
>
> If you however use the strengths of Linux to market it, those things
> that people are used to start to become differences, not weaknesses.
>
> There are some perfectly good reasons not to include Wine. It's still
> in beta. There's ALOT of stuffing around with configuration settings.
> New Releases are constantly breaking things and fixing other things.
>
> Can you imagine trying to support it?!? "What version of Wine are you
> using?" "Upgrade Wine" - it all sounds like an episode of The I.T.
> Crowd to me.

Exactly
When I tell people that Aero sucks in comparison to some of the cool stuff
Beryl does, they're amazed.
What about how easy driver installation is with Ubuntu for nVidia / ATi
cards? Codec updates? Software installation using "Add / Remove.."? Simple
installation? Non-destructive partitioning from the LiveCD? All great big
fat ticks for Ubuntu where it wins out over Vista as a competitor :)

If I had the $, Id buy a PC from Dell (Never bought a pre-made PC before)
just to show my support :)