Dell: we're going Linux, and it's all because of you
By Ryan Block 
posted March 29th 2007 1:14AM
posted March 29th 2007 1:14AM
Dell, oddly enough, is listening to the many thousands of direct requests its customers made during its big public brainstorm (aka IdeaStorm) not so far back. The result of nearly 70% of participants requesting Linux on Dell machines? Linux will soon be pre-installed on consumer desktops and laptops outside their server and Precision desktop lineup -- hoorah! What we're most curious about: when going to configure your system, how much money will one save by ducking out of the "Microsoft tax"? No word on when we'll get to find out what the magic number is, but we imagine the Linux rollover won't be immediate since Dell still has some serious work to do not only with the driver and software end of things to make future machines fully open-source, but also prepping and training its end-user support staff to get Linux-compatible, as it were.[Via PC World]
Theoretically if Dell preinstalled linux on a computer and supposing everything just worked out of the box, your average oblivious Windows user would in all likelihood never know that they were not using Windows. Most computer users don't really care what OS they are using. They just want their computer to work. When they what to use a word processor, they want to use a word processor. I've been doing freelance computer repair for years. In that time I've found that its not that they are in love with MS Office or Internet Explorer...its that it came with there machine when they bought it! A dell customized Ubuntu system set up to emulate a generic windows interface could easily fool lots of basic computer users. Hell, slap on some desklets and throw in beryl too. Then they will probably think its Vista!
Even though I am personally not ready to make the move to Linux, I don't like the way vista has turned out and love seeing how companies are finally offering other options so that operating systems like Linux can finally expand to the point where they are user-friendly and a viable option for the average uneducated home user (Yes that is both a Good thing and a scary thing but it's what drive things forward) Keep up the good work.
It's a moral issue for me. I don't like M$, and I don't want one dollar going to M$. If there's no os ok. I just don't want M$ making money off of me. If there was a way to get ubuntu, or even kubuntu pre-installed even better. Maybe a sticker that says linux compatible to prove they've tested all the drivers.
I'm pretty sure dell will pocket the savings, but in the end I think this is a great thing. M$ is getting rich off linux users as well. I'd love to be able to get a laptop with wifi that M$ doesn't make any money off of.
Maybe emachines will start coming with linux pre-loaded, maybe a dual boot. It'd be awesome.
One thing is for sure, even if I have to build my next PC It's going to be 100% M$ free.
LiveCD. Linux is a heck of a lot more flexible than windows, in addition to running on every platform, literally down to your phone, it can boot off of flash drives, over networks, and from CD's or DVD's, requiring no installation whatsoever. Just today, in fact, I booted up my machine in Fedora Core 6.9 without any hard drives in it.
Now you know. BTW, if anyone needs any help figuring out Linux or open source, I'll do my best to help you out. Most of the time, you'll find me quit heplful. As long as it's not editing config files for sendmail on BSD or something like that, feel very free to contact me: ethana2@gmail.com