Pre-Installed OpenOffice | alternative to MS Works & MS Office

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137089

Pre-Installed OpenOffice | alternative to MS Works & MS Office

137089 points posted to Software, Desktops and Laptops by dhart 02/17/07

Provide OpenOffice.org for free pre-installation alongside Microsoft Works and Microsoft Office. OpenOffice.org is more capable than Microsoft Works, and a serious competitor to Microsoft Office, at a fraction of the cost (it's free!)

OpenOffice.org can open, create, edit and save Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

Provide as OPTIONS for pre-installation many other high-quality free software programs such as:
- Firefox: web browser with popup and privacy controls; say goodbye to Internet Explorer infections!
- Thunderbird: email program with free anti-spam and privacy controls
- Pidgin: instant messaging all-in-one program for popup-free MSN, Yahoo, AOL and others
&nsbp;[ed: GAIM was renamed Pidgin in April 2007 to settle the issue with AOL's trademark on AIM]
- PDFCreator: creates Adobe PDF files from any program
- Scribus, Inkscape & GIMP: desktop publishing, freehand drawing & powerful image editing
- Audacity & VLC: multi-track audio editing & universal all-in-one media/video/movie/DVD player
- Stellarium & Celestia: planetarium viewer & outer-space mapping, like Google Earth, but for our Solar System

Pre-installed quality free and open source software drastically lowers the cost of new PCs, and helps prevent software piracy. Cast your vote for Linux and other free software. Cast your vote for the Universal Education PC [ed: article removed/merged by dell_admin] utilizing free software.

CHOICE is what consumers want on their new PCs, not annoying surprise circus-ware (the typical smattering of confusing 3rd party popup-infested software found on most new Dell PCs). Quality free and open source software is well behaved, and may be legally pre-installed on PCs, and legally shared with friends and family, sharing is encouraged! Cast your vote for consumer CHOICE and public transparency at Dell.

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chanquest 02/17/07	dude that is one lame idea. Why would you want to buy a Dell with freeware? Plus I think the Open Source License policy prohibits software to be pre-installed and sold within a PC. I think MS Office is more capable than Open Office. Have you even seen Open Office? The spreadsheet in Open Office pales in comparison to Excel. Powerpoint blows away the Presentation software. Photoshop is a lot better and easier to use than GIMP. Windows Media Player will beat out VLC. I do like Firefox though. What's with the link to Wikipedia? Am I suppose to search each line item within Wikipedia?
kyliemanders 02/18/07	This open source stuff gives me the creeps - sorry bad idea...
theblackcat 02/18/07	I am also unclear on the advantage of bundling software that can be downloaded for free. Especially since this prevents you from picking and choosing which components you wish to install, something I like to do with every piece of software I install. I could see perhaps having a folder with installers for a variety of open-source software saved in the Documents folder when the computer arrives and letting people just go through and install what they wish when they first start it up. Have a shortcut for the folder on the desktop and perhaps a readme with a brief description of each program. Then they can just delete that folder when they have installed what they want and not have to worry about it again.
exzen 02/18/07	You're right about one thing, it doesn't make a lot of sense when you can download for free. I'd like to see something like that if you could save money, because M$ software blows in general. And I disagree, GIMP is just as powerful as photoshop (also easy to use) and is FREE to boot, VLC destroys WMP in format compatibility and stability and overall simplicity and ease of use, and there are more great free programs out there better than their costly alternatives. Amarok is a good one (audio player). What I'd really love to see is the option of ditching windows altogether (I'd rather my computer not be just a glorified DRM platform, thanks) and maybe shave $20 off the price. I'm just sick of dealing with M$'s crap is all.
chanquest 02/18/07	exzen dude, Microsoft Windows is here to stay. Linux failed to make a dent in their market share and there is nothing that comes close to Windows for ease of use and appearance. There is that fine line difference between GIMP and Photoshop that makes the pros choose Photoshop. GIMP is good but Photoshop is the best. That's why these guys are not sweating over freeware.
rtillery 02/18/07	The idea here is to have OPTIONS available... especially options that could provide the same or better functionality as the Microsoft stuff. While Linux (and open-source stuff in general sometimes) isn't as user-friendly for less experienced folks in some areas (hardware configuration, for one), the fact remains that a significant number of people out there prefer the flexibility and options that Linux affords. If you happen to be one of those Linux people, it seems a little stupid to have to pay more than you have to for a system because it comes pre-equipped with a Windows OS that you don't want and don't use. Nobody's suggesting that Dell ONLY offer Linux distros and open source alternative software..... just that it might be a nice option and lower the cost of Dell's products that are packaged with free software. That's all. OPTIONS, and LOWER COST. How is that a bad idea?
exzen 02/18/07	Exactly, I'm not saying abandon windows, just offer an alternative. As far as attractive goes, KDE 3.5+Beryl makes Vista blush. As far as ease of use goes, I'd argue that Ubuntu is quickly catching up, and given a few years I think it will rival the windows user experience. Vista is just a glorified DRM platform, I like to have control over my system.
theblackcat 02/18/07	You are not going to get much control over your system with anything that is preinstalled. One of the advantages of Linux is being able to tailor the installation to suit your needs, tweaking your options, installed components, kernel modules and such. Having it preinstalled defeats the whole purpose in my opinion. And cost is not necessarily going to be lower with linux. First of all, as preinstalled software Dell would be required to offer customer support for it. It is a lot easier to cause serious damage to Linux than to Windows, and would require training tech support on one or more entirely new operating systems (especially when you factor in multiple completely different GUI's like KDE and GNOME and the various compatibility problems between them). Second, installing drivers on windows is much, much simpler, often completely automatic. That is not the case with many Linux distributions. It may even require Dell compiling their own drivers in some cases. There would also be a lot of work making sure all the systems have the most up-to-date drivers and that drivers are even available for all of their hardware. So in terms of cost of the actual software it may be free, but there are other costs that could make it more expensive overall.
exzen 02/18/07	You make a good point. Dell would be forced to ship officially supported versions of the distros like SUSE, Red Hat Enterprise etc. So I guess what I'm saying is that I'd just be satisfied to get a laptop without windows on it, and save a little cash. It doesn't seem unreasonable, would cost Dell almost nothing to implement (its not like the majority of their consumer base to going to start buying laptops w/o windows anyways) and stands a chance of saving the end user a buck.
kyliemanders 02/19/07	Looking at who has promoted this idea - looks like 3 people in the United States, and the rest in Eurpoe... Does Dell even sell computers there?
elehenaff 02/19/07	you're totally right, kylie ! In fact, DELL doesn't sell ONE computer in Europe. That's because we don't have any road for them to deliver their hardware ! And what would we do with it, we don't have no electricity ! i think basic users should have the choice to have free softwares preloaded. let's promote choice.
jrosenfeld 02/19/07	This is an impractal suggestion, even if Dell were to overcome copyright restrictions and problems related to customer service for preinstalled software. We all have our own list of favorite freeware, what makes your list so special? I might want a completely different set. It's all downloadable from the net, so why expect a PC vendor to assemble some arbitrary motley collection for you?
gregh 02/19/07	I think this idea rocks, Ubuntu with 3D desktops effect is easily better than vistas poor attempt at OSX, dont beleive me? check videos on you tube, or better still go try it yourself ! Maybe some of you should actually look at open source products before you spout the old MS lines. I can comments on both as I use both, don't troll until you know what you are talking about. I am all for choice, not MS version of choice but REAL choice.
zeekay 02/19/07	I would love to see Dell start offering pre-installed linux as an option. That sort of backing would help promote software development and hardware support for linux, and that, I would be willing to pay for. I enjoy building my own pc's but I would gladly start buying dell pc's to help promote linux. I'm sure other linux enthusiasts would too. I've never owned a dell, but if they started to offer ANY linux distro pre-installed, I promise you, the next computer I buy, will be a dell. As far as the increased cost of technical support, I imagine they could leverage the fact it will cost them less to manufacture computers loaded with free software and work out any issues there. Also, I would be willing to bet that the average fellow who would buy one of your pc's pre-loaded with linux would be technically savvy enough to get by without blowing up the 1-800 numbers.
dwomble 02/19/07	We end up paying a tax because we have to buy XP with PCs. We then erase it and put Linux on instead. Being able to buy with Linux pre-installed would save us both time & money.
kahping 02/19/07	I don't use MS Works and I'd much rather not have MS Office. Having the option of pre-installing OpenOffice.org would be nice. First thing I did with my Dell was uninstall Works & install OpenOffice anyway.
maco 02/19/07	So, anyone who is calling it "freeware" needs to stop because you can't modify the source on freeware. It's still proprietary. This is Free (with a capital F) Software. Second, Chanquest, that's FUD. It is perfectly legal to pre-install OOo. It even has a listing on their site of who does it and where you can get cds for OOo.
sid1950 02/19/07	Dell Inspiron 1300 + Suse 10.1 + Linksys WRT55AG + Blueyonder broadband + one 84 year old mother = very happy mother! No Windo$e, no viruses, no hassle! Where do we usually get our Windows OS? As a pre-install. The advantage of a pre-installed Linux is that if you support it the user doesn't need to know anything. Most computer users don't know anything anyway. Since I did the install and can provide tech support for my Mum, she has a "pre-installed" Dell. End of story. I'm going to do the same for my youngest brother who is an experienced user, but has broken his laptop by trying to re-install XP himself. He tried my Mum's, which has Firefox, Thunderbird (with the Lightning calendar extension) and OpenOffice. I then showed him GIMP & Inkscape. He is an experienced Adobe user, but has now committed to making the switch to Linux. I will have to support him as well, but thats what I had to do anyway when he was using Windows. My other brother and my sister are both long term Mac users, so we can be an M$ free family at last.
effwithaj 02/19/07	I think this is a fantastic idea, and would work very well with Dell introducing pre-installations of Linux as an OS option. Probably the biggest obstacle to getting Dell to actually start offering these software packages however will not be customers, but their other retail software partners. None of them want to compete with Free Software. There's also the issue that if Dell shipped systems with these software packages, they'd have to start supporting them, which might actually be a bigger issue for Dell directly, when you consider how costly their tech support infrastructure already is. Either way, Dell should, at the VERY LEAST offer boxes with no software pre-installed at a discounted price, if they're unwilling to support Free Software solutions.
conservative_tech_guy 02/19/07	Thumbs up on Open Office pre-installs. We've bought PCs that just came with MS Works and it was insufficient for school boy usage. The solution was installing OpenOffice, which was free. Works just great, and with all the bells and whistles Similar email solution was Thunderbird, which addressed all household needs. Firefox versus IE is a matter of personal preference, except IE is required in some corporate environments where business applications have been built around IE. We've got 4 desktops and 3 laptops running in our household: OpenOffice and Firefox are the only software common to them all. And OpenOffice and Firefox really are as good as the other brand in daily use (some say better; some would never consider anything but MS, preferences vary person to person)...
mattflaschen 02/19/07	All of this software could reasonably be provided as an option. However, I especially recommend Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice. It is true that this software is available at no charge. However, more importantly, by offering this software, you allow users to preserve more of their freedom than they could with proprietary alternatives. You should not force users to install any software, but neither should you assume they will know what is available without any prompting.
cybergear 02/19/07	dont forget avg. this would be a much better solution than norton systemlock. seriously avg, openoffice, firefox and thunderbird or simply give the option for a clean install, heck that would save us all an hour per unit just not having to uninstall the shovelware.
digduality 02/19/07	amazing idea. I know it can be downloaded, but who knows about it? Just us dweebs who stay connected all day and are interested? What about all the moms, dads, grandmothers, teenagers, and just the technologically aphethtic that just don't care how much they're getting ripped off? Most people don't need the full functionality of ms office. I won't pretend that open office is perfect. It's not. but it does the job for most people's tasks. We're talking home computers here, not complex accounting spreadsheets with full VBA support in a corporate environment. I'm in full support of open office being included, as well as mozilla products. People need to know there's alternatives and by more than "that kid down the block that fixes me computer who installed this new fangled doo-hickey".
jimbo 02/19/07	The first few comments were in error, if not outright attempts at FUD. There are absolutely no restrictions on pre-installing Open Source Software on computers. In fact, it is encouraged. Open Source software is Free Software, not "freeware." Freeware implies software given away for free, while Free Software, though free in cost, is also free as in liberty and the granting to the user real rights. Free Software is open to be have it's source code examined and improved, and to to have those improvements distributed for all users to enjoy. Free Software is licensed under the General Public License to guarantee rights to users, rather than the removal of rights as is the case with the EULAs of proprietary software makers. Software such as OpenOffice.org, Firefox, Thunderbird, The GIMP, Celestia and others would be excellent ways to add value to Dell computers without additional costs to the purchaser. They are all excellent, stable alternatives to their proprietary counterparts. They all run fine on Windows, even Vista (I tested them out and have had no problems). Having the option of Linux on desktops and laptops would be even better, but at least offering Windows versions of the above-mentioned software would be a good start. To kyliemanders, to whom the idea of Open Source creeps her out, my suggestion is to stop using the Internet seeing as up to 3/4 of the web servers run Apache, which is Open Source. More web sites are running a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl) than are running Windows+IIS+SQL Server. Even sites using Windows and Unix may be running Apache and MySQL. Do you use a cell phone or TiVo? Bad news... many cell phones are adopting Linux and TiVo uses Linux as its OS. The reason for the wide-spread adoption of Linux? It's customizable and stable. A good reason to use Windows? It keeps the anti-virus companies in business. Furthermore, there is nothing mystical about Open Source. It is simply the application of scientific principles to the writing of software. A programmer creates code and submits it to his peers for testing just as a scientist creates a theory and a proof for his/her peers to test. Isaac Newton had a theory about gravity, provided his proof, and his peers tested his proof and found he was correct. The same thing happens with Open Source software. Knowing this, why would anyone trust proprietary software and its "secret sauce?" We don't trust scientist to just come up with a theory without showing proof, so why do we accept it from software developers?
guardianxps 02/19/07	I agree, not very practical, also how did this get over 12k votes so fast. Talk about the creator spiking his suggestion. This should be tossed
don_preston 02/19/07	I'm all for a Linux alternative. Bring it on Mr. Dell. I hope this is the beginning of a Linux Tsunami. Europe, China, and Brazil have already started moving to Linux. I reckon the U.S. will be the last to come onboard. Thanks, Dell for giving us the option. March of the Penguins dp
nidive 02/19/07	I would suggest preinstalling the Opera web browser alongside Firefox. Opera is a very nifty and easy to use web browser.
immigrantus 02/19/07	Linux it is! Are we here yet? Almost!!!
kmkenney 02/19/07	I wouldn't mind seeing some options for free software, however at the same time you need to be able to balance simplicity with choice. Offering a slew of options for different applications could confuse users and you need to remember that Dell Technical Support representatives would also need to be trained on providing support for these products. On one hand, it could be a headache but on the other hand it could be useful. As I mentioned previously, you need some sort of balance.
jimmarch 02/19/07	OpenOffice 2.0.x series had some glitches in document interchange with MS-Word 2003 and below people. Almost all of that is gone with the new 2.1 version. I exchange big hairy graphics-embedded stuff with them all the time now with zero issues. The latest was a big legal pleading with massively complex formatting, it went smooth as silk. If this had been proposed earlier I might have said "errrr...yeah, BUT there'll be issues..." With OO2.1, y'all would be completely nuts not to ship it even under Windows, never mind Linux. Also: consider not just Gimp, but the "Gimpshop" tweak that replicates the Photoshop command structure.
shrewduser 02/20/07	Some people don't seem to understand this is about consumer choice you don't have to choose to have open source software preinstalled.... but you have that option.... there are too many trolls in these threads (probably microsoft lackies... they would stoop that low, how could anyone else be against a concept like choice???)
xstatyk 02/20/07	I think it is a great idea. Considering when people buy computers they want the best hardware they can get for their money. I think everyone can agree with me on this. If they aren't paying for a preinstalled system/software then that extra money can be used to beef up the RAM or add some cool new speakers, or just get the most hardware they can for their money. It's not like Dell is going to stop selling systems with MS Windows and MS Office preinstalled so if that is your choice then that option will be there for you but if there were different options available to the consumers such as free software, I think that would be best.
andilek 02/20/07	But we understand. However you should understand, that it is not only about the choice. Get linux preinstalled => Provide linux support => Ensure that HW works with Linux => develop drivers that are not available => spend lots of money => set price for OS choice. + you can maintain one distribution but market is separated to several, supporting several is extra money for each + still there is huge amount of people who would prefer to buy PC/Laptop without OS and install standard distribution of their choice. In my simple and may be stupid eyes NO OS option will help Dell, while Preinstalled Linux option will help the chosen distribution. In my eyes the process should simply go: NO OS + choose some distribution and cooperate with developers on tweaking distribution to work smoothly on Dell hardware => Preinstall distribution option
danielball 02/20/07	I would like to see a Linux alternative. Most of the people I speak to only know about Windows and Mac OS X. Having a manufacture like Dell selling desktop Linux as an alternative would at least put Linux more into the general public eye.
yesmathew 02/20/07	Also provide for Swiss market. many thanks.
banana995 02/20/07	Some people have expressed that this isn't a very practical idea. I'd like them to elaborate - why would it not be practical? In my opinion, including these pieces of software as an option would be very pragmatic because consumers would have more of a choice when purchasing their computers, and because they would add value and functionality to a computer system. Some have also expressed that it's illogical to include software that can be downloaded for free. I disagree with them. Why? Because it's more convenient having them pre-installed on your computer than having to manually track down, download, and install all of them. Because many people have dial-up connections and can't practically download these pieces of software. And because many people aren't aware of these pieces of software and it would benefit them if the choice was presented to them when buying a computer.
yesmathew 02/20/07	MS-Works is a must at the moment, which I feel is a waste. Should provide openoffice as an option and reduce cost.
jmxz 02/20/07	ODF (Open Document http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenDocument) support is very important for some government customers now. OpenOffice would be a much better solution to those needs than Microsoft's still non-working Microsoft-XML <-> ODF bridge. Yes, please support Open Office -- ideally, both in addition to, as well as instead of other office suites.
jmxz 02/20/07	Removed duplicate message (they were created when the browser kept timing out and retrying)
jmxz 02/20/07	Deleted dup since the browser kept timing out
jmxz 02/20/07	Deleted dup since the browser kept timing out
brjones 02/20/07	I vote for open source. Open source / Linux / Unix rules ! I love Open Office and Ubuntu and OpenSUSE. Billy in Sugar Land
limerat 02/20/07	I like this idea. Some people don't even know there is freeware, much less how to even get their hot little hands on it. Other people (like a friend of mine) are so phobic,even when they have the Open Office disk they don't know how to install it and are afraid to try. So yeah, I'm all for machines pre-loaded with easy versions of Linux like Freespire and Linspire,with Firefox as the browser, Open Office and other goodies. it's a big win for the general public and a big win for Dell as well.
jalmeida 02/20/07	Dell could go one step further. Dell could have a special web page with checkboxes where once the order was put in, the customer can check off the software they wanted preloaded on their Linux Distro. The responses would be put into a script which then would then go into the autoinstall features that many of the Linux distros have. Not only could Dell do this, it wouldn't be difficult, the end user has more control over installation than ever before, and enterprise customers could have the preconfigurations saved for reorders. Far from the arguments that some have made here about losing control over installation, the openess of Linux allows Dell to offer something that Windows cannot - detailed options right down to the app level on preinstallation. The script could even be burned onto a recovery disk to make reinstallation a snap. Not only would Linux preintsalled be a good idea, it would force Microsoft to rethink the way they do business with the OEMs and put pressure on Microsoft to allow the OEMs more freedom to deal with their customers. On top of that, if Dell approached Red Hat, Novel, and Canonical on the possibility of reselling their distros preinstalled, I'm sure all three companies would work to help Dell to fully automate the app install service, and then, don't be surprised that HP, Lenovo, Toshiba, Sony, and others push for the same thing for their websites.
jmxz 02/20/07	Deleted dup since the browser kept timing out
carlosponti 02/20/07	I would love to have OpenOffice preinstalled on a PC due to the fact that i dont want to send microsoft the money if all i am going to do is uninstall Office and install OpenOffice anyhow.
deanbar 02/20/07	Go Dell!!! Yes, please pre-install OpenOffice, Linux and Firefox (or any other non MS browser). I have been using OpenOffice on both my PC and Mac for quite a while and it knocks spots off M$ Office. It's about time someone gave the user some choice. Hurry up and roll them out!!!!
tw04l124 02/20/07	I didnt bought Dell in the past because I have to buy the microsoft tax. I would like a DELL Laptop with a preinstalled gentoo or ubuntu linux. I dont want a computer with any microsoft software on it. Thats the point. And I don*t want to buy such hardware then.
sabr0so 02/20/07	I work at a place where we use Dell only and I have nothing to complain about Dell. Some here already use RedHat for special applications on Dell machines, and if I'm no incorrect then as sold through Dell. The idea of chosing between three distros, is interesting. Dell would then be in a position to 'force' them to 'streamline' some solutions, a bit like the LSB effort. While I understand that Fedora sounds like an option to many, I guess the RedHat itself would attract more buyers, just because of name fidelity. OpenSuse is backed by Novell which may be good. While Ubuntu is an interesting option too, and definitely has a great piece of the mind-share, I guess its upstream buddy Debian would have been a better choice if for no other reason than retaining the open (as in free) source loyalists under the umbrella. Having the support from Debian gurus cannot be that bad. But, above all, it would give Dell immense credence in the entire open source world, if handled correctly. OpenOffice is a no-brainer as it is already more back-compatible with old Word-versions than any recent Word from Microsoft itself. Many people install it just for that, to be able to open documents from 1993 without any issues. Don't know about the other Office apps though. Anyhow, Dell has my backing (for what that is worth) if they go for this suggestion.
deanr 02/20/07	Personally, I'd just like to have the choice of choosing my OS (not just the version of the OS) and apps that come with this machine I'm buying from them and not having to worry that if I format the drive because I don't like the OS, I'm not breaking my warrenty/contract/commitment with Dell
phubert 02/20/07	This is ONE reason why I've not had a home PC for over 2 years! If Dell offered a full range of desktops pre-loaded Linux, Linspire/Ubuntu, perhaps, dual-monitor capable, with drivers for printers and CrossOver Office 6.0 as an option, I'd be in-line NOW for a new machine.
wotan 02/20/07	The continual increasing cost of software and PC's due to the desire of the corps to drive profit is fine for those who want to join that gravey train. By offering Linux and Opensource solutions Dell could provide choice and give people a lower cost reliable option. Open source products are great, for the majority of users they provide more than enough functionality, its just people dont know about them so they stick to office or pirarted copies. Linux is fantastice its not as quite as easy to deploy as Windows but Dell could work with someone on that, like Red Hat and produce a great preloaded system. I work for a company who take a Windows PC and deinstall the OS and load Linux as we then have a virus, spam free enviroment. Our servers run on Linux (brought preloaded from Dell) never fall over and work which is what we expect them to do. Open source is no longer the playground of the geek it is real, reliable and as it gains publicity more and more people will migrate to it and as demand grow companies like Dell will offer it more and more.
chanquest 02/20/07	dudes, one last note - what about support? It will be too costly to support linux environment. I think the model works towards Dell advantage right now which is if the buyer wants Linux or open source or freeware, let them download it and install it and we won't support it.
techid 02/20/07	Firefox would be a great option
usacomputertec 02/20/07	Linux Rocks. It is not only more capable than Windows and more stable but it is Virus Free and Cost Free. I suggest that a reliable Video Editor be pre-installed and tested that can take the place of Windows Media Player. Open office and Firefox are no brainers.
rsaar 02/20/07	Once I updated Word to a new version. I got never-used fancy features, but the new Word could not open an important file saved with the old version. Close to panic I tried OpenOffice Writer: It worked! Writer was more compatible to the old Word version than the new Word version. After this experience I migrated to OO on my private machine. My employer has not gotten so far. But the management has started to ask questions about the value they get for their money.
justinf 02/20/07	Having the choice to install Openoffice.org without downloading it is a great idea, and Dell need not provide support for it beyond referring users to the www.openoffice.org website. It does not need to be on the restore CDs for example, it could be available on CD by request or just move to installing from DVD and space is no longer an issue. For a marketing advantage since Openoffice is LGPL licienced Dell could modify it to remove any reference to Sun and, for example create a Dell branded version. There is little benefit in allowing users to select the components of OO.o that they want since the total installation size remains about the same. If OO.o is configured to save in the default MS formats most users won't even know or care that they are using an opensource product. Just that Dell is providing them a free extremely functional office suite. I don't expect Dell will take up including OOo however because it would risk the preferred supplier / OEM discounts Microsoft provides them. This of course is anticompetitive behavior but a business reality Dell has to deal with. I for one would be happy with a clean install of windows option or for Dell to support a leading Linux distribution such as Ubuntu.
s3indiana 02/20/07	Open standard alternatives will be critical as the user base grows (need compatibility of reading and editing major file types)...
d23 02/20/07	I like all the comments that say "it can be easily downloaded." Yeah, for folks like me that know what they are doing. Many computer buyers these days are incapable of even changing the background on their desktop, let alone understand the process of downloading an installer. This is a sad fact, but it's true. If it's free there is no reason that there shouldn't be an option to have it pre-installed when they are already pre-installing all this crapware from Norton and other programs that try to ask for a payment in 3 months. If people started from the beginning using OO.org it would be no different than learning works or office from scratch...
klas_a 02/20/07	Many of the mentioned software packages would bring value to a Dell computer for me and I am sure for many other Dell customers. It would cost very little for Dell to include them and there is a good chance Dell could get paid for pre-installing some of it. Novell has publicly stated that (their flavor of) OpenOffice is what they hope will drive people to adopt the rest of their software. They'll be interested in talking, as will perhaps Sun. Google already paid Mozilla to have their search engine as default in the browser. They may want Firefox as the default browser on new Dells. Another good opportunity is that Dell can brand the free software after themselves (as Novell does with OO.org) I personally hate the hours I have to spend downloading all the software I need on a new Windows box. Preinstallation of the software mentioned in this idea would save me some time. This procedure is by the way much simpler in Linux, where you just check the appropriate boxes and hit the download button. Surfing a lot of webpages looking for the most recent version of the software is such a pain in the ***.
lyceum 02/20/07	I buy used dell PC's and install Ubuntu (a free Linux, no cost) and re-sell them. People get a quality PC for around $100 just because there is no Windows disadvantage. I would buy from Dell if I could get the OS I want instead of having Windows pushed on me. I hate paying for something I would never use.
kake26 02/20/07	Thats a fantastic idea to offer the options. I realize it can all be downloaded for free, but preinstalled is better. Saves the time and effort to grab and ISO, burn it and install. Major thumbs up for the presented options. I will commend Dell massively if its seen through. More over I commend them for even considering these options. I think Dell just moved up in list of manufactures to recommend to people I fix PCs for. Its nice to see a company that is Open to such ideas. Bottom line I say go for it!
stevied 02/20/07	Open Sourced = Minimal or no incentive for support. Microsoft = Dell profit = incentive for support. Selling products is Dell's business model. Why should the company, their employees and stockholders figuritively work for free? The potential revenue stream from Open Source, freeware, shareware etc is insufficient for Dell to make money. Dell doesn't make money, then Dell goes out of business. IF you feel so strongly are providing software and support for free, then you should starte your own company and do just that ... provide software and support for free. I will eagily purchase up your production line when it is auctioned off to pay your debts.
madhead 02/20/07	Who cares if its open source or not if you have a choice of free software i.e. no cost. Why would you not include it as an additional choice/additional free software? As a consumer if I get free bundled software then the more I get the better. Give me open office, firefox and the Gimp and let me decide if I want to use it or not? (Last time I checked ms works ms office and photoshop are NOT FREE they cost extra and are they really that much better? For most users it doesn't matter, they are not professional users!! Most of the people I have had conversations with about MS or other proprietry software use it because it came with their machine - and in fact have never even tried firefox or open office or the gimp which is a great package. Thats why it is so important that there is a real choice. It is also important to keep competion alive and bundling open source software will always help keep all prices down. If you tell me that I can have an office suite bundled but it is going to add X pounds to the overall cost. Then surely I have the right to decide what I get for "Free" with my machine? it really is very easy for Dell to stick whatever they like onto a new machine afterall they have been trying to get windows to run on their machines for years! LOL. Install linux on one and see the speed increase it is just amazing zips along so fast your old windows98 dell machine will feel just like vista!!!
somesysadmin 02/20/07	People are astounded when I tell them about the free alternatives to costly software such as OpenOffice (free) vs. MS Office. Students going to college can get educational versions at a lower cost, but they can save lots by loading Linux, Open Office, gimp, gcc (c++ alternative), Thunderbird, etc... There's a bit of a learning curve for some, but considering the savings, it's quite worth it. At minimum, it would be nice if Dell at least made it available. The savings in software would make it appealing to folks who are strapped for cash (students, etc). Plus, Linux and it's packaged software in various distributions can be updated as the years go by without cost (depending on the Linux version used - some are absolutely free, others such as Linspire or Mandriva do have a "club" fee but also offer a scaled-down version).
shrewduser 02/20/07	"Selling products is Dell's business model. Why should the company, their employees and stockholders figuritively work for free?" i'd like to nominate you as braindead twat of the year.... your argument makes no sense...
tienm 02/21/07	Great idea. Most home users have illegal copies of microsoft office, where openoffice could replace this easily. Less experienced users would be thankfull, because DELL could provide an out of the box full working system. No hassle. FOr business users it makes less sense. And install AVG or other free virusscanner as well....
iskander0 02/21/07	I agree and totally support this idea. I have 2 dell notebooks at home and I would buy one for me if it came with this options listed in the topic. That´s the best for Dell!
vivtux 02/21/07	I totally agree with that idea!! I have an ASUS latop but I wil think about a DELL one if such propositions goes true. Thank you DELL for supporting Opensource!!
jss167 02/21/07	I agree with offering several Linux distros as options, as well as OpenOffice. I have been using Linux for a long time, while being able to do everything everyone else can. I would also like to see Dell list what Windows and the other MS products actually cost. They cannot be free to the user, they are bundled into the price. Another issue of concern, is how Vista has digital rights management, so that you may not be able to do what you think you can. There is a lot of this news on the Web. I wish to be able to use my computer in the manner of my choice, after all, I bought it!
saoir 02/21/07	Customers should have an option for Open Access software YES. However I would be cautious about leaving it that simple. Users who are not experts need to realise that OpenOffice for example, though excellent and powerful, is not fully compatible with MSWord, especially in respect of advanced functionality and tables for example.
marvinr 02/21/07
iphtashufitz 02/21/07	I think a lot of the people posting here aren't thinking things through fully. From reading these comments it sounds like most of the posters are very savvy when it comes to linux, open source software, etc. Now take off your geek hat for a few minutes and think a bit more like your non-technical mother/brother/cousin/whoever. They've heard about linux, and how it's supposed to be more secure than Windows. They've heard how Open Office is a good free alternative to Microsoft Office. They've probably heard a lot of these things from you over the years. Now they want to go out and buy a new laptop that they can use mainly for word processing, e-mail, IM, and web browsing. How is a non-technical person going to go buy a new laptop from Dell with distro X installed on it and then figure out on their own, after the fact, how to install OO, Firefox, GAIM, etc? Being new to linux they have no idea what the different distros mean. They have no idea how to use yum or apt-get or whatever. All they want is a computer that they can turn on and see icons on the desktop to launch the programs they want. This is what they currently get with Windows. They should be able to get the same with linux. I have at least 4 family members who aren't all that computer literate (and have never touched linux) who would probably be willing to buy a Dell PC with linux pre-installed if it arrived looking a lot like current Dell PC's (loaded with Windows, etc) with the main programs they want to use already pre-installed, properly configured, and accessable directly from the desktop.
sgguy 02/21/07	Ya, we should have control over what software we want preinstalled on our PC. So I'll say make all software (e.g. MS Works, Office, McAfee, Norton, Roxio, etc) OPTIONAL. If we want them, then we can choose to have them preinstalled. But if we don't want them we should not be force to pay for it to come preinstalled with our system. Some of us may buy the PC just to play games of surf the web. For this, just the PC and OS is enough already. Why pay more for things we don't need? Hope Dell will give us more flexibility in choosing what software comes preinstalled (if any) with our new system.
plymtuxet 02/21/07	Another vote for OpenOffice preinstalled. I have about 20 folks in our company using OpenOffice exclusively with the default formats set to .doc and .xls. Most of them do not even know they are using a different office suite than the 'power' users. I have only run into a few issues when trying to work with MS documents that have macros, otherwise it just works for them. I also use it about 80% of the time myself. (I'm an IT manager)
verbos 02/21/07	I have been in computer support for many years. I have promoted Dell products as the most cost effective and reliable choice. Those who I have recommended Dell products to have always thanked me and proclaimed my accurate advice. I have thusly sold many systems for Dell. I now advise Dell to offer Free software as an option to their customer base. I am a great supporter of Dell's continued leadership in computer hardware and hope for their continued high customer satisfaction. There are choices that Dell must make in implementing installed software on a support concern. Dell has proven to be a competitor in the past by providing not only what the customer wants, but what works. I hope that Dell will see the opportunity here and maintain their lead and possibly go beyond. More choice will create a broader customer base especially in the Server area.
grnich 02/21/07	You've got my vote for having OpenOffice.org either pre-installed or as an option. Nothing benefits the consumer more than the power of 'choice,' and having this choice will put pressure on all parties to compete on the basis of both price and features. I've used OpenOffice.org for years and it's a fine product. -- Grnich
grnich 02/21/07	You've got my vote for Linux (any of the popular no-cost versions) pre-installed or as an option. This should result in some cost savings to the consumer. It would also promote competition which always benefits the consumer in the long run.
jayhawk05 02/21/07	OpenOffice is another excellent idea. I have used it since version 1.0 and used it throughout law school, including my large research paper assignments. It is a fantastic alternative to MS Office (and comes pre-installed with most linux distributions) and costs nothing!
esarjeant 02/21/07	Consumers need choice, so certainly allow customization on a PC order to select Linux with an open set of tools but provide a pre-fab solution with an emphasis on open source apps. "Dell OpenPC"? This could be either Windows or Linux, and would include a full set of cross-platform open source tools. Ideally, automatic software updates should be enabled for both Windows and Linux installs. Users would have access to the following software on either system: - OpenOffice - Firefox (core plugins pre-configured) - Thunderbird - Gaim - Gimp - Acrobat Reader - MPlayer w/ DVD support - Java/.NET CLR - ClamWin Anti-Virus - Scribus - Extra Fonts - ??? Maintain a similar menu structure between both systems and keep the installs current. Give users the same experience on either a Windows or Linux system in a configuration that can be freely upgraded. Think of this as a desktop "package" that can do everything you need once it is installed without having to go purchase more software.
nicosmos 02/21/07	Good idea :D
sjqchill 02/21/07	I would be so happy to see an option to have the crapware that comes preinstalled on Dells replaced with functional free software. I think Dell would do well to take a long, hard look at Apple and the iLife suite. It pays to give people simple, basic tools to get the most out of their computers. My biggest complaint with my inspiron 9300 is the sonic DVD recording software. I've been on with tech support several times, I have multiple copies of the software laying around that Dell sent me. I've tried everything the techs suggested, and yet I can't burn a single CD or DVD through any sonic programs. Then I decided to try out some free software from download.com. I downloaded CDBurnerXP Pro 3 for free and it burns CDs and DVDs with no problems. I downloaded DeepBurner that lets me create and burn from ISOs (something you have to pay extra for and upgrade to sonic pro or something like that). Sonic's DVD authoring didn't work either, so I downloaded DVD Flick which works perfectly. I would sure like to see my computer come with software that actually works and is better than what I get for free. Another good example of the worthlessness of software included with your computer is MS paint and wordpad. Both are nearly useless. I don't know if they've been upgraded in Vista, but there should be real software that lets you complete basic tasks. OpenOffice, or at least Writer, the Word substitute would be good for basic word processing. Picasa, included with google pack is a step up for pictures, but a more basic viewer and editing tool would be better. I like Faststone's image viewer. It's quick, simple, and effective. I think gimp would be too much for most people. I also think a good FTP program should be standard. Macs have had fetch built in forever. Likewise, I'd like to see firefox and thunderbird available or simply pre-installed. If there's a problem with pre-installing this free software, Dell would do well to just buy out some of these little companies or license opensource stuff, rebrand the products as Dell, and make their customers happy by providing a basic set of tools so people can do the stuff they hear about with computers. Again, the PC world and Dell specifically could learn a lot from Apple, the new commercials are right on point and bring up good points that Dell can fix relatively easily.
msatterwhite 02/21/07	While it's true that OpenOffice is free (as is Gimp and several other excellent packages), the problem is that most computer users don't know about them ... and I'm sure that the Microsoft fanboys would like to keep it that way. Does MS Office have some features that OpenOffice doesn't? Sure. But there's a test I've run at several of my corporate customers. Pick a power user of MS Office and ask him/her to name 3 features that MS Office has added in the last two releases that they use. The only answer I've ever been able to get out of anyone - and that one sarcastically - was MS's restrictive licensing schem. I use OpenOffice for all my work, and haven't missed one feature of the MSoft version. As to the nonsense of the license preventing pre-installation, that's obviously written by someone who either (a) hasn't read the license or (b) has some reason to try to confuse people about facts. The GPL specifically grants ALL rights to the person getting the software. If you want to download OpenOffice, burn it to a CD, and sell it for $400 / copy - that's both legal and allowed under the license. Giving it away via preinstallation is encouraged. Finally, for those who want to choose a different office stack ... uninstall OpenOffice and install the one you like. There WILL be people that learn they actually have a choice simply by it being there. For that reason alone, the offer of OpenOffice instead of MS Office would be justifiable.
jmj 02/21/07	Very nice idea. It is the FREEDOM to choose that matters. Let the facts and statistics tell for themselves and for that to happen Dell has to give consumers options.
devans 02/21/07	What a GREAT idea! Give us the choice of what to have preinstalled in the same way we can choose how much RAM, what size drive, etc. It will save us lots of time in terms of having to reconfigure systems and install all of the open source stuff we use.
teotwawki 02/21/07	see also http://www.dellideastorm.com/article/show/62952/Multiple_choice_bundled_softw...
sdsuk88 02/21/07	I am a college student that has been running openoffice since I was a sophomore in High School. I have run fairly complicated Excel Spreadsheets in OpenOffice, and created presentations and wrote papers with OpenOffice, and I have never had any bad issues with it, and it has saved me a lot of money. Go for it!
frednerk 02/21/07	kyliemanders, looks like you're the windows troll in here. Open source gives you the creeps. DRM (Vista) and a security hole you can drive a truck through (most windows and all internet explorer) gives me the creeps. MS plays catchup on Mac on Linux and then FUDs the average joe user into thinking that they are the best available. And most the people who give these pro-MS anti-OSS opinions are either ignorant (accidentally, deliberately or lazily) or fail to understand the complexity of the OSS ecosystem. And certainly if it is all amateurish garbage, why are MS signing agreements and paying big money for garbage? Promising not to sue Linux? Meh... FUD. You can't sue something that isn't owned by anyone. Not even microsoft has the money to sue the whole world. Again, it is all about choice - give people the right to choose. It don't hurt you. As for your sanctimonious attitude towards non-US voters, that borders on racism. You don't do your country any good by behaving so arrogantly. And given the global community's general public perception of the US at the moment... well... I think Green Day put it better - I don't want to be an American Idiot.
revolution 02/21/07	The first thing I did when I bought my new laptop was run a Live CD version of Ubuntu. The store salesman knew about Linux and was happy to let me boot up the CD. I was pleased to discover it ran on the laptop except for the wireless networking. I read through the UbuntuForums and found the fix for the network problem. The point is, we are all free to reformat our hard drives and run whatever operating system we choose. If Dell can provide already installed, problem free Linux then so much the better. Then I dont need to spend an extra $39 a year on Virus protection tools. Oh and OpenOffice is great! As well as Evolution Email. Firefox works well too once the plugins are running. GAIM is the best ever Instant Message program. That about covers everything I do on a PC
frednerk 02/21/07	iphtashufitz my wife broke her Win Xp laptop in less than two months. After 6 months of Ubuntu, it is still going strong. She couldn't get her head around XP but absolutely caned on Ubuntu. The average user (even computer illiterate like my wife) can not only use Linux, given the right distro, but use it better than Xp in a lot of instances. People don't think about how Windows works, because they don't want to. It is more than possible to set up a Linux based system to give those people exactly the same experience. Linspire even plays like Windows. If people are happy to not think, linux works better because it is more customisable at the factory to give people the easy experience they so desire.
west 02/21/07	PRO LINUX. I vote wholeheartedly for choice and open source software preinstalled in the higher-end Dells -- and I truly hope Mike Dell is listening this time instead of shoving his head into the same old place the "efficiency strategy" has led him to all these years. Mike, I agree with your new announcement that "if you want to regain sales (and beat out H-P), you have to listen to the customer". But you are rather exposed to us on this one and you need to actually DO IT this time. If you think you lost sales for making the wrong hardware choices, wait until you see what the power buyers will do to you if you back down again to the little Billy Gates gruff. The rest of us remember that the "free" in free software isn't about money. Rather, it relates to freedom to control and involve your self in your own life and not have the high priests of Redmond condescend to you and do it all for you. The European Union obviously agrees as well and they can't be all bad if they keep whacking the bejesus out of little Billy's pocketbook again and again. I also agree the microsoftie "attack mice" are out in force on this one because they're running scared over Ballmer's backtracking. The M$ supersalesman did a lot of puffery to the securities analysts in Wall Street about M$'s expected revenues from the Vistoid os. (In other lines of work it's called fraud). But now it simply looks like most of us will wait on (or reject) Vista thereby delaying (or scuttling) part of the M$ revenues. In sum, if Mike Dell lives up to his promise this time we'll have some important pre-loaded linux box choices that we don't otherwise have but even if we're wildly successful (and Mike wins big), it still won't cause a single Redmond mini-billionaire to lose sleep or a meal.
limerat 02/21/07	This year,a friend of mine running Windows got an attachment from a company he volunteers at. He did not have the expensive Microsoft program to open it,so he sent it to me asking for help. I'm using Freespire Linux so I open the attachment with Open Office. I next put it into a format his version of Windows could read and send it back to him. I really recommend Open Office and feel Dell's customers could benefit greatly from having this app installed.
lesleyb 02/21/07	I bought a Precsion laptop late 2006 and installed Open Office, the GIMP and Scribus no problem. Have no idea why people still keep buying M$ Office
manimal347 02/21/07	I reccomend that Dell should have three options at checkout for some of it's home computers. A Linux distro preinstalled, Windows installled bare and a free DVD containing a wealth of basic open-source software, and Windows computer with open-source software pre-installed, and some licensed software where logical. This would help keep costs down for consumers while decreasing costs. It should present no extra trouble to you. Perhaps you could sidestep extra costs by simply bundling the machines with image-based installers on DVD. All business-line and servers should be available sans OS. Many corporations and institutions may prefer to privately buy licenses and create disk image installers with a custom set of applications tailored to their needs.
speedy 02/21/07	It is OK, but the user must choice what software he like.
rockyredhead 02/21/07	14 months ago I bought an Inspiron 6000 (by phone from NZ - shipped from Malaysia) which I am very pleased with. With the limited linux knowledge I had at the time, it was not very hard to skip the MS EULA by entering the bios and reformat and install Ubuntu. I am considering replacing my desktop. (I may have to) I have no interest in using vista and this time I am not prepared to pay the extra cost for something that I will not be using. Some of the deals I see for dell machines in our local paper are great. If there was a reasonable price reduction for no OS (my preference) or for Ubuntu etc I would quite likely have at least bought a cheap backup desktop machine from dell by now. Rather than pay for a dell desktop with vista I will probably buy a locally assembled upgrade box, which I have done before.
aussiebear 02/21/07	Its very clear that "chanquest" is not in favour of open-source. (Let alone ANY clue about it). chanquest says: "Plus I think the Open Source License policy prohibits software to be pre-installed and sold within a PC." => I'm sorry, have you even read ANY open source licenses? BSD? GPL? MIT? LGPL? Apache License? Please point out the clause that says this? At best, you're lying through your teeth or you're just plain clueless. Judging by your comments, I highly suspect its the latter. chanquest says: "I think MS Office is more capable than Open Office. Have you even seen Open Office? The spreadsheet in Open Office pales in comparison to Excel. Powerpoint blows away the Presentation software." => That's a matter of personal opinion. I use it every day. I used it for scientific reports to my thesis project. Why? Because I get to save my documents in an ISO certified document format. A standard that is COMPLETELY open and available to all. I am NOT locked into forever needing Microsoft Office. By the way, NONE of Microsoft's document formats in MS Office are ISO. They are not FULLY open and will never be. (Not even MS's OpenXML). Have a think about why that is...Hint: Think of the words "Microsoft" and "Consumer Lock-in". No one likes to be strung along by Microsoft forever (aside from you), such ideas in this site about having an option NOT to have MS products is a clear indication of that...Interestingly, you completely missed that. OpenOffice easily covers the majority of users out there at ZERO cost. Its only unsuitable for those that have a dependence on MS specific functions. (Which the majority desktop PC users does NOT). chanquest says: "Photoshop is a lot better and easier to use than GIMP." => Oh gee, and how much does Photoshop cost? How can you compare work of volunteer programmers to the work of a company like Adobe? GIMP can easily satisfy all but the professionals who manipulate photos. Clearly, you have not heard of GIMPShop (GIMP with a Photoshop-like interface). Your only legitimate argument is that Photoshop has features required by professionals that GIMP doesn't have. And how many home desktop PC users require the full feature set of Photoshop? chanquest says: "Windows Media Player will beat out VLC." => LOL! Right. And pigs will genetically develop a new ability to fly. This sentence is clearly a desperate one. I can tell by your tone of voice you clearly are anti open-source, so drop the poor excuses. VLC works on more than one OS. ie: Linux, Windows, OSX, BeOS, BSD, QNX, and Solaris. It supports far more formats than WMP out of the box. How can you beat a media player solution that supports more OSs and multimedia formats than WMP? kyliemanders ...ANOTHER anti-opensource person! If open-source creeps you out, why not ask what Yahoo and Google are using? You'd be VERY surprised at what operating systems they use to provide their services. Heck, ask what Pixar Animation Studios are using in their clusters to render their awesome CGI movies. What about what George Lucas used to render Star Wars Episode 2? You're only creeped out, because you've never used it...You fear of what you don't know and have never experienced. Secondly, you can't measure the marketshare of open-source users. Why? Unlike Apple or Microsoft, no one keeps track of how many people use open-source operating systems. Its because there is NO mechanism in place that can measure the population of open-source users. So anyone trying to gauge such a number is either full of it, or they're just guessing.
jcli57 02/21/07	I think that this is a great idea.
killer1987 02/22/07	it would be great... the next notebook it would be surely Dell!
dave_of_oz 02/22/07	I fully support this, without reservation, I'm all for choice. I'm also heartened by this show of support for Open source software. Thankyou Dell for providing people with the opportunity to express their views. I can only hope that this will result in action.

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