STEVE HARVEY ON HAVING BIG IDEAS
The Dell Community has contributed: 9387 ideas | promoted 642640 times | 71698 comments

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1674

Dual boot OS

1674 points posted to Operating Systems - Multiboot, Desktops and Laptops by gpd 02/20/07

Could be great to have a dual boot OS, like Windows XP and Ubuntu. With a partition for shared data. It's not easy to do it on your own.

acsman
02/26/07
I love this idea would also like to run Windows and Ubuntu on a partitioned drive.
philrio
04/03/07
It is easier than you think. I just added ( installed ) Kubuntu on the D: drive and have a dual boot system. I use an external DVD/CDRW as a shared device.
ncd
06/25/07
Ubuntu with beryl provides an amazing desktop experience, but I'm not ready to throw out my collection of games and other apps. I still need Windows for games.
vibrant22
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 02/21/07
Dual Booting System

Please configure a Dell System with Dual Booting options. One Windows OS and the other Linux OS or Mac OS X.

Please give more flexibility and choice to the end-users.
sebastianlewis
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 02/25/07
Correction
"One Windows OS and the other Linux OS."

Sebastian
PS: You might consider asking for UNIX.
cyber_rigger
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 02/28/07
ghostrider4444
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 02/23/07
open source

Just use multi-boot:

-windows vista ultimate
-ubuntu (latest version)

this is the ultimate desk- of laptop with the following hardware:

-2 GB RAM
-250 GB HD
-256 MB video
-802.11n network
-CPU: dual-core, 3 ghz or more, 64 bit
-DVD writer with lightscribe

the price will be more than €2000 but every good thing has a price...
flapjack
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 02/23/07
Dual Boot windows and linux

How about linux and windows both preinstalled on their own seperate hard drive. Also, include good preinstalled software like gimp, firefox, open office 2.0, xampp, and more. also, allow the customer to specify which version of linux to have installed.
dcook5
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 02/23/07
I agree completely with the idea of dual booting. The consumer is offered only the choice of one or the other. I think that having both would enable one to have the best of both worlds. If Dell would offer their desktop or notebook with Vista installed and then an upgrade of dual booting at no extra cost (perhaps even offering a choice of one of the more popular Linux distributions) to the consumer, it would not only boost people's interest in Linux but would probably boost their sales. Other computer makers might have to follow suit.
cyber_rigger
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 02/28/07
bobhaines
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 02/26/07
Dual boot Vista and ubantu Linux

I am planning to buy a new machine when Vista sp1 comes out. I want to have a dual boot system. I have been willing to pay a reasonable amount for the best support I can get. If I can get both Vista and Linux support, that would be a big plus. I can install the open source programs myself. There are some Linux programs I do not have access to now. With a quad processor, I would use virtualization much more.

This time though I will not ask for someone coming to my place of business since I got burnt by you last year. I had a problem with intermittent audio and was sent a new audio board but the tech refused to install it since I got my audio working with a work around. I will rather install these myself in the future.

I am also helping out in a Seniornet teaching center. A triple boot with XP, Apple and Vista would be very useful so we could teach all the operation systems without having to pay extra for the hardware.

cyber_rigger
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 02/28/07
jhill25570
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 04/28/07
This would be good. I would like to try another operation system, other than Microsoft.
winoffice
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 08/21/07
Yes--offer dual-boots, and even multi-boots!
windfinder
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 03/22/07
Notebook Linux preinstalled (KDE)

Provide Dell Notebooks with Linux (Ubuntu,/Debian) and Windows Vista (dual boot) preinstalled. My preferred Linux configuration would be Ubuntu or Debian with KDE desktop.
robertical
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 03/22/07
Too repetitive!
steve2
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 03/22/07
PLEASE search before you post!
smokemare
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 05/26/07
multiple os's

as a linux user for some time i have seen that most users (i dual boot with vista) dual or triple boot or whatever.
to get the most possible use from their pc i use linux a lot more than vista currently PCLinuxOS as it is the fastest to install and easiest in many ways.
i do see most people that buy dell with linux as experienced users as new users i still think are not willing to try something that is so new to them.
so dells way around this may be to offer some of the live cd distro's so people can see what it is about.
maybe dell should offer dual boot options to end users also.
obishan
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 05/26/07
They do offer learning programs for XP and Vista (the XP one not so much anymore)
Maybe in the future they may offer the same for Ubuntu?
seankearns
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 05/11/07
DUAL BOOT WINDOWS + LINUX

WHY DONT WE DUAL BOOT WINDOWS WITH LINUX
jmxz
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 05/11/07
Are you asking us ideastorm users "why don't we dual boot windows with linux" - in my case it's because I've used unix for most of my career and never really learned Windows.

Are you asking Dell why they don't pre-install windows & linux --- good question -- this sounds very useful for people who use both or even are curious for both..
bennish
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 05/13/07
IT'S BEEN MENTIONED SO MANY TIMES AND PLEASE DONT YELL!

not you jmxz
j-man
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 06/03/07
Dual Boot with Windows/Linux

With the introduction of delivering PC's with Linux...which is an AWESOME idea, by the way...it would be nice to be able to dual-boot systems to Windows OR Linux! I'm a huge Linux fan, but I'm not 100% sold on just forgetting about Windows...since there are so many dependencies with Windows these days. The answer, to people with the same mindset as me, would be to deliver systems with this dual boot feature pre-installed!
jorge
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 06/03/07
@DUPLICATEOF : A ton of other ideas!
pieighth
09/17/07
Merged Idea originally posted 03/16/07
Offer BOTH linux and Windows Vista, both preloaded, on desktop PC's

Offer both Linux and Windows Vista, both preloaded, on desktop PC's,
with a 250 GB hard drive, and maybe 150 Gbytes available for Windows,
100 Gbytes available for Linux.

The reason to offer this is there are a lot of people who are familiar
with Windows, but would like to try out Linux. Given a choice between
Windows and Linux, they will choose Windows, since they are
familiar with Windows, or their applications run on Windows. But they
would like to try out Linux. So Offer them both - offer them both,
with a 250 Gbyte disk drive, for an extra $50, over a 120 Gbyte
disk drive, for a desktop PC.

When the PC gets old, the
Linux becomes more valuable, since the pc may be too old to run
the latest windows software, but could well be plenty fast enough
to run the latest linux software.

I doubt any other companies offer a dual boot system containing
both Linux and Windows Vista, so this could be a unique feature
for Dell to offer.
linux-addict
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 03/16/07
Yes, good point - I've run a dual boot system for years, but now with recent improvements to Linux desktops I have changed to using Linux only - because of skills developed with iptables - great fun! - and I'm decrepit at seventy seven - jump in, the mental exercise is good for you!
philh
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 03/17/07
I can't see a big enough demand for this. The kind of people that are likely to want dual-boot systems are probably more than capable of setting it up for themselves.
jemfisher
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 03/18/07
Not a good Idea, Microsoft does not like dual booting, each time the user has to reinstall Vista it will kill the loader. It is much easier to give the users a system that works for them, providing Vista is becoming a problem, were as the top Linux systems give you what you need. I think Dell should build a Distro of its own, this could be done by buying into or buying out one of the top Linux

http://www.dellideastorm.com/article/show/62654/Build_a_Dell_Linux_Distrobution<
admsjas
09/17/07
Merged Comment originally posted 06/18/07
i partly agree with jemfisher in that i think dell should build a distro of it's own except i don't think it should buy anyone out to do it. the great thing about linux is anyone can take the gpl'd source code and modify it to suit their own needs. i think dell should get a team together and develop Dell Linux. i would like to see something similar to opensuse or mandriva. each distro has their strengths and weaknesses, but both those are pretty well rounded and windows users could easily migrate into either. i personally hate ubuntu and all it's variants.
jmxz
09/17/07
"Merged Idea Offer BOTH linux and Windows Vista, both preloaded, on desktop PC's"

Uh

This Idea's asking for Linux + XP.
The one it was merged with was asking for Linux + Vista.

I could see wanting one of those (whichever windows my workplace forces + ubuntu for me) but they're certainly not the same. In fact, it's hard to imagine any one user wanting both of these.

Why the merge?
jorge
09/17/07
At any rate the dates are finally correct, one out of three! Its an improvement but not totally there, I agree.
jmxz
09/17/07
Since they already merged "Linux + XP" with "Linux + Vista" I bet they next merge it into "Vista+XP"; then call it "Implemented" and then drop support for XP leaving only Vista.
jorge
09/17/07
Can't wait till No-OS and FreeDOS get into the equation!
kwifler
09/18/07
I promoted this idea because I am currently facing the daunting task of putting ubuntu over server 2003, if that's even possible, idk
Hopefully they test the multiple OS configuration before selling it.
jmxz
09/18/07
kwifler:
It's possible. If you get stuck; feel free to ask questions here and some of us have done similar and can help.
brheitner
Feb 14
Dual Boot will get users the BEST OF BOTH Worlds - Reasons are as follows....

- WINODWS VISTA -Compatiblility with peripherals, software as well as 95% familiarity
- UBUNTU/LINUX- Speed, Pre-installed software, Free Software, more secure and stable.

- You will benefit from allowing users to have both operating Systems. You can advertise for the option of Ubuntu added to the Vista machines at NO EXTRA COST.
- You already spent the time/money in making a machine Pre-installed with Ubuntu. Not much more effort with LILO or GRUB (or your own boot selector)
- People who are scared to try Ubuntu will more likely try the Dual Boot if you show how easy it is to Dual Boot.
- People who end up buying the machine and dislike Vista may end up liking Ubuntu or other Linux, thus INCREASING SATISFACTION WITH DELL.
- BEAT APPLE AT THE DUAL BOOT GAME. They don't offer Vista Pre-Installed. Linux/Ubuntu offer a solution to most of the issues as to why people are buying Apple Macs.
brheitner
Feb 14
I have added Dual Boot options for Windows Only machines for people not familiar to Ubuntu/Linux. Most people end up liking the idea of having both Windows and Ubuntu (or other Linux). The advantages have swayed people from buying Apple Macs who are afraid of only having Ubuntu (or other Linux) and don't like the Viruses or the way Vista functions.
stellarnight
Feb 23
This is a great idea, and having Dell set up the dual boot would allow people the best of both OS worlds while maintaining their warranty.
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