The Dell Community has contributed: 9380 ideas | promoted 642163 times | 71613 comments

How IdeaStorm Works:

Post Promote Discuss See
Dell Web Site Comments | Dell Web Site Ideas | Linux Comments | Linux Ideas
3190

Don't make it difficult for people to find Ubuntu machines

3190 points posted to Dell Web Site, Linux by xivulon 08/09/07

Ubuntu is now shipped to Europe, but it is hidden away and not that obvious to find. If you did not follow the news, you would probably have missed it completely. What link do people usually follow when buying a laptop at dell.co.uk? They follow the most preminent links:

Notebooks > Home > Home Essential Notebooks

This is where they usually end up to: http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/notebooks_good?c=uk&...

The inspiron 6400 does come with Ubuntu, but do you see a "Select with ubuntu" button anywhere? I don't think so. If you want a Ubuntu machine you have to get there via a completely different route, by selecting the OS first (on the less visible left column) and then the machine... You can do that for XP too, but with XP you can also select the machine first and then the OS. Why is it not the same with Ubuntu? Moreover, if you click on the laptop image, it will automatically select Vista (thus giving it far more preminence).

So, I am glad Dell started shipping Ubuntu, but to me it looks like they only want to make informed geeks happy, while hiding the option to average joe. If Dell was really serious they should have Ubuntu listed in the customization section of each and every supported machine.

Customize your Operating System:

* Ubuntu Linux [subtract £30]
* Genuine Windows XP [Included in price]
* Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Basic - English [Included in Price]
* Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium - English [add £23.50]
* Genuine Windows Vista™ Ultimate (32Bit) - English [add £117.50]

There is already a conflict-resolution message, so you could easily signal incompatible OS/hardware choices. The above is what I call "choice", anything else is muddling the water.

jorge
08/09/07		 We're all waiting for that day! You forgot
* No-OS [subtract £100]

(the £100 might be more I'm only guesstimating)
jervis961
08/09/07		 I usually demote dupes but they really need to do this.
howlingmadhowie
08/09/07		 jervis961. why do you demote dupes?
jervis961
08/09/07		 Most dupes are of popular ideas that people just copy in hopes of getting points or think it will force Dell into action by spamming the site. Those are the ones I demote because they are obvious. Now if it is an Idea that got lost in the shuffle and someone unknowingly dupes it I vote based on opinion. There haven't been as many dupes of this one so I decided to promote it.
naumand
08/15/07		 I can not find Ubuntu on UK Dell web site at all. Is it out of stock in the moment? OS list have only Windows options in the moment.
howlingmadhowie
08/15/07		 naumand: it was the same on the german site this morning. maybe microsoft told them to remove the links.
Please log in to post a comment
last 100 promotions: