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Mini 9 netbook Ubuntu price must be cheaper than XP price with same config

Tue Sep 23 03:33:14 GMT 2008 - Sep 23, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

@vida_k:I just loaded this page -- "http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs" (i.e. the product page for the Mini9) and it clearly says the same as it has since the release of the Min9. I guess you need to mark that 'partially implemented'. ;-)

Mini 9 netbook Ubuntu price must be cheaper than XP price with same config

Sat Sep 20 05:58:10 GMT 2008 - Sep 20, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

I will accept that Dell has addressed the original complaint except for one thing... I still can't order an Ubuntu model that will ship TODAY. As a nit, the idea stated that Ubuntu must be cheaper (due to the assumption that Ubuntu is free and Window costs something more than $0) and the feature set I compared was equal price. Yea, I know, crapware payola, MS subsidy, etc.

Please make Ubuntu XPS Notebook cheaper than XPS Vista Notebook

Sat Sep 20 05:49:50 GMT 2008 - Sep 20, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

I wouldn't call this implemented. The Ubuntu XPS model has basically no selections, and the choices are wickedly over-speced for Ubuntu. For example, the Ubuntu XPS model can only be selected with 4GB of RAM. Why? Are you not aware that Ubuntu's minimum RAM requirement is 384MB (for a full desktop install). You should allow 512MB and 1GB selections like the Windows models (on the easy to find page). There is no issue with Ubuntu recognizing whatever amount of memory that is installed. This is also true for HDD where the only two selections for the Ubuntu XPS 1330 is a 320GB 7200 RPM or expensive SSD, while the Windows XPS allows smaller selections. The Ubuntu selection restrictions make no sense, except to make it unattractive as a low priced, high capability laptop.

Mini 9 netbook Ubuntu price must be cheaper than XP price with same config

Fri Sep 05 20:04:51 GMT 2008 - Sep 5, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

It was my understanding that Dell points their Ubuntu installs to a custom repository that had Wine removed. I have Ubuntu on all my Dell PCs, but I did my own installs so I can't verify. There is still a need for Wine when there are applications that unfortunately have no FOSS equivalent that you can pick up from the package system. For me those are: Slingbox, Oziexplorer and to a lesser extent Irfanview. The thread of this idea has drifted from what I originally posted: That the Ubuntu-installed price is too high, specifically when upgraded to the same extent as the high end WinXP Home model of the Mini 9. I was looking for something that ran Ubuntu off an SSD with 1024x600 screen for under $300 as was rumored. I was also hoping for at least a 6 hour on-battery run time so I could use it on a coast to coast flight without plugging in. The other point I tried to make is that the re-imaging of the OS on this computer will not be as simple as most laptops and desktops because of the lack of a CD/DVD slot; so buying an XP model and loading Ubuntu yourself will not be simple. I have done non-CD Linux installs using USB and network PXE boot, and I would not say that neither was trivial like popping in the Ubuntu Live-CD.

Mini 9 netbook Ubuntu price must be cheaper than XP price with same config

Thu Sep 04 20:31:53 GMT 2008 - Sep 4, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

@paperpilot - The 8.04 version is the latest Ubuntu. The only problem is that Dell typically removes stuff from the standard release; like the Wine application that lets you run most Windows apps in a XP-ish environment, and possibly the OpenOffice.org suite that lets you open and edit Word, Excel and Powerpoint files. Otherwise, Ubuntu is a much better choice for these than XP Home, but now, with no CD/DVD on a netbook, the wipe and reinstall method of getting the real Ubuntu will be more difficult since it will involve a network or USB install. It's not that hard, but not a newbie-friendly task. The details are all on the web though.

Mini 9 netbook Ubuntu price must be cheaper than XP price with same config

Thu Sep 04 20:22:36 GMT 2008 - Sep 4, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

How much bloatware can you put on a netbook? Also, the price of the 512MB-RAM/8GB-SSD/0.3MPxl-Cam versions are the same, so I guess that comes with no bloatware, but the 1GB-RAM/16GB-SSD/0.3MPxl-Cam version comes with $65 of Bloatware. What is the per MB rate for bloatware these days anyways? I guess around $.01/MB assuming that all of the extra 8GB is filled with it!

Implemented: Ubuntu Dell is Le$$ Than Windows Dell

Fri Apr 11 17:28:54 GMT 2008 - Apr 11, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

Merged Comment

One other nice thing with Linux and F/OSS is that you will never be up-versioned out of SW that you like using. You can stay at whatever version of OS and application, and never have to upgrade. After you get used to that level of freedom it is annoying to have to go back to a Windows box and have a WGA popup ask you to re-validate your PC before it will run something. That happened on my work PC yesterday when I started up Windows Media Player. It's a brand new Dell Latitude running WinXPpro, so there is no reason that WGA would have an issue, Just to be stubborn I said no and downloaded and installed mplayer for Windows and watched the media on that.

Ubuntu Dell Repo

Tue Feb 19 17:00:26 GMT 2008 - Feb 19, 2008

Posted By:  ubon

Merged Comment

@matt_d - Will those packages make Ubuntu run better on my new Latitude D830N? I looked in the Wiki and there doesn't seem to be much support for people that have switched their Dell laptop to Ubuntu (or used the N option to make that the OS of choice).

Put Ubuntu on a laptop with better specs

Tue Dec 18 08:32:45 GMT 2007 - Dec 18, 2007

Posted By:  ubon

OK, so I'm a HW guy, but still there is a limit that no single application can access more than 4GB, or am I missing something here? I mean a pointer would still only cover a 32b address range. Right?

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