openSUSE, Fedora, Debian, Mandriva, PCLinuxOS, MEPIS, KNOPPIX, Slackware, Gentoo, FreeBSD Pre install option

May 7, 2007

Posted By:  blackholestorm

14 Votes

Status: Archived

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Dell recently offered Ubuntu preinstall option. While a step in the right direction, we need to get more Linux distros offered.

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  • May 18, 2007     Comment Link

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    Posted By: jorge

    Come on! You have to be kidding for them to offer all those Linux's, BSD's pre-installed. I hope Dell settles for selling with no OS and you get to install what you wish. If they do attempt such a task they'll go bankrupt. That includes Ubuntu!
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  • May 8, 2007     Comment Link

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    Posted By: akidan

    @monday90: You may wish to check out this one, then:
    http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/63771/Dell_Requires_Linux_Drivers_from_Hardware_Supplier_OEMs
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  • May 7, 2007     Comment Link

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    Posted By: jervis961

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070507/tc_nm/microsoft_novell_dell_dc_1
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  • May 7, 2007     Comment Link

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    Posted By: monday90

    Supporting one distro makes sense. My main concern is that drivers will be made available for hardware to run under Linux. I would happily buy a dell knowing that they had drivers available that I could use under ANY Linux distro.
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  • May 7, 2007     Comment Link

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    Posted By: akidan

    I don't think this is a good idea. People who know these other distros can install it themselves if they want (and would probably prefer to). Tech support would become a million times more of a pain in the butt for Dell (If they sell it, they have to support it). Keeping it down to one choice that is a good user-friendly and beginner-friendly desktop is a good idea. It keeps consumers from getting confused ("Honey? Do I want to get Ubuntu or this.. Gen-two.. or.. forget it, I'll just get Windows"), and keeps things sane for Dell (rather than testing hardware on 20 different distros). That's just my take, though.
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  • May 7, 2007     Comment Link

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    Posted By: sla161

    The biggest thing is going to be support. I'll be curious to see how easily Dell support reps are able to switch between supporting Windows and a SINGLE Linux distro. Give them time, at least they're willing to try it.
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  • May 7, 2007     Comment Link

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    Posted By: superradruss

    give DELL a hot minute to make sure everything goes smoothly with ubuntu. if the ubuntu machines sell well and customers dont complain too much, then hells yeah, add the other larger distros as options..