Dell should follow the 'spirit of Ubuntu' for its Ubuntu systems!
Linux submitted by limulus
12/19/07
I was all excited to read that "Today, we're adding Ubuntu 7.10 (a.k.a Gutsy Gibbon) to the Dell Consumer Linux line-up for customers in the United States. It will also be available on the Inspiron 530 in England, France, and Germany later this week." but then it was with a bit of horror that I read:
"Pre-installation of [Adobe's] Flash for a better web experience"
and
"we now include built-in DVD movie playback with all Ubuntu 7.10 systems" using LinDVD
So under the guise of 'customer desire' Dell is going contrary to the 'spirit of Ubuntu' by preinstalling non-libre software. What's worse, as confirmed by a second posting:
"Note that this is a closed-source, proprietary application, and is not included on the Ubuntu 7.10 OS media. [...] ISO images DO NOT CONTAIN LinDVD, as LinDVD is a non-free application that is included in the cost of a system purchased with our Ubuntu 7.10 factory-installation. We'll make information available on how this application can be purchased after the holidays."
Apparently Dell thinks that because they can hide the cost of Windows in a regular Dell system, its OK to hide the cost of a proprietary application in their Ubuntu systems.
NO IT IS NOT!!!
If Dell wants to sell LinDVD as an add-on, that's fine, but one of the major draws of Ubuntu is specifically the LACK of proprietary software and its FREE cost. Do not force users to pay for non-libre, non-gratis software by attempting to bundle it into the cost of the hardware!
Also, regarding Adobe's Flash, while most Ubuntu users will likely want it, its again contrary to the 'spirit of Ubuntu' to force users to have it by default. Quoting Mark Shuttleworth:
“I hear you when you say “users want proprietary codecs”. That’s why we make sure these items ARE available, at the user’s option, as packages on the network repositories. That allows users who need that functionality, or who choose that functionality over free alternatives, to exercise that choice freely. We don’t make that choice for them, though of course there is huge demand from real users for that. And we will stay firm in that regard. Ubuntu does not, and will never, include proprietary applications.“
Ubuntu 7.10 will automatically offer Adobe's Flash or the libre Gnash plugin when Firefox encounters a SWF file, so there is NO NEED to bundle it.
So allow me to suggest how Dell can make its Ubuntu systems better:
When a customer orders one, have a software choice like the following, which assumes LinDVD costs $20:
Ubuntu 7.10 [subtract $20]
Ubuntu 7.10 with proprietary codecs (Flash, etc.) [subtract $20]
Ubuntu 7.10 with proprietary codecs (Flash, etc.) and LinDVD player [Included in Price]
Dell could then go all contrary to Ubuntu's philosophy and include things like MP3 support via the gratis but not fully libre fluendo codec but give users a say in the matter.
Alternately, if Dell is going to insist on bundling all sorts of non-libre and non-gratis software and not give the purchasers a choice about it, please stop calling it Ubuntu!
-140
Make a calendar with all COMING SOON and IN PROGRESS ideas
Advertising and Marketing, IdeaStorm submitted by krasmussen
09/22/07 **REVIEWED**
One of the biggest annoyances with IdeaStorm is that the horizon for an idea being implemented is very blurry, if at all existing. If you're lucky, you get "third quarter 2009", but mostly, there is no timeframe at all. This leads to the feeling that not much is being done, and exactly that feeling is what IdeaStorm should be eliminating.
Therefore, I propose that you make a list or calender with all the COMING SOON and IN PROGRESS ideas with timeframes for all of them. Just a "december 2008" would be nice, or better yet, "deadline 31st november 2008".
I don't know if this is connected with some goal management inside Dell, if it is, maybe you should work on improving that, too?
Today, the best way to know the progress of an idea is through Ideas in Action, our Weekly Update or Dell comments in the thread.
6840
Ubuntu Dell Repo
Linux, Service and Support submitted by tekhawk
07/20/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
basicly a simple idea dell to support the ubuntu community a little bit by running a repo for its laptops and desktop if nothing more to support the software that they install on the system and to provide driver updates theses repos should be setup on the machines before shipping so that the users can get the driver updates quick and easy and offer driver on there for all the drivers that there are for dell machines that are support on linux not just the shipping lines
so that user might find that other machines then the ones you ship with ubuntu can easly be made into power ubuntu operating machines
As matt_d has said below, we have repositories for Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, Novell/SuSE Linux Enterprise Server, and a growing one for Ubuntu. Check it out here http://linux.dell.com.
7530
Dell: Support Open BIOSes for Linux
Dell, Linux submitted by phubert
10/10/07 **REVIEWED**
An Open BIOS for Linux would free it from the DOS legacy code and speed boot times.
The current BIOS is a legacy throwback... it's time to replace it!
Our current priority is to expand Linux availability by bringing more platforms and languages to market. Read what daniel_j has to say.
5620
Put Ubuntu on a laptop with better specs
Inspiron products, Linux submitted by piratehead
10/16/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
Offer an Ubuntu laptop (Inspirion or otherwise) with available discreet graphics, discreet audio, 8GB or more of RAM, a quad-core processor, bluetooth, next-gen WiFi, and integrated webcam.
I don't know how many of those are possible at this point, but each one is a step forward for people who are waiting on certain specs to bite on a Dell laptop.
Now that you offer laptops with Ubuntu on them, I really don't want to go to another company just to get the computer specs I want. I wish to vote for Dell with my dollars, paying for a laptop that has actually been tested and certified by the manufacturer to run Ubuntu. Please give me the opportunity!
Check out the Idea in Action to find out more about our Ubuntu offerings.
6410
make linux systems EASY TO FIND
Dell Web Site submitted by phubert
10/18/07
At other sites, I have seen comments by individuals who have BOUGHT Dell Ubuntu systems complaining about the difficulty FINDING said systems.
I think you'll get more sales if you improve the visibility!
6410
Linux Hardware Compatibility List
Dell Web Site, Linux submitted by s3indiana
02/20/07 **IN PROGRESS**
Create a listing of Dell hardware that's compatible with the major Linux distributions (Fedora, OpenSuse, ubuntu, Freespire) providing compatibility with not just systems (desktops and laptops) but include peripherals (printers, camera's, flash drives, compatible routers, etc.). Include levels of compatibility so the reviewer can make an educated choice. This would provide the greatest assistance for those looking at alternatives...
We're working to add something like this to our linux.dell.com wiki. Click here to see what john_h has to say.
25200
Goal: Dell FREEDOM Box - A Fully Open System for Home Users by 2010
Dell, Linux, Desktops and Laptops submitted by dpic
11/29/07
Set a goal of having at least one fully open system for home users by the end of 2010! This would be Dell's greatest endeavor yet!
The Dell FREEDOM Box | From the software, all the way down to the hardware, a completely open system
Software:
* A fully open source operating system with no restricted software like Gobuntu.
Hardware:
* All hardware must follow these rules--
1. The interface to the hardware must be explicitly made public, so the hardware can be used freely.
2. The design of the hardware must be made public, so that others can implement it and learn from it.
3. The tools used to create the design should be free, so that others can develop and improve the design.
This movement is already making headway and progress will continue to increase. Dell is already getting involved--
It has been stated that Dell has a goal to have open Linux drivers for all Dell products. Dell, keep the pressure on your vendors to open up!
Support OpenBIOS and Open Firmware!
"Among its features, Open Firmware provides an instruction set independent device interface. This can be used to boot the operating system from expansion cards without native initialization code.
It is Open Firmware's goal to work on all common platforms, like x86, AMD64, PowerPC, ARM and Mips. With its flexible and modular design, Open Firmware targets servers, workstations and embedded systems, where a sane and unified firmware is a crucial design goal and reduces porting efforts noticeably."
- http://www.openbios.org/
Already, there is huge support for replacing proprietary BIOS
- http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/62549/LinuxBIOS_instead_of_proprietary_...
- http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/74358/Dell_Support_Open_BIOSes_for_Linux
And there is the Open Graphics Project
- http://www.ideastorm.com/article/show/72320/Help_The_Open_Graphics_Project<
This project would put Dell at the heart of the movement bringing Freedom, Reliability, and Innovation to the world of technology! Does one really need to ask why this would be better than proprietary technology?
1810
Support Gobuntu, a free version of Ubuntu.
Linux submitted by sunnz
10/13/07
From the Wikipedia:
"Gobuntu is an official derivative of the Ubuntu operating system, aiming to provide a distribution consisting entirely of free software.
Gobuntu was officially announced by Mark Shuttleworth on July 10, 2007, and daily builds of Gobuntu 7.10 began to be publicly released."
Since Dell has began selling Ubuntu 7.04 Computers, and inevitably, Ubuntu 7.10, why not go one step further and support Gobuntu? Manufacturing a computer with only free and open source drivers and firmware would in effect, supports all other Linux distributions, as well as BSD's, Solaris, and everything else out there free and open.
It is a very tiny step from the already supported Ubuntu and opens endless possibility of potential customers.
-130
No Limits! Make **all** choices available **anywhere** in the world
Sales Strategies submitted by mrw
09/16/07
First example: The Germans are second class customers, because they don't get the same choices for Ubuntu Laptops as in the USA. We here in Switzerland are even third class customers, because we do not get an Ubuntu Laptop at all.
Other example: The choices I can make for a notebook depends on how I walked through your shop! Sometimes for the same Model, I can chose a low end Harddisk, sometimes not. That's absolutely ridiculous! Please allow any possible hardware combination!
Allow to select any matching hard disk in any laptop (or desktop)! Allow to setup any kind of memory, especially e.g. one(!) 2GB module instead of two 1GB modules, give the choice for between either a mirroring display or an anti-glare display for any available display size and resolution. If technically possible, allow to choose between NVidia and ATI, and allow to chose the Memory of the card. Allow to completely deselect the operating system and all kind of installed software.
First: Make all offers available anywhere in the world!
Second: Do not limit the possible combinations!
Shouldn't the customer be king? Let us all choices!
4030
There should be an option of having no trialware on all computers
Software submitted by jervis961
08/23/07 **REVIEWED**
Here is a news article about trialware and how Dell feels that regular customers want it but small business ones do. Do they not look at the ideas here?
"Not interested in all of the trial software that clutters up new PCs? You're not alone: According to Dell's recent research in both focus groups and broader surveys, small-business users overwhelmingly view trialware as an irritant, not a benefit. That research has led Dell to axe the extras from its new Vostro line of small-business desktop PCs and laptops. Eliminating demo applications is a major step for Dell, which has caught flack for the quantity of trialware on its consumer PCs. (One frustrated customer went so far as to develop a "Decrapifier" utility. The company says that consumers who buy PCs for personal use do express interest in preloaded trial software, but that small-business users have different needs. By eliminating the trialware from Vostro machines, Dell says it has cut the system setup time in half. For now, Dell is the only major PC manufacturer to ship small-business systems without preinstalled trialware as a standard practice. (Some competitors, such as HP, allow customers to choose a no-trialware configuration.)"
Dell offers a broad amount of software choice and minimal software shipped. Read jeremy_f's post on the options we give our customers
24730
Standardize Power Cables for Laptops
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptops submitted by badblood
08/27/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
Nothing is more annoying than laptop power cables that are not interchangeable from one computer model to another or from one brand of computer to another. Power cables have been standardized on most electrical applicances, including desktop computers for decades.
Make an effort to promote and implement standard power cables for laptops.
Please see dawn_l's comments below.
28490
Put Ubuntu on the list of operating systems when building a PC!
Linux, Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by samb0057
08/10/07 **UNDER REVIEW**
Ubuntu is hidden in a dark corner of the website. I work in IT support, and I have a client who was having virus problems a little while ago. I fixed the problem by installing Ubuntu on their PC. Very recently they called me asking for advice on a new computer, I told them about your new offer providing Ubuntu pre-installed on PCs and they wanted to purchase, but could not find the section on your site (this person is a very basic user, doesn't know what open-source means, probably didn't even see the open source link). There is no way they would have found your Ubuntu section on their own.
I urge you to offer Ubuntu as a choice of OSes in the system configuration wizard, the only way to really sell Ubuntu is to offer Ubuntu as a primary option, rather than a hidden alternative. I personally am looking to buy a new laptop, and you guys have always been my number 1 PC manufacturer (I don't think I've ever bought a new retail PC except from you guys), but I feel that your Ubuntu offerings are lacking. If you offered Ubuntu on some of the great deals you offer on your home page, I would be willing to pay just as much as I would for a Windows Vista system and I probably would have already ordered.
27140
Submit hardware specifications to the Linux Driver Project
Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Linux submitted by upstaked
10/05/07 **REVIEWED**
Back in January kernel developer Greg Kroah-Hartman from Novell started a project offering companies free Linux driver development.
This proved so successful that Novell made it his full-time job and turned to a project with over 200 kernel developers: http://www.linuxdriverproject.org/ .
So Dell, submit specs and convince your hardware providers to do so too. I want to spend my money on great new hardware that runs on Linux.
We constantly work with our hardware partners to develop and maintain open-sourced drivers. Also, we make it clear that through their own developers (or other projects like the Linux Driver Project) they need to deliver on drivers.
9550
Make Linux and no Operating system standard options on all future products
Operating Systems submitted by jervis961
08/17/07 **REVIEWED**
OK Dell you have committed to supplying Linux options in limited form. Since you have laid the groundwork already here is the next step. Every new product you release that needs an Operating system should have Linux and also no Operating System as an option in the configuration along side Windows. Since you have to write drivers and test compatability for Vista when making a new product just make it compatable with Linux at the same time. There will no longer be a need for a seperate sections for Linux or no Operating system since all of the products will have the option. this will help make your site easier to navigate for you customers. You can also create an ACCURATE help me choose section for the OS choices.
Check out what daniel_j has to say on the options we offer.
21660
No OS Preloaded
Linux, Operating Systems, Sales Strategies submitted by agreer
02/17/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
I have a XP Pro retail copy, will soon buy retail vista, I also like Linux: Make WINDOWS-FREE, and OS-Free an option for more than just expensive business lines.
Dell has systems available that do not have an OS pre-loaded called N-Series line. You can check them out at www.dell.com/nseries.
86220
 track my votes
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