Pre-Installed Linux Tops Dell Customer Requests

"Within only a few days of Dell opening a new customer feedback website, they discovered that the feature most requested (by an almost 2-to-1 margin!) is an option on all new Dell PCs: pre-installed Linux. (And the number 3 request is pre-installed Open Office.) I believe they'll have a harder time now with the tired old mantra 'There's no customer demand for Linux.'"

source:
*linux.slashdot.org/linux/07/02/19/2212213.shtml

well in india atleast most ppl do that to save money 4m getting linux installed rather than windows and then install pirated xp.. But still open source rox..

pathiks said:
well in india atleast most ppl do that to save money 4m getting linux installed rather than windows and then install pirated xp.. But still open source rox..

You are right, but still a great news...

wait till they do that. Then they will be swamped with troubleshooting queries for Linux. Are the techsupport guys really upto it?

Good, atleast now the manufacturers have an answer for those saying "Installation of an OS is must to decrese piracy". Now there is a free OS installed, & the users will pirate them selves Windows anyway

Microsoft, r u listening, decrese the prices

B

Desktop Linux is already dead or will die out very soon. From how many years are we hearing about Linux on the desktop?. Every year is hailed as the 'Year of the Linux desktop' by Linux fanatics. So far nothing has happenned. I doubt if anything will ever happen. Linux is being given out free for so many years & still not more than a glorious 3% marketshare.

not so sure about that borg. As long as there are people who are interested in learning and tweaking and hacking away at internals, they will manage to make Linux more easy, though more powerful and feature rich. The reason Linux is so famous is that it shows what can be done by a community's effort. Do read up its history and the current trend before making silly prophecies. The IT Managers at my company are too outdated and afraid of trying anything new. I suggested Linux last year but they shook me off. Now they too seem interested in know more about it to use in the next phase of IT Implementations. You may not see much in public but slowly and surely Linux is gaining ground, establishing a firm foothold. You know what the good thing is about the way Linux is spreading? It is not going to be a nine day wonder.
Oh, and by the way, I do not regularly use Linux, nor am I its fanboy.

B

I do use Linux daily on my PC, but don't see why anyone, apart from computer & OS enthusiasts, would want to use it on the desktop. Linux may be ideal for programming, servers, etc, but the scenario is very different when it comes general to desktop use.

And I am not prophecising here. Check the CIO verdict for example-
*news.zdnet.com/2100-9590_22-6134965.html

i agree wit borg...

do u want a monopoly to grow which will install restrictions like DRM,microsoft think

it is completely wrong saying Linux is not growing....did u know that microsoft does pays for these sort of news backing the windows os.
then why does microsoft trying to destroy linux?FUDing SCoing...ready to sue for patents..

Feb. 06, 2007

In recent weeks, Microsoft seems to have gone out of its way to put Linux down, while boosting Linux. First, there was the bribetop scandal; then, the Wikipedia 'correction' affair. Now, the company is up to one of its oldest tricks: playing games with analyst reports.

This time around, Sunbelt Software is working with the Yankee Group, a research company with a poor reputation in Linux circles, to produce its "yearly major survey comparing Windows to Linux." Here we go again.

What's wrong with that? I'll tell you what's wrong with it. Sunbelt is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. In other words, they're buddies with Microsoft. If anyone does say much bad about Windows, how many people do you think will see those results? I suspect they'll end up going straight in the great bit-bucket in the sky.

read more:
*www.linux-watch.com/news/NS2225368488.html
GNU/Linux is a superior OS.@tleast is a UNIX like OS.why do bigs like IBM supports it?but the dumpheads are yet to understand the meaning of collaborative development-Open Source.even there are alternates growing fast to grab Microsoft's share -like soon to be GPLed Open Solaris from SUN or PC-BSD etc...frankly seeing leave apart the fan content do you want MS to have Windows as the monopoly OS?what will we benefit?Bill will get more money.....
but you may be correct; lot of bad blood is there to keep u away from Open SOurce Operating Systems and to keep ur belief that Linux is not suitable for Desktops.

borg said:
I do use Linux daily on my PC, but don't see why anyone, apart from computer & OS enthusiasts, would want to use it on the desktop. Linux may be ideal for programming, servers, etc, but the scenario is very different when it comes general to desktop use.

This may be true for misinformed.after running a modern Linux distro like Debian Ubuntu as a Desktop OS,I dont think U ever need to go back to ur copy of M$ Windows whether it is pirated or what.

but i have to agree that windows is a very easy one for newbies to start on.Linux as present does need some learning of CLI even for a desktop user.but again if ur coming to computers,you are here to learn something rather watching movies?after this mild learning curve,Linux or BSD's are definitely addictive and for a real man-u never need to have a second thought of going to windows back.most apps are now available in Linux..may be some exceptions like photoshop etc...
*whylinuxisbetter.net

I even use linux more than windows , Linux is good

B

did u know that microsoft does pays for these sort of news backing the windows os.

Man, the CIO is hardly a group without any credibility. These kind of conspiracy theories are double edged swords. If MS pays to put Windows look good, there is no reason to believe that Novell, Red Hat & the millions of Linux fanatics don't do the same. Though they may not be paying to make Linux look good, it is a known fact the Linux fanatics (due to their religious feelings for Linux) skew facts to meet their desired conclusions. Spend two minutes reading Steven Vaughan Nicholas' articles to see what I am refering to.

Microsoft is a company trying to make profit & it will obviously try to make it's products look good with respect to the competition. Same goes for everyone else, including Linux. People should get over it.

borg, paying or trying to bribe analysts with gifts is unethical. OK.

UPDATE:

Dell gives desktop Linux its "full attention"Feb. 20, 2007

In an attempt to boost its sagging fortunes, Dell, one of the leading PC makers in America, recently launched the Dell Idea Storm website to solicit ideas on how to get Dell back to the top. The most popular idea so far? Desktops with pre-installed Linux.
That's good news, but what's better news is that Dell is taking it seriously. In a brief email exchange with Bob Pearson, Dell's vice president of corporate group communications, said, "You're right that Linux is one of the hottest topics on Idea Storm."

Specifically, users wanted the top-three free Linuxes -- Ubuntu, Fedora, and openSUSE -- offered as selections for the Dell desktop. The Linux option was almost twice as popular as the next option. That next option was, by the way, to have OpenOffice pre-installed instead of Microsoft Works or a trial version of Microsoft Office.

After that, the fourth most popular option was for Dell to offer a laptop with Linux pre-installed. The fifth on the list was, if Dell couldn't offer Linux pre-installed, was to start offering systems without any operating system.

Dell has long offered workstations with Red Hat Linux Enterprise Linux WS 4 installed. There was also a time when Dell made one of its computers, the Dimension E510n PC, available with a blank hard disk. Today, Dell offers several of its low-priced nSeries desktops without an installed operating system.

As for this wave of support for the Linux desktop, Pearson said that "We are immediately sharing these ideas throughout our company, so that our managers can determine what we should do and/or some of the ideas will trigger others. Later this week, we will start posting those ideas where we have or will soon take action."

read source :
*desktoplinux.com/news/NS8382062536.html

A Welcome relief for non-Vista non-M$ buyers..
signs are showing off -You cant simply ignore free software revolution!

borg said:
Desktop Linux is already dead or will die out very soon. From how many years are we hearing about Linux on the desktop?. Every year is hailed as the 'Year of the Linux desktop' by Linux fanatics. So far nothing has happenned. I doubt if anything will ever happen.

Since how many years are we listening that Linux will be dead? Every year we hear that Linux "is already dead or will die soon" by Windows fanatics. So far nothing has happened. I doubt if anything will ever happen

borg said:
I do use Linux daily on my PC, but don't see why anyone, apart from computer & OS enthusiasts, would want to use it on the desktop. Linux may be ideal for programming, servers, etc, but the scenario is very different when it comes general to desktop use.

U may create a poll in "open source" section and find out urself how many people use it as primary Desktop OS and may also ask them their qualifications.

Many people "when it comes general to desktop use" only do office work (documents etc), listen to music, surf and watch movies!

yes... its growing, mainly in offices...they are trying to save money using Open Source, some state govt. are already using linux.... in other private offices are also using OSS..... in home, some people dont want to test linux, they want to stay in a secure area(windows), some people not interested in linux because they have to learn how to use linux (dont have much time)... some using FREE windows.... so they don't need to changeover.... here if u try to find out , u will get lots of cause why some people not interested in linux...

@ Mediator, I totally agree that creating a poll in "Open Source" section of forum will generate results favoring Linux. Infact linux may even get favourable result for entire forum,.

But u must be equally aware the in a country like India where PCs are sold by [sarcasm] Highly Knowledgeable [/sarcasm] System Assemblers, Net connectivity is Windows friendly ISPs like Sify ( whose Linux and mac clients are - well lesser said the better) and MTNL/BSNL/Sify whose [sarcasm] Tech Staff and Tech support staff [/sarcasm]are only trained (can you believe it, trained - considering their knowledge, I dont) over Windows. Windows will be found on most PCs.

I am not saying which is the best OS as there is none or which is a better OS (which is a relative term - for me its ReactOS as it gives me the freedom of FOSS with application umbrella of windows). I am talking about the Indians who are not much into computers but have a PC and in some cases a net connection too.

Instead of picking up the forum, pick up a a geographical area and consider the number of Home PCs and the number of Home PCs (not servers) running Linux as compared to those running Windows.

Sorry for being Offtopic

Now its a good move by Dell and will be greeted by people like me coz this means that Dell PCs will not com preinstalled with unwanted crap like readers and demos and whatever nonsense they stuff on PCs with Windows.

^^I understand. But he asked "why" shud different people use it and not "how many today" use it. I hope I was clear.

There are many people who have only linux loaded on their systems and doing everything they want on their system. Then there r people who outta curiosity have installed linux n dual boot with windows. There r also people who find more pleasure in doing almost all tasks in linux (coz of its known security and stabilty) than doing it in windows but still dual boot just to play hi-fi games in windows.

I hope u got my point. Linux has entered Desktop world. Most noobies here n there just keep on installing different distros. They don't actually realise that the point is about getting used to the OS first and understand how it works. There was a time when I first used windows and copied the shortcut to the "mario" game to floppy thinking that I actually copied the whole game. I didn't know how to install stuff, maintain my pc and used to call my system engineer to fix the problems. Is that what u call "ease" of an OS?

Gradually I started "learning" how its done! I bet I'm not the only one and there are zillions like me. Maybe there r some rare cases who r born genius.

So for such noobies, they shud spend more time with one particualr distro and not mastering the knowledge of "how to install linux". Once they get used to it, they will really find out themselves how much "desktop" use it has!!

Interesting new freebird

the main rumour that is circulated(ing) is that Linux is NOT user-friendly.I agree that a small learning curve is needed;it really helps.you are totally controlling your PC/OS;not the otherway the popular redmond OS does.but Linux now entered Desktop Segment.believe it or noT!The prospective buyers of Vista some of them had moved to Linux , I believe.
btw i found a interesting link though its a bit loong definitely a must read for windows Vista fans:
A Cost Analysis of Windows Vista Content Protection

update:

Dell Censors IdeaStorm Linux Dissent

thefickler writes "It seems pointless to seek ideas and feedback if you're going to ignore and delete the opinions you don't like. That's exactly what Dell is doing with its IdeaStorm website, which the company set up to solicit such ideas and feedback. Dell deleted a post linking to an article that criticizes its handling of the 'pre-installed Linux' issue."

source:
*yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/03/01/1622236.shtml

then Y da hell they built such a site?

Dell offered Linux on desktop PCs until 2001, but dropped the option after it became closer to Microsoft.
the Micro$it side effect :))

*www.theregister.co.uk/2002/03/19/microsoft_killed_dell_linux_states/

eddie said:
Since how many years are we listening that Linux will be dead? Every year we hear that Linux "is already dead or will die soon" by Windows fanatics. So far nothing has happened. I doubt if anything will ever happen

I agree.
LOL. :razz: