Dell + Linux - How is it going?

[The Coder]

Just curious how this is going. Are a lot of people buying these machines? I know that a lot of people asked for this from Dells ideastorm, but are people buying them now? I couldn't find any numbers on purchases. I am personally considering getting the laptop with Ubuntu on it. I just wish they offered the really lightweight one, E1405, with Linux on it. Your thoughts?

[saikee]

I am a bit surprised by the need to buy a laptop with a pre-installed Linux, as I haven't run into problem of installing any Linux I want on any laptop.

Unlike MS systems that each one costs money to buy we could install as many versions of Linux as we wish in a PC as 99% of them are free.

Then there are Live CDs, pen drives and external hard disks we can boot to Linux. That means we can run any number of Linux on any PC without touching its internal hard disk or its resident operating system. What is the relevance of Dell + Linux except to tell us how much market share MS has last to Linux?

[ph34r]

Bought a Lattitude D520 about a month ago (a few days before the announcement). Changed the wireless from dell/broadcom to intel and it is 100% plug-n-play with Ubuntu 7.04 - including beryl, etc. Sent an email to Dell saying that if I had known I would've waited to buy... no reply of course.

[The Coder]

I am a bit surprised by the need to buy a laptop with a pre-installed Linux, as I haven't run into problem of installing any Linux I want on any laptop.

Unlike MS systems that each one costs money to buy we could install as many versions of Linux as we wish in a PC as 99% of them are free.

Then there are Live CDs, pen drives and external hard disks we can boot to Linux. That means we can run any number of Linux on any PC without touching its internal hard disk or its resident operating system. What is the relevance of Dell + Linux except to tell us how much market share MS has last to Linux?

Forgive me, I haven't tried to install Linux on a laptop in at least 7 years. It sounds like things have gotten simpler. I remember the time(and maybe now as well) where getting Linux to run on a laptop was hard to do and people had to hack the hell out of the drivers and stuff to get it to work. I think the preloaded Linux on the machine gives users the sense that Linux has been tested on this machine and is guaranteed to work, without them having to go through too many problems to start the system up. Also it provides them a face/name to call if they have problems. This might just be a psychological crutch, but it could be what is needed to sell the system.

[The Coder]

Bought a Lattitude D520 about a month ago (a few days before the announcement). Changed the wireless from dell/broadcom to intel and it is 100% plug-n-play with Ubuntu 7.04 - including beryl, etc. Sent an email to Dell saying that if I had known I would've waited to buy... no reply of course.

BTW. Did you buy that Latitude from Dell recently? Cause i can't find anything other than XPS and Inspiron.

[saikee]

I suppose if Dell sells a laptop prloaded with a Linux then all the teething trouble with the hardware would have resolved before the shipment starts.

[ph34r]

Buy it as a small business... I placed my order right before Mothers Day this year ('07).

http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/latit_d520?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04