Dell are now selling PCs pre-installed with Linux Ubuntu 7.04 on their US web site. There is good news and bad news.
The good news is that, for notebooks and the offered model with Linux, Ubuntu is $50 less than Windows Vista Home Basic version. I know that Lenovo were offering a Linux notebook, but at a much higher price than the equivalent Windows equipped one, so it is good to see that this isn't happening with Dell. You can also equip the Linux Dell with less memory than the Windows version if you want to save more money. The numbers are: Inspiron E1505 Ubuntu with 512Mb RAM $599 Inspiron E1505 Ubuntu with 1Gb RAM $649 Inspiron E1505 W Vista Home Basic with 1Gb RAM $699 The bad news is in the whole brain dead marketing approach. Firstly this Inspiron E1505 is the only notebook available with Linux. The Inspiron E1501 with Windows is cheaper, min price $539. So one advantage of Linux, that it offers the cheapest solution, is not being taken by Dell. They could offer a notebook at $489 but have chosen not too. Secondly, the obvious way to offer Linux would be to have it as an O/S option in the build menu. But only various Windows options are listed there. If you want Linux, you have to know about it and go thru a separate menu structure. So customers can't clearly see that the Ubuntu option is cheaper and select it if that is a factor for them. Still, there is one notebook pre-installed with Linux, and a popular disti at that, from a major vendor and at a good price. Can we get it in Malta? -Graham Petley _______________________________________________ MLUG-list mailing list [email protected] http://mailserv.megabyte.net/mailman/listinfo/mlug-list
