Direct2Dell

i want to buy a Dell 6400n - the UK model with Ubuntu preinstalled.  I want the spec to be similar to that available for the Vista machine, i.e. 160gb hard disk, more memory etc - e-value code UKDHSONL-N10646.  You cannot configure the Ubuntu machine with similar specs, and even a much lower spec is noticeably more expensive.

Are these pricing errors? 

Until they are fixed, can I buy the Vista machine, return Vista for a refund as per the MS EULA, and install Ubuntu myself, or is getting the MS refund going to be an issue?
 

This is probably not the right place to ask this, but at least I may get an indication where to ask about it. I'm interested in a laptop with Ubuntu, I live in Colombia, as far as I know, there is dell support overhere, so, If I get somebody on USA to get the laptop for me, under my name, or his name, will I get warranty/dell support here in Colombia? Are there any plans to offer Open Source computers to latinoamerica?

-Fernando

Dell had done a great move,

and as soon as it will ship Ubuntu laptops to Europe I will buy one of them.

However it should be clear why they cannot make ubuntu an option for all computers: most of windows machines are made with cheap components, such as softmodems/winmodems, thus ubuntu is not supported 100%.

 Dell should sale only 100% working devices.
 

i don't see how dell is doing a Great Thing™

the way i see it, dell thinks it can make money off GNU/Linux on the desktop, just like it already does on workstations and on servers. thousands of coders have worked for free writing GNU/Linux, Dell should really be thanking them and trying to find a way to give back to the community.

GNU/linux isn't a company selling a product to dell. some of the GNU/Linux system is written by lone hackers, some is written by employees of extremely professional organisations.
Dell is free to use anything which is published under a free software license. Should the developers and programmers of GNU/Linux thank Dell for using their product? Not at all.

When I saw the blog post I just chuckled.  I can find the same system at 2 or 3 different prices at Dell any time.  Just be a Home user, then a Small Business, and so on.  However, if Dell really wants to know what is happenning, put a second "Intension" field on the order.  1) OS as is. 2) Dual boot with Linux 3) Dual boot with other Windows (Vista for XP and XP for Vista) 4) Remove and install Linux.  However, this might be very powerful and very dangerous knowledge.

I just wonder if Dell should put Operating System as an option list , which have

 1. Vista

 2. Ubuntu

By this way,  this kind of problem will be solved permanently !

I believe Dell surely can modify the website to cater for that but why not Dell did this ?

Thanks for fixing the price of Ubuntu laptops!  But why do you only offer NVIDIA graphics cards on yout Ubuntu desktops (Inspiron Desktop 530 N and XPS 410 N) when everybody knows that there are no open source 3D drivers for NVIDIA cards?

Please make Intel graphics an option on the desktops so that customers who want to buy FOSS-friendly hardware from DELL can do so!

If you search on 1470N:

The first hit is for a 1470 with windows.

Second for:

Introducing Dell PCs with Ubuntu and FreeDOS

You asked, we listened. For advanced users and tech enthusiasts, we’re happy to offer new open-source operating systems, so you can dive in and truly enjoy a PC experience just the way you want it.

If you go there, then you get:

Not sure Open Source is for You?
The main thing to note is that when you choose open source you don’t get a Windows® operating system. If you’re here by mistake and you are looking for a Dell PC with Windows, please use the following link.

Shop Dell PCs with Windows

Then you get over priced PCs with Ubuntu!

Unfortunately, they are. Dell is not advertising this with
the same fervor that they are their Windows-laden
offerings. There should be a nice, big link (maybe a
decent-sized Ubuntu logo) to these Ubuntu-preloaded PC's
right from their home page.

Additionally, you're right; Dell does paint a slightly
bleak picture of their own computers when laden with
Ubuntu. You'd think they'd be making it sound great
(because it actually is--I run Ubuntu Feisty on a Latitude
D820), since Dell wants to sell boxes.

Now, Dell bet on Linux is becoming more interesting every day, and I really applaud it: Iĺl be one of the early buyers when the offering arrives to Europe, but frankly guys, BUT, Dell should get rid once and for all of M$ stranglehold on its business:

For a long time now Dell has been one of the biggest [in shipment volume terms]PC hardware manufacturers on the planet. This implicitly means that Dell has also been one of the biggest Tax Collectors for the Windows Tax.

Does anyone honestly believe, even for a moment, that faced with the thought of their previously biggest partner offering Linux PCs, that Microsoft would do nothing? No, of course not.

So Microsoft have cooked up an interesting little idea here. There was another post to Groklaw in the last week or so that showed how Microsoft had been offering rebates with Dell PCs that effectively meant they could cost less if purchased with Windows. [So the smart money would buy the PC, claim the rebate,then blow away the OS and install ubuntu from scratch].

But the point is that we have to stop and ask ourselves why Microsoft are
reacting in this way. Well Dell have said that their decision to offer ubuntu
was in response to customer demand. Fair enough.

I think Microsoft are trying to use this to their advantage. They are trying to
manipulate the Dell offer, by adding their own discounts and coupons for
software, such that only a tiny number of people actually buy the said machines.
If that result is achieved, two things will happen. Firstly, Dell will decide
that it's not worth keeping a Linux product offering. Secondly, Microsoft will
make merry with the headline that "even though Dell offered machines with a 'Free' Linux OS, only 0.0003% of Dell customers actually bought one". - or whatever the stats are at the time.

You can bet that MS would want to look at this not just as damage limitation, but as another opportunity for spin.

So it might be worth keeping an eye on how all this eventually gets reported on.

hmm,wha about this price on the website?

I believe I read somewhere that it is supposed to keep people from getting confused or something. Although, I don't believe what they say on their open source area really helps much.

"For advanced users and tech enthusiasts, we’re happy to offer a new open-source operating system, so you can dive in and truly enjoy a PC experience just the way you want it."

As Linux isn't just for advanced users and tech enthusiasts, especially Ubuntu. I'm definitely not an advanced user, nor am I a tech enthusiast, and I can use Ubuntu without any problems at all. In fact, I hear that the 'real' Linux users don't like Ubuntu as much as other distributions because it hides all of the stuff that they would otherwise tweak in order to make it easier to use. Anyway, Ubuntu would be great for an average to not very tech savvy person as long as they aren't a Windows gamer(While they definitely can play Windows games or even some native Linux games that also work on Windows, there isn't as wide of a selection).

Joseph said:

 It's easy to solve systemically such that it is practically guaranteed to never happen again--just make the Ubuntu an option like Home or Pro or whatever Windows versions they have now.

 Why are the Linux machines hidden away on your site totally separate from your Windows machines?

(Puts on Flame retardant suit)

 Funny how when Dell makes a pricing error in the customer's favor, no one points that out to Dell, instead their site gets hammered with orders for the erroneously priced item then everyone cries foul when Dell fixes the error (or worse yet - cancels the orders).

Dell and Lionel - thanks for being on top of things!

 I have to say, I am really impressed with the level of commitment to the customer that Dell has shown lately!!!!

Why are the Linux machines hidden away on your site totally separate from your Windows machines?

The reason it's "hidden away" is to avoid a disaster. Dell has to segment out the market, and only provide Linux to people that are actually looking for Linux.
 

Joseph: Frankly it looks like they're just being responsible. People can be pretty dumb, and they know a lot of people would accidentally buy it and be totally lost when they don't see the OS they expected when they boot it up.

 I would like to see the Linux systems higher up too, but for now I'm just glad they're really giving it a fair chance. I'm interested in seeing the sales figures on the Dellbuntu systems.

Joseph, Dell supporting Linux on their machines for real, I didn't expect this kind of dedication from them like they've demonstrated but we all know that they, as OEMs and partners of MS, can't do that at the moment and we have to understand their position. Sure is sad and doing it the way you said is the best way of supporting linux on this machines, the initiative can even be more successful but thats how this PC business work with 'the man' -in this case Microsoft- up there.

I, as a costumer, can say that Dell isn't the same company that it was a few years ago, the Michael Dell come back was the best thing that could happen to it.

Keep up the good work Dell!
 

Joseph, I presume they are separated as in some cases there may be hardware available for Windows, where drivers are not yet available for Ubuntu.  You might say, "so wait until the Linux drivers are available before using that hardware", but why should Windows users have to wait?

Great! It's a bit sad to see parts of the community still knocking Dell down, even after you're doing Great Things(tm). Hopefully this yet-another-good-thing will make more of them realise that some of the things that are happening are simple mistakes.

Hopefully you've improved your processes to ensure these sort of promotions happen on all Operating Systems available :-)

As for Linux availability, I'd like to see the option of "Ubuntu" via the main Dell website, so for example if I opted to buy a Dell Inspiron, then I proceeded to customise it, I would like to have the option of choosing "Ubuntu" over "Windows Vista"

Thanks, and keep up the great work!

i like linux

So the problem was the fact that there are two equivalent PCs.

 It's easy to solve systemically such that it is practically guaranteed to never happen again--just make the Ubuntu an option like Home or Pro or whatever Windows versions they have now.

 Why are the Linux machines hidden away on your site totally separate from your Windows machines?