Direct2Dell

 Not sure what all the fuss is about. ubuntu and Fedora can be downloaded from anywhere in the world.

Dell sent me a inspiron 530, and I scrapped Windows Vista and loaded the newest Ubuntu with a little work, then overwrote that with Red Hat 4 as to match the other computer in our labs. If you have trouble, there is a nice faq at FedoraForum.org-just search Redhat and Inspiron 530.

The monitor works great, but the only thing to work out is a driver for the se198wfp monitor to get the best resolution, but I'm sure someone somewher has worked it out.

Seems like the primary issue is getting the hardware you want and then worrying about the operating system. Rest assured Ubuntu and Fedora do work on this system-even if DELL is not in the mood to put in on ther for many countries.

Denver, CO, USA 

More reasons to introduce Ubuntu in Switzerland... and I think this is the right time...

9000 computers in Swiss schools have been dual-booting Windows and and Ubuntu for some time now in anticipation of guidelines from the Switzerland’s Department of Public Instruction, whose motto is “Long Live Free Software.” The Tribune de Geneve featured a story on Friday about the elimination of dual boot capabilities in all of these machines and a migration exclusively to Linux (the original story is available here in French or here in English courtesy of Google’s language tools).

I just learned from http://www.tomshardware.com/de/ that Dell sells the great laptop 'XPS M1330' with GNU/Linux pre-installed in Germany now!

This is exactly the hardware I consider to buy this year.

 
Question: Does hibernate and suspend work without problems?
If so then it's a very likely purchase I'll make.

Sadly, when I compare the prices of the following hardware configuration, currently the 'XPS M1330' with Windows Vista™ Home Premium (32 Bit) pre-installed is 400€ less expensive than the same hardware with Ubuntu Linux version 7.10 only:

Configuration:

CPU: Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Prozessor T7500 (2.20 GHz, 800 MHz FSB, 4 MB L2-cache) - N-Series

Display: 13,3" UltraSharp™ WXGA (1280x800) White-LED-Display (300 cd/m²), TrueLife™

RAM: 3072 MB 667 MHz Dual-Channel DDR2 SDRAM [1x2048+1x1024]

Hard-disk: SATA-Festplatte mit 250 GB (5.400 U/Min.)

Graphics-card: nVidia® GeForce® 8400M GS mit 128 MB

Battery: Lithium-Ionen-Hauptakku mit 9 Zellen und 85 Wh

Bluetooth: Internes Dell™ TrueMobile 355 Bluetooth-Modul - Europa

 
Prices:

XPS™ M1330 (N01X3304): 1.208,99 € (with additional fingerprint-reader,  next-generation Intel® Wireless-N-Minikarte and free shipping too!)

Linux XPS™ M1330 (N01X3315): 1.606,99 € (without fingerprint-reader, plain Intel® Pro Wireless 3945 802.11a/b/g-Minikarte and I don't know if shipping costs are demanded, if so then + 39 €)

This should be corrected soon since with slightly less (current) hardware and without license costs for Microsoft Windows the Linux-version should be cheaper!

And last but not least: Don't forget other countries than Germany ...

 
Cheers,

hretyc

Hi any plans to extend this offer to LATAM, in my case Colombia? i'm about to purchase a laptop and i DO want to buy it with ubuntu from you guys, but it seems is not possible.

any news on this?? 

Although with some tweaking its possible to install Ubuntu on 1520 as I read, it would be great to know If Fully loaded and preconfigured Gutsy gibbon is released for the Dell users of INDIA. Waiting for such a announcement.

Cheers Dellubuntu! 

First I'd like to say "yay!". I'm very glad that Dell+Ubuntu is now available in Europe. While I'd like to add a vote for "Canada next", I have to say that releasing in Europe before Canada is a very sensible thing to do. France, the UK and especially Germany all have a lot more Linux users than Canada. It's a matter of both population and Linux just being more popular in Europe, especially Germany.

 Another note: The European systems don't seem to include a support option from Canonical.

What about Ireland, please?
Will it be too hard to extend UK offer here? 

when will we be able to get some dell linux desktops here in australia. i am on the market for one.

Please dell ! 

First we want Dell (with Linux) in GREECE.

Second Lower Price.

Third better hardware and webcam on notebooks.

Thanks.

[French]
Bonjour.

J'ai moi aussi fait la comparaison. En fait, tout dépend de la configuration de base de Windows :
1) Si on se base sur le l'offre 6400 CoreDuo avec Windows Premium, pré-configurer, il est à 648€
2) Si on se base sur le 6400 Celeron avec Windows Basic et qu'on l'upgrade comme le 1), il revient à 848€

3) Et à l'équivalence matérielle, le 6400n revient à 786€

Il est clair qu'il y a un problème avec leur systeme de configuration, car pour le même matériel/logiciel, il peut y a 200€ d'écart !! => En gros, il font payer la configuration. Plus on configure, moins l'offre Ubuntu est intéressante.

De leur point de vue, ça doit leur paraitre logique, mais du point de vue du client, c'est totalement absurde !

[English]
Hello.

I have also made the comparison. In fact, all depends on the "basic configuration" of Windows one :
1) If one bases on the offer : 6400 CoreDuo with Windows Premium, without any configuration => 648€
2) If one bases on the 6400 Celeron with Windows BASIC offer, and if you upgrade it like the 1 (core-duo, 2G ram, etc), it cost 848€ !!!!!

3) with material equivalence, the 6400n cost 786€

It is clear that there is a problem with their configuration system, because for the same software/material, there is 200€ variation!! => Approximately, we pay the configuration. The more we configure, the less the Ubuntu offer is interesting.

From their point of view, it may be logical for dell, but from the point of view of the customer, it is completely absurd!

 Good bye.
 

I agree with Nicolas. I also did asked one my technical guy and he told me that Windows & Co was cheaper than the Ubuntu, I am just curious how Dell will tackle these things and think about price to get reduce sometime soon.I have on eye on them..

Ryab 

TablesHello,

I just made a comparison between two Inspiron 6400 on Dell France. Both have exactly the same configuration , except that one is shipped with Ubuntu, and the other with Windows Home Premium + Works 8.0 + McAffe Antivirus with a 15 month subscription.

The  computer shipped with Windows & Co is 125,08 € cheaper than the Ubuntu one!!! This is non-sense!

I hope Dell will soon correct these prices.tt { font-family: courier; } td { font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; } caption { font-family: helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: left; }

 

You guys really need to expand your offerings -- I want to buy 10 Vostros (C2D 2.66, 4GB -- the whole shebang) for my company and right now it's half the price of your Ubuntu Inspirons if we buy them with Vista Home and just install Linux ourselves.

If you guys do plan to expand your Ubuntu offerings any time soon, please let me know.
 

Hi, Just wanted to let Dell know that there are also people here in South Africa who would like Linux pre-installed on a laptop :)

 
I would like to buy a laptop, but am holding it off until i can get one without *windows*, or with linux pre-installed on an AMD 64 bit processor configuration. 64 bit computing is the future. Make a head start Dell ...

Thanx for you support of open source software, Vicki
 

Hi, It is good to see linux being rolled out, Any timeline as to when I can expect to see Ubuntu Available in Canada.....A timeline would also benefit your sales force.....They must be getting tired of answering the same question over & over again.....It would also calm customers nerves, as the hear from the sales force WE DO NOT SELL UBUNTU IN YOUR COUNTRY YET.....

 I capitalized as that is the feeling I am getting from your sales force...

Not the sales force fault for the Corporation direction, But it does come down to properly communicating with customers in each country 

You have been a good company to deal....But you have hidden the communications about Ubuntu welll....It was hard to find this Direct2Dell Blog....

Have a great week...

Stan

How about Canada. Surely it cannot be so difficult in terms of logistics to include Canada with USA rather than wait till half the world has Dell Linux machines before somebody looks at this poor cousin up north.

Second issue is with this pre-selection made by Dell that never seems to satisfy everyone. Why can we not have Ubuntu with a -50 to 100 dollars option on the regular page. Anytime somebody picks up a hardware that is not compatible, the system can say so. Don't tell us that it is not possible since I see that whenever I try to configure a Vista configuration with low memory or something.

I am trying to guess why Dell is so reluctant to offer this. Possibly because of their deal with MS. Let me suggest a way out. Allow this kind of option ONLY if you are going thru the Dell.com/open route. ie Same configuration options as the main page but additional Linux and dual boot. Let the buyer decide what he really wants.  

Great to hear the good news. I'm living in Malaysia, and there's yet any hint from your Malaysian team. Looking forward to hear the good news.

When you're recruiting technical supports in my area, I'll be more than willing to send in my resume. Just need to know where to submit. Do let me know. Cheers.

I suspect that Dell has excluded the Intel graphics for a few reasons, and here's one of them. ;)

http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_7.04/Issues/Intel_945GM_video_issues

http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_7.04/Issues/Misc_Intel_Video_Issues

Let us know when http://dell.ca/linux has local content.  We're all waiting with our credit cards.

Thanks!  A patient Canadian customer...while we're waiting, here are some market facts for the Dell marketing dudes/dudettes ;-)

 Canada - country #36 by population (link)

I was informed by a UK sales advisor, via web chat, that the models 1520 and 1720, besides the 6400(1505n), are also available with Ubuntu in UK, but only if I purchase through phone. Why don't Dell just put this information on the web site? I almost went to another vendor because the model 6400 is too old (gma 950? who uses that?) and only the new 1x20 series is good enough for me.

http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=263823&cid=20157845

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/feature s.aspx/inspn_1720?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=263823&cid=20159401 

Hey Dell, this is great new, i know it takes time to make new offers especially with all the Languages we have here in Europe; But man i can't wait to get my hand a new shiny Dell/Ubuntu system.

Please do not forget the Netherlands :)

Fretje said:

I hope sincerely that the Linux offering 'll arrive as soon as possible also in Italy.

bye

Like many others, I'm curious why linux computers aren't available from Dell in Canada.  Would it be possible to get some information regarding time lines?

Too bad reality and announcements do not match. Just tried to order an Ubuntu machine through dell.de. Was hoping to have the machine shipped to my Mothers house to be ready for setup when I arrive for my vacation.

Dell, if you're listening, you just lost a sale.
 

Woo, the link at the foot of  http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/segments/gen/client/en/ubuntu_landing?c=uk&l=en&s=gen no goes to an application error.

Progress Dell :-) 

Great decision, thanks a lot! There are other countries in Europe, I'm sure this offer would pay off:

Austria, Switzerland(!), Netherlands, Spain (very active Ubuntu community there) and - most important - the scandinavian countries, in particular sweden.

Now we can let the public vote with their pocketbooks. However, I think the results will just show the Linux crowd that availability has always just been a red herring excuse for why they are not making up any ground on Microsoft or Apple.

 Let the games begin and the winner, win!
 

So, when are you actually going to start selling 'em, because the link at the bottom of http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/segments/gen/client/en/ubuntu_landing?c=uk&l=en&s=gen goes to a 404 page...

I applaud this initiative but it comes short of my needs, I live in Portugal. When will Dell start selling Ubuntu computers all over the European Union? I see no problems for this, all legal issues must be cleared by now (as most of the trade regulations are uniform), and I think the excellent Ubuntu community provides all the translations needed. So... What's holding you back?

On another subject, I agree with some of the comments here. The need to expand this offer to your entire product line is present, but this may not be possible as many models are impaired by linux-unfriendly hardware. You should start developing machines targeted to run Linux from scratch. One of the things that annoys me most in a Windows environment is the poor quality of most of the drivers for the hardware today. For example a printer driver that eats away several megabytes of Ram and stays resident is a bad practice, but the vendors seem to follow it nowadays. This sort of aberration exists in all kinds of hardware.

For all those people whining about ubuntu on dell not available in their country: Why don't you just download ubuntu, install it on your pc's and stop whining.

Thanks!

 C u around!

Dell Europe seems to react rather slowly. The Inspiron 6400 is listed (as it was yesterday, but then I was looking for the 1505) in all three countries, but an option for Ubuntu is nowhere to be seen.

Searching for "Ubuntu" will direct you to the English page on "Dell and Linux" in general. Didn't the European get some time to prepare for the offering? I guess it doesn't matter much, now that it's holiday season and people are abroad anyway.

This seems a good step forward. I can see a market opportunity for a long term situation where you choose your hardware then tick a box for which operating system you would like (or could choose no O/S).   

Can anybody find a link so I can compare pricing and spec versus the XP options? Thanks

New Zealand, pretty please!

I think the german website is broken; I go to www.dell.de/ubuntu and then I try to click the link that says "Notebook auswählen": "We're sorry!"
 

:(

We are not UK, France or Germany. We are EUROPE !

Please, go on with the rest of the countries. 

Good news; In my company we've been holding the acquisition of new equipment for a while waiting for Linux pre-installed. When will it be possible to get it in Spain?

 Thanks!

Fantastic news!!!

I just hope that when Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon ) is released, that you'll also be offering in the Netherlands.

| sed -e "s/[Turkey|Canada|Italy]/Australia/"

If Dell was *really* a global company, customers anywhere would be able to buy their products. Until then, they are just an American company trying to rip a quick profit out of us 'aliens'.

While I applaud their support of GNU/Linux, my admiration ends there.

I want to replace my old laptop bought back in 2002 (a Dell Inspiron 8200) since my newer desktop PCs are oftentimes not adequate for work where I want to get it done (train, university, outdoor etc.).

Since I installed Debian GNU/Linux on the old Inspiron right from the start, I want to spare me the hassle to have to work around driver issues (especially BIOS/ACPI related) this time.

I considered buying a HP Compaq 6910p Business notebook, but now I've more choice as Dell also offers (guaranteed) Linux-compatible laptops.

But Dell has to extend their system-range with Intel GMA X3100 chipsets here in Germany (like in the US with the Inspiron 1420N) for me to buy their product. And finally, when do they ship Linux-laptops with LED displays and solid state drives (at present only Dell XPS M1330 with Microsoft Windows in the US)?

Additionally I want to express my solidarity with people from countries where they're still unable to buy PCs with GNU/Linux pre-installed. I wonder why only some states in Europe are provided and most of them (plus Canada) are excluded ...

This is a great advance. The EU has long been a Linux bastion, and making these systems available can only boost market penetration.

 Hopefully we will see front-page listing of this option in the very near future.

 Likewise, I trust we will see a full global roll-out in very short order. APAC countries like, say, Australia, China, and New Zealand, are waiting with baited breath!

AUSTRALIA PLEASE

So it is supposed to be good news that you discontinued the E1505N to give me the 1420N?  How does a 14" laptop replace a 15" laptop?  How about giving us both a 1420N and a 1520N?  Or did Ballmer threaten a chair-throwing hissy fit?  I've got an idea; add Ubuntu as a choice of OS on your main page and give up this special '/open' page and let us buy any Dell system with Ubuntu pre-installed.

-- 

Today I was online to buy an inspiron 1501 at a super price today (499$) but i hanged up before i could talk to a salesperson. The reason ? this model comes with windows XP (i was going to ask for a refund of that microsoft tax) and even there can be work around it has a few compatibility problems (nothing that it couldn't solve) But i'd rather wait for this ubuntu offer in Québec so i'd give you a good idea of what i think of windows. Buying this system would give you a WRONG idea about what i intend to do with it.

I went to the states 2 weeks ago , it's 35 miles away, what's the problem ? 

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 Latin America?

-Fernando

Yes, what about Canada? We only share the largest land border the US has.

Why haven't you yet started sending those Ubuntu computers up here? 

Thank you very much, I was eagerly waiting for this!!! I live in UK. It's a pity that the 6400 (1505N) you made available in UK is an old laptop model from 2006. When you make the new 1420N model (or similar) available in UK with Ubuntu, I'll be the first in the queue to buy it. Don't be afraid to expand your Ubuntu offerings in Europe!!!

Please clarify one point; you stated that:

"Dell announced that consumers in the United Kingdom, France and Germany can order [Dell systems] with Ubuntu 7.04 pre-installed."

but...

"Dell and Novell intend to offer SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 factory-installed on select consumer notebooks and desktops in China."

"pre-installed" means installed before the consumer gets it.  I note that in 2004, when Dell said "factory installed Linux" it meant something completely different from pre-installed:

"If you want Dell to install Linux for you, first add on $119. But here is the annoying part. They won't send you a computer with Linux pre-installed. They sell you the computer and the boxes of software on the side, and then they make an appointment to send you someone who comes to your house or business and installs it there."

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20040918105850387

Will SLED be pre-installed on the Chinese systems or is something more like what Dell offered in 2004? 

Open Source should be an open choise for all the worldwide customers.

By a open-mind open-customer from Italy who appreciates the efforts by Dell in developing open souce operative systems.

Similar to what we've done in the United States, we will configure and install open source drivers for hardware, when possible for these new products.

Intel graphics is the only modern graphics hardware with open-source drivers. How come you don't offer Intel graphics on Ubuntu-based Inspiron Desktop 530 N and XPS 410 N, when in fact the Windows-based version of these models actually have Intel graphics listed as an option?

I know this isn't for this topic ... but i have to let it out.

 so i called Dell customer service about 2 hours ago ... and i'm still waiting to be connected ... sick and tired of hearing this monotony we call elevator music over the phone.

seriously ... why is it still 2 hours and no one has picked up?? i'm still hearing the stupid music waiting to resolve a simple issue of my laptop being back ordered.

all faith is lost in Dell ... and oh i will spread the word around ... its not jsut one customer you lost, remember that.

Now i would contact you through the normal way but obviously even those channels are backed up you can't even get a word out!!!!!!!! so what can the customer do??? tell me

a very very dissatisifed and ANGRY customer

Great news!!!

 What about post soviet countries? I would definitely prefer to buy a Dell laptop preloaded with Ubuntu.

i want my inspiron!!!! give me my inspiron!!!!!! or explain me why !!!! i want my inspiron, dell is a thug, you stole me!!!!

Excellent news! I am hoping it will be a big sucess, then other PC vendors will have to sit up and take note. Everyone is getting annoyed with Microsoft and thier related issues with Vista, so this is an ideal time (Obvsiouly Dell realize this) to release a new product line with a very worthy alternative.

 Nice one Dell!
 

This is good news. While I wish this announcement included the Scandinavian countries, I find this exciting because some high up suite at Acer recently said there where not enough demand for preloaded Linux in the UK to give customers the option. I hope Dell and the Linux community in UK will prove them wrong.

Good luck with this brave move Dell, I hope you'll succeed so maybe we can see the offer expanded to more countries in the future.

Why only france UK and Germany? Aren't all the European Dell pc's build in Ireland? (mine did) Don't we have a free market in Europe?

I'm planning to buy a small fileserver in september, i hope it will be a Dell, but if i still can't buy a ubuntu dell in Belgium next month, i guess i'll have to go to a locale shop where thy can sell me a windows-free pc.

anyway, good news for our neighbours i guess.
 

Nice move, though I hope that people from other EU-countries will be able to order their Ubuntu-laptops from the UK, French or German website. As has already been said: it's a common market, after all. I'm from Austria, so orderin in Germany would suit me just fine.

The German website doesn't list the Inspiron 1505 yet. I hope they'll update their website soon.

PS--this fancy HTML editor does not work at all with GNOME's Epiphany browser. Since Epiphany uses Gecko to render its web pages, it really should work--this is probably a fault with the javascript code that activates the rendered.

WHAT!???

Italy. I need it in Italy!  How much longer do you think I can wait?

You gotta deploy in Italy before X-mas at least.

 WAKEUP!!!
 

Thats excellent news :) Congradulations on your continued expansion of linux-by-default offerings Dell. Out of curiosity - and not to whine too much ;) - but is there any chance that you will be announcing the availability of your linux-by-default in Canada? I have been holding off buying a new comp, hoping that your systems will be available in Canada before I need a new one.

 Thankx for the news :)

Pat

Congratulations people in France, Germany and UK.

But all the REAL big majority of people in the rest of European Union ?

I myself is living in Sweden and Dell often treats us a non-important market, but I know you have massive good home-pc deals with Swedish labour unions and sells a lot.

So why not start offer the same here as you do in UK ? Or else shutdown your office in Sweden for example and people here doesn't have to get fooled like I did when I purchased a XPS with the SLI promise, now it is not possible to upgrade with the delivered graphic card because the "red edition" only have the extra power cord, but that edition is NOT sold in Sweden.

It is the same thing with Linux, why not give people from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithua, Poland, Spain, Italy, Denmark and many more the same options, forget about Swedish manuals and so on, atleast give the same option, Swedes can handle little English without any problem, so translation is not necessary.

That's great,

But what with Israel?

 When I will be able to go to the store or, better yet, order directly a Dell home computer for a low price?

Jonathan

 

I want my inspiron!

Fantastic news! Brilliant.

Dell and Ubuntu, you deserve every success and I applaud your decision.

With this and Lenovo announcing just yesterday that they will bundle Novell SLED, the momentum is growing...

The Open Sourcerer
 

Good news but I tried to get the info on dell.fr. The first one is no more available and the second one seems not to exist...

I can't wait to see a Linux or Ubuntu logo in the Operating Systems choice section. 

Will Dell offer Ubuntu in Turkey? if it is not in the plan, i request it to be included.

Regards;


 

Hi,

I've been waiting for Dell to sell machines with linux in Europe, so it's great to see it finally happen and I would like to buy a machine right away. However, I am located in Spain, but with a common market and common currency I presume it will be no problem if I order a machine from Germany or France?

Or is there any estimate of when Linux will be available in Spain? Weeks or months?

And what about the M1330?

Thanks for the good work

Anders