Dell drops Ubuntu PCs from website... for now

Lost My Patronage

I have been a customer of Dell....but now it has lost me.

I could see this coming. Step-motherly treatment for Ubuntu. A big win for the MonopoliStic player,---.

By IndainArt on 23 Jul 2010

Web pages availible over the 'phone...

"We’re also making some changes to our Ubuntu pages, and as a result, they are currently available through our phone-based sales only."

Or do they mean via dial-up modem?

By greemble on 23 Jul 2010

Ubuntu not popular in real world

Shock horror!

By Lacrobat on 23 Jul 2010

Non-serious Friday comment - maybe Ubuntu users want free hardware as well as free software?

(Actually - maybe that's not quite as nonsensical as I thought - why do these guys think it's OK to sell hardware but morally wrong to sell software?)

By AdrianB on 23 Jul 2010

jeez, if the past is any indication...

Dell already has to pay a $100 million fine for not disclosing their financials properly. they actually lied to investors about the money they were taking from Intel at the time to keep AMD chips out of their computers. Well, when they stopped doing that (we now know why and what happened to Intel), Dell lost about 75% of their operating income. They lied about that as well, claiming hard times, high costs and such. Now, I wouldn't doubt that they're feeling the same pressure, taking payoffs from Microsoft to keep Ubuntu as far away from the consumer's eyes as possible.

By ubuntu_user on 24 Jul 2010

reference

Just so you know that I'm not making this up...

http://business-ethics.com/2010/07/23/0901-dell-in
c-agrees-to-pay-100-million-to-settle-sec-charges/

By ubuntu_user on 24 Jul 2010

"..first we must kill all the lawyers..."

Don't get me wrong - not all lawyers are bad. I am sure that there are some good ones out there. However, this stinks of a legal battle in the back rooms of Microsoft, Dell and Ubuntu. Dell pays Redmond a vig for every system they sell. I have many, MANY times attempted to purchase a system from them without an OS. No matter how far up the ladder I went, the best answer I could get was "no".
Contrary to the marketing campaign which they probably spend a boat-load on, Dell are NOT the best out there. If you dug deep enough and paid a few more bucks, you could get something just as decent.
I stand by my prediction - this has Microsoft Lawyers crawling all over it.
Bill, Steve and the rest of your Glitterati, how much MONEY do you really need?

By bartock on 24 Jul 2010

More than one Dell linux machine available

OK so it only two instead of one, but at least it is listed alongside the Windows offerings:
http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/business/4x_latit_
13/fs.aspx?refid=4x_latit_13&s=bsd&cs=ukbsdt1

By ranger on 24 Jul 2010

www.thinkpenguin.com

People need to stop buying dell systems and start buying from companies that actually support GNU/Linux. I can say at least www.Open-PC.com and www.ThinkPenguin.com are and www.designed-for-linux.org is gathering products and links to companies that have explicitly supported GNU/Linux and free software so there is zero chance you'll get hardware that is hostile to GNU/Linux like you do from Dell, and even many companies that sell systems with GNU/Linux on them. Sadly even System76, LinuxCertified, and other well known companies are selling systems and peripherals that require non-free drivers and firmware. EmperorLinux even sells systems with MS Windows on them. And companies like Dell are never going to be able to advocate GNU/Linux for the consumer. So stop spending money on Dell GNU/Linux computers unless you have no other choice. www.thinkpenguin.com, codeweavers, and other free and open source companies are making a difference and funding projects that target non-technical users and hit Microsoft where it hurts.

By joe233 on 25 Jul 2010

Regret ever buying Dell

I bought a Mini-10 with Ubuntu on it. Nothing wrong with the OS (it is the 8.04 LTS release) but the after-sales service from Dell was sufficient to persuade me never to deal with them again., and the machine itself is decidedly average.

If they had been serious about offering customers choice, then Ubuntu would have been offered on every machine, not just some crippled half-hearted doorstops.

By brunnian on 25 Jul 2010

if you want to use Ubuntu, buy Windows PC

The problem always has been that Dell supplied windows PCs at cheaper price than same spec Ubuntu PCs. The only reason for this is that an MS install must be paying Dell. There may be many reasons for this e.g. commission from upgrades for Virus Killers, or MS Office. Well if this reduces the cost of a PC then, fine, I will just throw away the Windows licence and install Ubuntu with a note of thanks to MS for reducing the cost of the PC for me. Or for those still wanting to cling on to the apron strings of Windows... install as dual boot. I just wish there is a way of letting Dell know that there windows install was deleted, otherwise they would never know how many of their PCs are now running Linux

By saiftynet on 25 Jul 2010

Same old machines available from the US..

Dells website is just hard to use... Here is what I wrote up about this ... http://bit.ly/b37MQT

By bwagner on 26 Jul 2010

Actually , Dell not dropping Ubuntu, adds new ubuntu-powered tower to online store

Read more at http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/07/dell-not-droppi
ng-ubuntu-adds-new.html

By Neriman on 28 Jul 2010

Actually , Dell not dropping Ubuntu, adds new ubuntu-powered tower to online store

Read more at http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/07/dell-not-droppi
ng-ubuntu-adds-new.html

By Neriman on 28 Jul 2010

well... now that intel cant pay dell anymore, maybe MS will

By ioushephf on 29 Jul 2010

@AdrianB

@AdrianB,

Free as in libre, not as in gratis. Sometimes it happens to be both.

(Delayed comment, my apologies)

By SmithTein on 7 Oct 2010

It is a distro of GNU/Linux

The kernel might be Linux, but the distro/OS is GNU/Linux, as essential parts are from the GNU project!

By lakersforce on 11 Oct 2010