p2pnet - rss feed: Dell: Linux on board
p2pnet.net news:- “Dell recognizes our customers’ desire to have unlimited control over the software on their PC,” says Dell on its Ideas in Action site, going that that XPS customers, “can opt-out of almost all preinstalled software” and that it’ll be, “expanding this effort in the coming months”.
In addition, “customers can kick-off an un-install of almost any application by declining the EULA (End User Licensing Agreement) associated with software”.
The start of a revolution? No AOL software? No Earthlink? No Google desktop? And, “How about a sticker like windows’ which show that the PC is fully compatible with Linux ? A sticker with ‘Linux 2.6 ready’ or ‘Ubuntu 6.10 Capable” or something like this’.”
In the recently launched Dell IdeaStorm for users to contribute their thoughts on what systems Dell boxes should have, “Choice is what consumers want on their new PCs, not annoying surprise circus-ware (the typical smattering of confusing 3rd party popup-infested software found on most new Dell PCs).
“Quality free and open source software is well behaved, and may be legally pre-installed on PCs, and legally shared with friends and family, sharing is encouraged! Cast your vote for consumer CHOICE and public transparency at Dell.”
Under pre-installed Linux | Ubuntu | Fedora | OpenSUSE | Multi-Boot, thousands of users are demanding that Linux should be an option on all Dell PCs, but its new open-minded attitudes on open source notwithstanding, it’s not quite ready to go that far, although it says it’ll, “certify some of its corporate machines with Novell’s Suse Linux software,” says ZDNet News, going on, “Certification should mean that Suse would function smoothly on all Dell PCs.”
This is yet another indication of the extent to which former ‘consumers’ are taking back their status as ‘customers,’ people who are demanding to see the long-abandoned maxim of yester-year restored: that the customer is always right.
Entities, such as the entertainment cartels which blindly ignore the wants of the new customer, well informed and able to communicate and interact with others instantly online, do so at their peril.
Meanwhile, “While Dell responded to four other suggestions from the IdeaStorm, it chose not to respond to two of the top six requests, one asking for the provision of OpenOffice alongside Microsoft Office and one requesting that Dell’s systems should be offered without an operating system for customers outside the U.S,” says ZDNet. “‘Fifty-three thousand users promoted the first suggestion, and 32,000 voted for the latter.”
Also See:
ZDNet News - Dell takes small steps toward Linux, February 26, 2007
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
February 27th, 2007 at 10:17 am
I am sure many hardware manufacturers would like to offer choice with software. It only makes sense for the bottom line. However, I believe that if these hardware manufacturers did offer this choice, they would most likely lose their “preferred partner” status with Micro$oft. Preferred status most likely includes driver development assistance, access to certain application programming interfaces, discounted pricing, advanced notification of certain changes requiring modification of drivers, less chance of a “license compliance” auditing, etc. I have no absolute proof of this, but judging from Micro$oft’s past antics, it would come as no surprise if this is true.
February 27th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
NOPE! One CAN buy a hardware system and make M$ buy back their OS. As with DRMed “product”, it’s ultimately up to the consumer to act.
It’s GREAT that Dell is standing up to M$. Let’s hope this trend continues with other hardware manufacturers.
With hardware manufacturers on the CONSUMER’S side we have the power. Without hardware to run it on, what good is an OS???
February 28th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
You’re wrong. The OEM agreements with Microsoft do not prevent the sales of other OSes on computers sold through big manufacturers. The only reason Dell does not include a version of Linux is because they would be required to support it with their tech-support, which they do not want to do at this point in time, especially considering how many variants of Linux there are to choose from.