Not Enough Interest In Linux
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| Author | Content |
|---|---|
| dcparris Feb 22, 2007 7:02 PM EDT |
The 3rd comment on the top-ranked post: Quoting:"I hate to break this, but not enough people care about Linux for Dell to care (nor should they). It is a microscopic segment of the ecosystem." Only 70k users and counting... :-D Dell makes what, $50/box (based on the Iowa case e-mails)? Something like that? Let's see... 70k * $50 = $3,500,000 Hmmm... I don't know... Seems pretty hard to pass up to me. But then, I'm not a gajillionaire businessman, so maybe that's just pocket change. |
| dinotrac Feb 22, 2007 7:06 PM EDT |
Rev - You presume that Dell would still make $50 per box selling Linux. That might not be true, depending on their operations. If they are going to sell boxes with a certain os, they will have to test and support it. |
| dcparris Feb 22, 2007 7:21 PM EDT |
I'm not really assuming, just trying to point out that 70K users (in less than a week) demanding Linux is nothing to sneeze at, especially in light of the comment the poster made. I fully realize their profit margin could change quite a bit with Linux - I should have pointed that out. Sorry I wasn't clear. |
| swbrown Feb 22, 2007 8:17 PM EDT |
> If they are going to sell boxes with a certain os, they will have to test and support it. They don't necessarily need to directly support it, they can just ensure their hardware configurations don't exclude it. For example, Dell's performance desktop line currently /forces/ you to buy a Creative X-Fi sound card. Dell often removes 'redundant' features from their motherboards (they make their own) so there is no backup on-board sound. The problem is the X-Fi has absolutely zero Linux support last I checked, not even from proprietary drivers. You can't even get basic stereo sound out of the thing, let alone use all its capabilities. It's mute, and has been for a long time. E.g., a forum thread from 2005, that is still active today, asking for X-Fi support from Creative: http://forums.creative.com/creativelabs/board/message?board.... If Dell had a clearly marked 'Linux friendly' option on the configuration to leave the on-board sound in, and pay whatever it costs them for it, that'd be great, and hey, they'd get to sell redundant hardware which they'd probably be happy about. The problem with that is the reason they removed the on-board sound from those systems is the marketing deal with Creative they made during the tail end of development of the XPS 700 - a month or two from release they dropped the on-board sound option from the configurations people had already pre-ordered and had the support reps call them up to "upgrade" them to the X-Fi. Grr. Dell giving 'Linux friendly' support for granny computers won't count - I want to see this on desktops I'd actually want to buy. |
| Abe Feb 23, 2007 7:21 AM EDT |
Quoting:If they are going to sell boxes with a certain os, they will have to test and support it.They do that for Windows, why don't they do it for Linux? Not enough demand! create the demand and support it like Windows. Good companies always tries to expand their market with new products, I wonder what is stopping them? Like they say, build them, they will buy them. |
| dinotrac Feb 23, 2007 9:29 AM EDT |
>Good companies always tries to expand their market with new products, I wonder what is stopping them? Good companies try to expand their markets with products that will make them money. Dell is constantly offering new products. To date, Linux desktops haven't been one of them. I can only presume that Dell has made the calculation that there isn't money to be made. And Rev -- Your 70K users -- Are those people who want to buy Dells? If they are, do they buy Dells anyway and put Linux on? Makes a difference to the bottom line. |
| Abe Feb 23, 2007 9:58 AM EDT |
Quoting:Good companies try to expand their markets with products that will make them money. Dell is constantly offering new products. Dell is at least paying MS $35-$100 per Windows license (home vs. Pro). Wouldn't Dell still be making more money if they sell Dell's with Linux for the same price or even a little less than the Windows ones? I am sure they can find a distributor which charges only a nominal cost ($5-$15) and willing to include support with it. Sure, Dell is offering new "hardware" products, but with the same old crappy OS. They should try and offer Linux: Who knows, may be when they do, many more people will buy computers because they like Linux over MS stuff with a lot of freebie apps. |
| jdixon Feb 23, 2007 11:25 AM EDT |
> If they are, do they buy Dells anyway and put Linux on? Well, I'm one of the 70K who voted, and I don't. I've looked at Dell's, as they're adequate quality for the price, but the lack of AMD processors and Linux has always stopped me. They've fixed the AMD problem, now if they can offer a Linux option or a no OS option where I don't still pay the Windows price, they may have a sale. I'll still have to compare the Dell to the cost of building one myself, so it's not guaranteed. |
| DarrenR114 Feb 23, 2007 11:43 AM EDT |
I don't buy Dell because I have no way of putting in a LiveCD to see what will and won't work. So the last new machine I bought was an eMachine that I bought in 2005 at CompUSA. If Dell sold machines with pre-installed Linux at the same price as they sell PCs with MS-Windows, then I'd consider buying from them. And I too was one of the 70K votes. |
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