Dell's new " suggestion box " has over 100,000 Linux requests.

[cousinlucky]

Dell computer claims that in just three weeks of opening its new suggestion box it has received over 100,000 requests to have Linux available on its PC's. Dell claims it now only puts Linux on its high end computers for the oil and gas companies.

Would it be that Dell sees a way ( through Linux ) to catch up with HP's sales?

[bidi]

I don't know, but last I header Dell already came out and said "not a chance". Not exactly in those words, but they made their position pretty clear, be it because they are afraid of retaliation or not. Either way, this does open the door for other mainstream manufacturers to offer desktop Linux.

[Dark_Stang]

I don't really understand. If I owned a company that manufactured computers I'd have the option of "No Operating System" and a couple linux options as well (on fully supported computers).

[Juan Pablo]

They fear Microsoft, I suspect Microsoft put in contracts that OEMs like Dell must sell all PCs with Windows and only Windows as an option

[Dark_Stang]

They do sign contracts with Microsoft. Which is why when you get a version of windows pre-loaded on a computer, it costs considerably less. I don't think or know if they sign exclusive contracts with them. That would be a dumb move by the OEM's and would probably be considered monopolistic behaviour by courts. But, don't think for a second that M$ doesn't throw it's weight around and threaten the OEM's with price jacks to keep linux out.

[chadders]

I considered buying a Dell at one point, they are not cheap compared to a lot of other computers. I upgraded a Dell Inspiron on their website to have the same (or simmilar) specifications as the MacBook Pro 15" and there was minimal price difference between them. The Mac was about $20 AUS (approx $15 USD and £8 GBP) more but the Mac had a web cam.

I am a little bit off the topic. But I reakon Dell would be stupid not to have an optional Linux OS (and Linux should make the computer cheaper not more expensive).

[Vergil83]

I don't know, but last I header Dell already came out and said "not a chance".

Times have changed http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/cof...s-do-care.html

I don't really understand. If I owned a company that manufactured computers I'd have the option of "No Operating System" and a couple linux options as well (on fully supported computers).

So what happens when you get 100,000 phones calls asking you how to install an OS?

They fear Microsoft, I suspect Microsoft put in contracts that OEMs like Dell must sell all PCs with Windows and only Windows as an option

Dell sells consumer grades computers without windows currently. It comes with freedos and is called the n-series.
http://www.dell.com/content/products...bsd&redirect=1

[Dark_Stang]

So what happens when you get 100,000 phones calls asking you how to install an OS?

I'd be supplying some guys tech support jobs. And, I'd think that anybody that orders a computer without an OS should know what they're doing.

[Juan Pablo]

Dell sells consumer grades computers without windows currently. It comes with freedos and is called the n-series.

I was reffering to the common series like Latitude, Inspiron, etc

[carlosponti]

to give a little background on why they only sell windows you have to go back to when Linux wasn't around as it is today. IBM and Microsoft had gotten together to write a gui OS. Windows was born. Well they said great work and went their separate ways. IBM had its own OS called OS/2 and Microsoft had Windows. Well in an effort to get OEM's to adopt windows they made them sign contracts stating that they only sell windows in exchange they would offer the OS for bottom dollar(really this is called product dumping in the antitrust acts) and to keep it secret. Well IBM want to offer both and when told they wouldn't get the good deal that others were offered they let it be known they couldn't afford to do that. IBM decided to do the offer OS/2 died. The other OEM's had nothing to lose because at the time there really were not any other OS's besides OS/2 and they didn't really care about it. they signed the contracts and went on their merry little way. here it is 20 years later and there are other OS offerings but are under the same pressure to maintain Windows only. they have another dilemma with windows you really only had one or two versions and they acted the same way. Linux gained popularity through diversity and Microsoft found it difficult to stomp it out because of that and the fact that it is open source and isn't owned but a company they could acquire. Microsoft completely scares OEM's with lawsuits FUD about how bad Linux can be as a liability if you move to it for years. The diversity i mentioned too makes it so that OEM's might feel overwhelmed if they had to maintain four or five distros at once. and picking just one wont keep customers happy. now saying that i still feel like they could offer the distro they decide(not Novell) and just support it or have support come with it from the distro's maker. like if they let you install Ubuntu that you are paying for Ubuntu support and you go to them with problems specific to software.