We knew it was coming, but today's the day. This afternoon, Dell will begin offering three different PC models pre-loaded with Linux, of the Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn variety.There will be two desktops (the XPS 410n and Dimension E520n) and one notebook (the E1505n) available at www.dell.com/open, with starting prices ranging from $599 to $899.
Dell will offer hardware support, and has also created a new Linux section on the company's user forum for software support.
So why is Dell getting so much attention for giving consumers a choice of operating systems? Because Linux has become a lot more user friendly in the past few years, with some great desktop software for the Gnome and KDE graphical user interfaces. But most users aren't going to purchase a PC that comes preloaded with Windows and then futz with it, installing a new operating system and then struggling to make sure all the drivers and programs work.
Oh, and did we mention that those three new Linux PCs seem to be about $50 to $100 cheaper than comparable PCs pre-loaded with Windows?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-24-2007 @ 12:43PM
Eric said...
You got your pricing backwards, Engadget is reporting the Linux desktops costing more.
Reply
5-24-2007 @ 12:46PM
Todd said...
A historic event! I expect lots and lots of Ubuntu laptops to go out the door in Austin as "I don't care as long as its cheap and I can get my email" consumers see the savings. And I can't wait for the first internal meeting at Dell when they see the big profit from shipping Linux machines that do NOT include the big licensing hit.
One more crack in the dam for Microsoft - How long until HP, Gateway, Acer all follow Dell's lead? Can you say "Tipping point"?
Reply
5-24-2007 @ 12:49PM
Brad Linder said...
Hmm, actually it's a mixed bag. I had looked at the E520s listed under "Advanced PCs," and the cheapest was $649. Under "Essential PCs," there's a cheaper one for $369.
But the cheapest E1505 laptop you can get i $699, which is about $100 more than the price for an E1505 running Linux.
Reply
5-25-2007 @ 8:26AM
Bob said...
i like the screen design.
http://clubvaio.blogspot.com/
Reply
5-25-2007 @ 8:31AM
dirt said...
Do they offer Kubuntu? KDE isthe only Linux desktop I'll use.
Reply
5-25-2007 @ 8:31AM
panthar said...
Not a bad deal - I've seen many comments elsewhere about E520 machines for a lot less than $599. But, this price includes the monitor. When you remove the monitor, you can get the Linux-installed Dimension for $409 before tax/shipping. The same specced system with Windows XP Home is $549. Of course they change their pricing and deals every day, but as of right now, this still looks like a pretty good deal.
Reply
5-25-2007 @ 8:32AM
Gyp Joe said...
Ha ha ha...
Reply