BearItAll <spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
> Mark Kent wrote:
>
>> BearItAll <spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> espoused:
>>> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dell Limits Ubuntu Linux Sales
>>>>
>>>> ,----[ Quote ]
>>>> | If you're planning to load up on Dell?s new Ubuntu Linux systems
>>>> | for a corporate department or small business, Dell may have a
>>>> | surprise for you. As the old saying goes, read the fine print.
>>>> `----
>>>>
>>>> http://techiqmag.com/2007/05/08/dell-limits-ubuntu-linux-sales/
>>>>
>>>
>>> We knew the 5 PC limit a while ago, it isn't really fine print. That is
>>> reasonable because they are potentially a lot of buyers but probably a
>>> scaled production in place,
>>
>> So you take back orders then. There is nothing reasonable here, more
>> probably, this is an agreement with Microsoft to prevent large-scale
>> deployments from taking place on the treat of Microsoft removing Dell's
>> Vista/XP sales agreements.
>>
>> What company would complain about having /too many/ orders? None that I
>> can think of - you just scale up.
>>
>
> Back orders in a PC market where the buyer can simply pop next door or move
> to the next web page and get a simmilarly cheap PC isn't really a clever
> way to go.
I'd agree, but how many alternatives are there for pre-loaded linux from
a major OEM?
>
> The market is flooded with cheap machines and for the majority of buyers it
> doesn't matter what the OS is just so long as it works. They need to be
> taught that Linux is safer and that they will have no need for an
> anti-virus unless it is one used to protect their other PCs by scanning
> their data.
I agree, but I'm not sure it's all that relevant to Dell's linux
machines.
>
> For Dell Linux to work they need to build a market, build an interest, to
> help that it is best to spread the machines that are available as widely as
> posible and as quickly as posible. If I were Mr Dell I wouldn't put too
> much of my production capacity into Linux just yet either.
Okay, but if back orders build up, then you can. Presumably, this is no
great issue, as it's just a question of which binary image to drop onto
a hard-disk, so I would imagine that production isn't affected too much.
Dell already offer different Windows variants, so offering a Linux
shouldn't affect things so much.
>
> It is a strange situation because it is all very well the likes of us saying
> everyone should go with Linux and the world would be a nicer place. But in
> reality the market for Dell Linux hasn't really been created yet. MS users
> are so used to the unsecure and the reinstalls and not trusting their
> computers, that they generally see it as the norm for computing. Linux has
> yet to prove to them that it doesn't have to be like that.
>
>
The mindshare is coming, but it will take time. Microsoft have very
deep pockets!
--
| Mark Kent -- mark at ellandroad dot demon dot co dot uk |
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