How Dell is making Ubuntu more attractive

Still more ground to cover

It's great that companies are working on making it possible to play DVDs on Linux systems, using codecs not requiring the user to address issues of "intellectual property". It's still not enough to reach full audio/video functionality on Linux desktops.

The DRM codecs used in such as Amazon's 'unbox' video files, and in media files purchased with the ever-popular iTunes platform, are still such that Linux doesn't support. There are workarounds, but they all require a good deal of effort from the user, to apply.

Ensuring complete support of Dolby surround sound codecs and THX-related codecs would be another thing.

Making any of the solutions to be available without vendor lock-in in a single computer platform would be another issue.

Regardless of how well regarded Dell may be, I will not be purchasing any pre-built systems. If I don't, though, I won't be able to make use of the DVD support they're utilizing -- but even if I do, I'll still have to go to Vista or OS-X for something, be it for utilizing the Amazon Unbox service, the iTunes store service (with all of its selections that one will probably not find, or not find in good quality, on any p2p networks) -- or, hey, let's not forget, the massive number of games available on Vista.

Linux still can't hold its own as an all-around entertainment system platform. It's encouraging if anyone with the resources to come through about it would be working on resolving that, but we still aren't close to "being there".

A home network with Linux on the gateway and Vista or OS-X on the 'workstation' nodes, that's what I'd recommend to anyone looking to make use of Linux, at home. As far as Linux GUI apps, there's Xming as a windows-capable X server, which can be used to start a remote gnome-terminal session, for the case of the command-line apps. There's Samba, for gateway-central file storage, Squid for proxying to boost the apparent network speed, even a little bit, and all the TCP congestion control algorithms supported by recent Linux kernels. Users working over satellite links may find the Westwood+ TCP congestion control algorithm to be of particular interest -- tcp_westwood is the module, in those kernels for which it was compiled.

Linux's strengths continue to include, as primary, the broad range of support for network administration tools and networked application servers.

If someone out there can start making Linux viable as a complete end-user entertainment platform, that would be superb -- but considering the fly-by-night qualities of so many technological ventures, I don't think I should hold my breath, about it. There's plenty that a Linux host can do on the network side of systems operations, anyhow.

M$

Show me a person that is happy with Vista on a Dell laptop... or anything else for that matter...

I don't know how many people have asked me which computer to purchase... I recommend Dell. But, I also recommend that they not get Vista. Dell selling Vista I am sure has made them look bad, but what other choice do they have.

Linux is inevitable and Mac is your only other option.

Ubuntu Linux on Dell Laptops

I bought my dell inspiron 1420 last year with Vista pre-installed. After installing anti-virus and anti-spam software, the system kept crashing and I kept rebooting within the first week. By the end of that first week, I had 337 viruses found and my laptop was running slow.

I then formatted and installed Ubuntu Linux on my machine. Glad to say that everything worked great. However, 6 weeks ago when I turned on my laptop, it asked me to insert the Vista install disc. I figured that when I formatted my hard drive, I should have also flashed the BIOS (lesson learned).

I then flashes a pure Linux Bios to my machine and installed the newer Ubuntu 8.04 edition but this time in 64-bit. Remember, these new processors from Dell are 64-bit. If you are not tech-savvy but would like 64-bit computing and still enjoy your 32-bit applications and have adobe flash working, then I suggest you install Ubuntu Ultimate, which will take care of all of the add-ons!

Unfortunately, Dell only ships Ubuntu in 32-bit. So my suggestion is that Dell should offer 64-bit and a No-OS option as well!

Dell & Linux

Three months ago I bought a brand new laptop from Dell and it shipped with Windows Vista on it. Right out of the box the PC would crash and lock up! I manually updated all the drivers (the driver it shipped with was from 2005) but it still locked up.

I wiped the hard drive and loaded the PC with Linux! Havent had a problem since!

JT
http://www.Ultimate-Anonymity.com

Good idea

Seems like a very good plan to me. Do they also add a Flash player and Java in there, too? They're also pretty important. That and niceties like Microsoft's free fonts for the Web are a big help for a novice Linux user.

All this is stuff that *should* have been added into the retail version, as covered here:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/ubuntu_linux_goes_retail

No so fast!

Hmmmm. According to The Truth about Linux infomative site sales of Dell Ubuntu boxes are poor due to no consumer demand.

But they could do a whole lot more...

Problem is, they're not exactly marketing these systems, are they? They're not as cheap as they ought to be either, considering that there's no Microsoft tax to be paid. And the specs of their Ubuntu powered machines doesn't come close to the equivalent for their Windoze offerings. Why is that?

I recently bought an Inspiron 530N, which came with an NVidia 8300 graphics card - classified as a "legacy" card by NVidia, right out of the box. No doubt this was to increase its compatibility with available Linux drivers, right? Er, not quite. Since I wanted Ubuntu 8.04 on it (and it came with 7.10), I immediately attempted to install the new version. Whoops! I kept getting an inactive command prompt and a stalled installation. After scratching my head a number of times, I finally tried the install in safe graphics mode and installation managed to progress. Can't recall ever having to do that before with an Ubuntu installation.

I applaud Dell for attempting to break the stranglehold M$ have on their OEMs, but they could do a whole lot better. Could it be that M$ still have Dell's uglies in a vice?