What got Dell interested in Ubuntu?

[askyourpc.com]

What got Dell interested in Ubuntu? (just curious)

[bd_thompson]

What got Dell interested in Ubuntu? (just curious)

They haven't specifically said, but I'll take a SWAG. They knew they needed a Linux system as a marketing decision.

In that Ubuntu is one of the easiest systems for non-propeller heads to use, it seems a logical choice.

[aikiwolfie]

Officially it was down to IdeaStorm members voting for Dell to offer Linux to consumers. Dell responded with Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu was chosen over Red Hat and SuSE for it's user friendly approach.

Interestingly however Dell does offer SuSE in China. And Dell have in fact been offering Linux for the last 10 years. Mostly on servers. But they have for the last 10 years always had some Linux options. They've just been buried in the Dell web site. And of course there is the rumor Microsoft killed off Dells first attempt to bring Linux to the desktop.

Basically, it's business as usual for Dell to offer Linux.

[sirebral]

Officially it was down to IdeaStorm members voting for Dell to offer Linux to consumers. Dell responded with Ubuntu Linux. Ubuntu was chosen over Red Hat and SuSE for it's user friendly approach.

Interestingly however Dell does offer SuSE in China. And Dell have in fact been offering Linux for the last 10 years. Mostly on servers. But they have for the last 10 years always had some Linux options. They've just been buried in the Dell web site. And of course there is the rumor Microsoft killed off Dells first attempt to bring Linux to the desktop.

Basically, it's business as usual for Dell to offer Linux.

QFT. But I also think they are taking a stab at actual support, aiming to compete with Mac OSX. That is really my hope.

My dream is that Dell provides the Corporate ability to gather drivers which will make it easier for Dell users to run Linux on their machines. hurt by the competition HP will soon follow. Shortly after that or in between game companies.

[Yoke & Chung]

The new HP mininote MIE edition (customized Ubuntu) will be HP's first answer to Mac OS. Think many manufacturers are now realizing that Linux allows them to do all these fancy stuff without hogging down the OS. Can't imagine running another OS shell ontop of Vista...

The mini MIE looks impressive and hope this will create another wave of Linux adoption by manufacturers thus forcing device manufacturers to come up with Linux drivers.

[sirebral]

Thanks Yoke & Chung!!

I've been playing around with Ubuntu since 7.10 and I find that 8.10 is the most stable version I have seen yet. I think computer manufacturers are going to assist in an Open Source revolution that forces software developers to comply with Linux standards.

From what I have seen with the Neverwinter Nights Linux client, all that is necessary for the developer is to provide a software the reads the same Windows software correctly. To install NwN I actually unzipped my CDs unto my HD.