HP Sees Huge Linux Desktop Deals

**billdotson** · March 8th, 2007

As this does not affect me directly because I build my own PCs any pre-installation is good.
If Linux pre-installs on HP or Dell PCs they are going to have to do it right. What I mean by that is they had better not have a machine with "x" specs running Windows being cheaper or even close in price to a machine with the same specs running Linux. If they charged more for Linux I would be incredibly angry.

Also, as GNU/Linux is not Windows.. people are used to Windows.. so the distro that is pre-installed must be already set-up for the user with everything they will ever need software, etc.-wise or it will have to be easy for a user to do things. Thus although I have not tried any other distro other than Ubuntu with the exception of Puppy Linux and Knoppix I do not know about RPM or slackware based distros.. but I hear they are much harder than Debian-based distros.

The distro that is installed does not matter as of right now. Granted the distro needs to be user-friendly it generally does not matter. If pre-installed Linux desktops and/or laptops sell well.. which will only happen if they are cheaper than PCs running Windows and the fact is pushed that all the software for it is legally free. Also, since it is free the point needs to be driven that money does not always = quality. GNU/Linux is very good quality but does not cost anything. The point that it being free will also make some people think that there is a catch and this needs to be clearly stated.

If Linux desktops/laptops sell well then Linux will most likely begin to see commercial software be made for it. While FOSS software is in very many cases capable of doing what you need to do there are some apps that are irreplaceable and they are only on Windows. Apps that do your taxes and other critical things are hard to trust if you do not pay for them (if you pay for a product you can blame someone if something goes wrong)

So any pre-install of Linux is good. I have heard that if Linux gets 10% of the desktop market then commercial programs WILL be made for Linux. PC games coming soon...? (those are the only apps that are irreplaceable for me)

**Adamant1988** · March 8th, 2007

Originally Posted by chaosgeisterchen

SuSE is a very good Linux distribution and good enough to convince users when it will come preinstalled.

And Red Hat has seriously missed big business. I think that it was good for Novell to do the Microsoft deal, it increases the acceptance of Linux overall.

Really, I've only had SuSE ever fail me in one area, and that's package management. With the release of 10.2, that seems to have stopped.

**dyous87** · March 8th, 2007

Originally Posted by tehhaxorr

Unfounded lies don't help anyone, Microsoft doesn't own any part of Novell.

The guys like HP and Dell will back Novell or Red hat because they are the Linux providers will all the balls and the rock solid reputation and support structure., they wouldn't even consider canonical/ubuntu, canonical is a fly compared to Novell or Redhat. Sure ubuntu as a distro is just as good as anything novell or redhat can offer, but in the world of enterprise nobody cares about the community distro, novell can do a far better job backing linux than canonical.

Actually that's not entirely true. In the Dell commentary in the situation they had said that they were looking into all the Popular distros including Red Hat, Suse and Ubuntu.

**Adamant1988** · March 8th, 2007

Originally Posted by dyous87

Actually that's not entirely true. In the Dell commentary in the situation they had said that they were looking into all the Popular distros including Red Hat, Suse and Ubuntu.

Would you like to show me where Ubuntu is mentioned in their response? Because in the 9000 times I've seen it posted, I've never seen them mention it by name. Perhaps I missed it.

**dyous87** · March 8th, 2007

Well I can't remember if I had read it on Slashdot or Digg but i found this MadPenguine article just now were Ubuntu, Suse and Redhat are mentioned all though the writer doesn't exactly give a source for his info:

http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/?m=show&id=7770

**Adamant1988** · March 8th, 2007

Originally Posted by dyous87

Well I can't remember if I had read it on Slashdot or Digg but i found this MadPenguine article just now were Ubuntu, Suse and Redhat are mentioned all though the writer doesn't exactly give a source for his info:

http://www.madpenguin.org/cms/?m=show&id=7770

There isn't a statement from DELL in that post that says they're looking at Ubuntu.