Why Dell used Suse and not Ubuntu

[froggyswamp]

Folks
the article at
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/dell-laptop-tries-to-impress-impression-makers/?hpw
talks about instant-on Linux which I heard (I guess on slashdot) is a customized Suse distro. If so, anyone knows why not Ubuntu?

[SunnyRabbiera]

Folks
the article at
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/dell-laptop-tries-to-impress-impression-makers/?hpw
talks about instant-on Linux which I heard (I guess on slashdot) is a customized Suse distro. If so, anyone knows why not Ubuntu?

Well they might have used openSUSE because of YAST, its an easy to work with tool that doesnt have a counterpart in Ubuntu.

[Exodist]

God I hate YaST for package management. Its awesome for a setup tool, but the worst package management tool known to man kind! Most the folks I know that used SuSE before moving to K/Ubuntu actualy used Apt for RPMs. lol :)

[khelben1979]

God I hate YaST for package management. Its awesome for a setup tool, but the worst package management tool known to man kind! Most the folks I know that used SuSE before moving to K/Ubuntu actualy used Apt for RPMs. lol :)

I've heard that older versions of YaST was buggy, so I can imagine that it has created some problems from time to time. I haven't watched the latest developments they have made, have you?

[Paqman]

These "instant-on" Linux systems are a chip on the motherboard, so they'd come from whatever OEM is making the components. The fact that Dell also preload desktop Ubuntu onto some systems doesn't really have anything to do with it.

[SuperSonic4]

Perhaps they simply thought customers would prefer suse

[Mehall]

My bet?


Suse Studio.

Simple to make exactly what they wanted, quickly.

[Sealbhach]

I think the most interesting bit about that story is this:



Some users Dell surveyed spent 70 percent of their time working in the instant-on mode. Microsoft (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/microsoft_corporation/index.html?inline=nyt-org) is sure to take note of that figure. Windows has turned into a clunky cup holder. .

[NormanFLinux]

PCLOS has RPM but uses Synaptic.

[NormanFLinux]

Its a quick boot OS that loads a web browser, IM and wireless into memory before the main OS does. Its an embedded OS and Linux is selected because its proven stable and reliable.

[earthpigg]

the ASUS mobo i built my computer around came with an instant on web/skype thing.... but it wont pick up the wireless NIC, even though im pretty sure it is supported at kernel-level.

wish there was a buis option to have the instant-on's kernel probe hardware.

[mkendall]

Folks
the article at
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/dell-laptop-tries-to-impress-impression-makers/?hpw
talks about instant-on Linux which I heard (I guess on slashdot) is a customized Suse distro. If so, anyone knows why not Ubuntu?

If you knew Suse as we know Suse,
Oh, oh, oh what a gal.

[SunnyRabbiera]

God I hate YaST for package management. Its awesome for a setup tool, but the worst package management tool known to man kind! Most the folks I know that used SuSE before moving to K/Ubuntu actualy used Apt for RPMs. lol :)

I am not referring to the package manager, but I am referring to the setup tools openSUSE has.

[szymon_g]

God I hate YaST for package management. Its awesome for a setup tool, but the worst package management tool known to man kind! Most the folks I know that used SuSE before moving to K/Ubuntu actualy used Apt for RPMs. lol :)

... that's why most people recommend using zypper for package-managing. it really kicks a*se of apt-get, aptitude, yum and urpmi. only poldek has similar usability :)

[Megrimn]

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1270641&highlight=dell+ubuntu+netbook