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View Full Version : Just an idea: Should Canonical promote Ubuntu on smaller PC vendors?



brotenet
April 2nd, 2015, 07:56 PM
Hi people, :D

I've been a full 100% Linux user for almost 10 years now.
Back in the old days that you couldn't fine good Linux apps to replace Windows apps, Wine and VirtualBox where my saviours, but now, I barely use VirtualBox Win VMs.
I now have a couple of W2008 Server editions on my work PC because some of our customers still use them for some strange reason, I don't know and a WinXP on my home pc as stand-by junst in case I need it.. but seriously.. these days.. Windows just becomes more foreign to me with each passing day..

Nowdays.. people are actually asking me to install Ubuntu on their PCs and show them a few stuff in order for them get rid of the Windows plague..[-o< and most of them (if not all) they just don't want to go back to Windows after trying Linux..



Lately I got really into playing with these ARM Android mini PCs (and a bit with tablets and smartphones though I heate them because everyone is asking me to root their chinese gadgets :p ) and now I'm looking into getting an Intel Baytrail one.
There are also quite a few BayTrail tablets out there that Ubuntu's Unity would look pretty great on but personally I don't care because I just hate tablets :biggrin:

So if I go ahead and buy a Baytrail mini pc, even if I wanted to have Win 8.1 on it.. it would just be strange and usless to me...
If I am to get such a machine, the it MUST RUN LINUX

But the thing is that after a few days of searching I once againg faced one of the biggest issues that all Linux users face...
Consumer hardware vendors just don't support Linux..
They just don't.. even if their stuff works better with Linux, they won't eve mention it..
Even by searching for reviews of people testing these stuff with Linux, there is not enough info to make me want to throw my cash and get one..:???:

Now I am aware that Canonical was pulling strings to get DELL off it's high horse and to promote Ubuntu based laptops in China. I don't know how well that went though but still, it means that Canonical has the power to innfuence H/W vendors, at least to some small extend..
But DELL is let's say a "big dog" I guess and their horse is too high for them to get down easily..
Also concerning laptops, desktops... there's also System 76 that is deticated to Linux support and has great systems (based on Clevo barebones, that personally I think they are the best laptop manufacturer out there.. www.clevo.com.tw (http://www.clevo.com.tw))

There is also Zotac which most (if not all) of their mini PCs support Linux but they don't say anything about it...:-\"
ECS launched its Liva mini PC but they barely mention the word 'Linux' as if it would bite them..
Intel with it's NUC also barely mentions Linux support..
..and generally every vendor out there looks the other way when it comes to Linux support on consumer computer stuff...

So.. my question would be..

Should Canonical promote Ubuntu on smaller H/W vendors?


Small H/W vendors logically would be easier to persuade.. and System76 would be an ideal example to use when trying to do so..
Small H/W vendor comapnies do not suffer from things like heavy beurocratic procedures that slow things down to a point that would cause issues..
Small H/W vendor companies do not have "resistive" [-( fat CEOs, top level managers and other executive idiots that could as well be bribed by external factors in refusing to support Linux..
Small H/W vendor companies are always on the look of new "uncharted" and "niche" markets (where the big boys did not get their hands on) to expand to..


Wouldn't it be better for Canonical to push towards infuencing these smaller H/W vendors instead for knocking the door of companies like DELL?
..just an idea :-k
..what do you guys and gals think??

grahammechanical
April 2nd, 2015, 08:25 PM
What makes you think that Canonical people are not doing that already? Or that they are turning their nose up at small vendors who come knocking asking for assistance? It is not as if vendors have to buy a license from Canonical to download and install Ubuntu.

Speaking in ignorance, as I often do, I would think that the main issue for a small vendor is that they do not make their own machines but most likely buy from the big vendors and then have to buy machines with Windows pre-installed.

When it came to the Ubuntu phone Canonical did not reject relatively small OEMs in favour of the big OEMs.

http://www.ubuntu.com/certification/

ian-weisser
April 3rd, 2015, 02:43 PM
Canonical has been advertising and promoting to OEMs, big and small, for many years. With some success here and there.

That some OEMs choose to ignore Ubuntu-compatibility as a feature with a market, I find mystifying...but imagine they may know their business, and their target market, better than I do.

MartyBuntu
April 3rd, 2015, 02:52 PM
That some OEMs choose to ignore Ubuntu-compatibility as a feature with a market, I find mystifying...but imagine they may know their business, and their target market, better than I do.


I find that approach by OEM's changing, but slowly...

brotenet
April 6th, 2015, 07:24 PM
What makes you think that Canonical people are not doing that already? Or that they are turning their nose up at small vendors who come knocking asking for assistance?

Ammm.. nothing makes me think that bro... 8-[

I'm not much into running after the news either..

If they do actually push also with small vendors, then that would be great!! :KS:KS:KS:KS:KS

What I'm actually saying is that, when I went looking to buy Linux compatible equipment after a period of 5-something years since I last bought my netbook, nothing has actually changed (aside the fact that now we have System76)
Seriously.. nothing..

Nobody except System76 is willing to actually state that they support Linux

Now, I'm not saying that it's a Canonical "holy" task to make vendors start trusting Linux.. of-course it isn't.
Canonical has far more important fish to fry on the server-side of things (especially now MAAS, Juju and all the cloud stuff..)

So, if Canonical does push on the small vendors, isn't there anything that we as a community can do?
Stuff like community organised, repeated online petitions requesting for Linux support, for example, with each petition directly aiming towards a specific vendor for a specific product each time. ...you now ... spam them until they give up and decide to support us! :biggrin:

There is quite a few of us and I'm sure that there must be lots of stuff that we can do to help...
I'm up to it if you guys have any ideas. ;-)

What do you think?

ian-weisser
April 6th, 2015, 08:01 PM
Stuff like community organised, repeated online petitions requesting for Linux support, for example, with each petition directly aiming towards a specific vendor for a specific product each time. ...you now ... spam them until they give up and decide to support us!

Do be aware that some might view that spamming sort of behavior as 'harassment', which is quite contrary to the Ubuntu Code of Conduct, and rarely ends with happy customers and vendors.

You might consider rewarding good vendors by...purchasing their goods.
If your budget is low, you might consider helping to test and rate hardware for compatibility, and helping other community members to find good vendors.

brotenet
April 6th, 2015, 08:41 PM
hahahah! yes I know.. I was kind of joking there.. :biggrin:
And I do reward good vendors for their support. I'm actually planning to get a Meerkat from Sys76 after Easter. \\:D/
But I'm not really fond of throwing money of the window for buying and testing H/W that I would guess are able to run with Linux..

What I meant with "petitions directly aiming towards a specific vendor for a specific product" is doing something similar and more frequent to what's happening with the Synaptic driver support petition (https://www.change.org/p/synaptics-corporation-help-maintain-linux-drivers) for other problematic H/W areas as well..

After all, change.org (https://www.change.org/)exists for this exact reason.. doesn't it?


But anyway.. the petition thing was just an idea that popped out of my head at that moment..
I bet we can find 100s of ways to make some noise for consumer H/W Linux support..


BTW. Anyone that didn't sign the Synaptic driver petition please do (https://www.change.org/p/synaptics-corporation-help-maintain-linux-drivers) because ...it's about laptop touch-pads ...you know ...it's kind of important 8-[