Alienware considering Linux!

[Extreme Coder]

http://www.alienware.com/Surveys/AlienSurvey.aspx?Id=29607129825
You know what to do ;)

This can only show that larger companies are beginning to notice the effect of Linux. And if this happens, it will also make more companies make Linux Games!

[fatality_uk]

Woah, that would be very good!!! :D

[damis648]

Ooh! This looks good! I wanted an Alienware but was afraid of the lack of linux support. :popcorn:

[damis648]

Everybody complete the survey!

[ubuntu-freak]

"Would you be willing to pay extra for a Linux-based Alienware system?"

Strange question, as it should cost less without the MS tax, no?

[damis648]

"Would you be willing to pay extra for a Linux-based Alienware system?"

Strange question, as it should cost less without the MS tax, no?

Yes... I just put I wouldn't pay for it... I did not understand it.

[phrostbyte]

I completed it, but said I wouldn't pay more for Linux. These companies need to be a little more realistic here, many people aren't going to buy Linux systems if they cost more. If anything they should cost less.

[Le-Froid]

Completed it, and will probably buy a desktop from Alienware if they support GNU/Linux :)

[solitaire]

Ain't Alienware owned by Dell?
Surprised they not offering Linux as standard!

[gn2]

Ain't Alienware owned by Dell?
Surprised they not offering Linux as standard!

Yes, it's just a scam to extract more money from brand conscious poseurs who don't want a Dell badge on their laptop.
Same reason Toyota created the Lexus brand.

[paul101]

they aren't gonna do a dell and put a tiny tick box for getting a linux os??



we want huge a55ed banners on the front page, we are linux and here we are, we want them to know what it is, not just chucked in as a hidden option!

[saulgoode]

In response to "How much more would you pay?", I wrote

Enough to account for added cost of hardware with open drivers available

For my summation,

While I personally might not purchase a Linux box from Alienware, this is because I usually build my PCs from scratch. However, I would quite likely steer a dozen or so people in your direction as I am often consulted for advice by those in the market.

[Foster Grant]

Yes, it's just a scam to extract more money from brand conscious poseurs who don't want a Dell badge on their laptop.
Same reason Toyota created the Lexus brand.

Incorrect.

Alienware was founded as an independent company in 1996 and Dell acquired the company in March 2006. The Alienware division continues to operate out of the Alienware offices in Kendall, Fla., rather than the Dell offices in Austin. Dell has since terminated its XPS line that once competed with Alienware in the high-end market.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alienware

[OutOfReach]

It would be pretty awesome if Alienware had Linux as one of it's OS options :D

[MaxIBoy]

I completed the survey. I made sure to warn them to pick a graphics card that works well under Linux. I recommended either Ubuntu or Fedora, or an option to choose either.

[barbedsaber]

when I try and click submit, it says that it is waiting for www.alienware.com, and then I get an error which says Connection Interrupted
The connection to the server was reset while the page was loading.
, strangely enough, I get the same thing when I try and sign up for stumble upon. I might go and RTFM.

what should I search for in google linux?

[geoken]

Yes... I just put I wouldn't pay for it... I did not understand it.

It was asking you if you'd be willing to pay more for a Linux-based AlienWare computer as opposed to a Linux based Dell which would be a lot cheaper.

By answering 'no' you essentially said you wouldn't consider paying more for an AlienWare computer (when compared to a lower end Dell) and basically told them to ignore your survey.

[ghindo]

Alienware focuses mainly on gaming rigs, right?

If that is the case, then Linux would seemly wholly inappropriate. Although, I suppose one could make the argument that if a company like Alienware adopts Linux, more game developers might be tempted to develop games that run natively on Linux.

[madjr]

Alienware focuses mainly on gaming rigs, right?

If that is the case, then Linux would seemly wholly inappropriate. Although, I suppose one could make the argument that if a company like Alienware adopts Linux, more game developers might be tempted to develop games that run natively on Linux.

hmmm... like Macs ?

[jkid]

now we could have better pc running linux yaya

[TBOL3]

It was asking you if you'd be willing to pay more for a Linux-based AlienWare computer as opposed to a Linux based Dell which would be a lot cheaper.

By answering 'no' you essentially said you wouldn't consider paying more for an AlienWare computer (when compared to a lower end Dell) and basically told them to ignore your survey.

Gak, I want to turn it in again, I would much rather have a better box for more money, but then again, I haven't even really boght a computer yet, I have friends that get nice computers very often, and they randomly give their old ones to me. :)

[zmjjmz]

I filled this out quite a while ago.

[-grubby]

I filled this out quite a while ago.

Yeah, I remember this too. But I filled it out again anyway

[spamzilla]

I won't be getting an Alienware computer any time soon, but I still filled out the survey :D

[Canis familiaris]

Yes, it's just a scam to extract more money from brand conscious poseurs who don't want a Dell badge on their laptop.
Same reason Toyota created the Lexus brand.

Not a scam actually. Brand concious people would still buy Alienware if even they knew Alienware is of Dell.
It is only a strategy to target more consumers.
There is nothing wrong in it IMO.

[aktiwers]

Yes... I just put I wouldn't pay for it... I did not understand it.

MS pays some companys to have Windows preinstalled.. I know it sounds strange, but when I was shopping for a laptop I called lots of shops and told them I did not have the option to buy without Windows on there website, even though I did not agree to there EULA and did not want to pay for it.

All the shops I called, like 3 or 4, told me that Microsoft has a deal with the factory where they help lower the price of the computer, and the shops get the PC from factory with Windows preinstalled! They actually told me the laptop would get more expensive without Windows :S

But AlienWare creates there own PCs, so they shouldnt have this problem

[gn2]

Incorrect.

Alienware was founded as an independent company in 1996 and Dell acquired the company in March 2006. The Alienware division continues to operate out of the Alienware offices in Kendall, Fla., rather than the Dell offices in Austin. Dell has since terminated its XPS line that once competed with Alienware in the high-end market.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alienware

So having acquired the Alienware brand why did Dell continue to push the brand rather than just absorb the company under the Dell brand?

Answer: To extract more money from it.

Don't think Dell terminated the XPS line: http://www.dell.com/xps

If you compare the following spec laptop:

15.4" 1440x900 screen
Vista Premium (yuk)
T8300 CPU
4gb RAM
250gb 7200rpm fall sensing HDD
256mb 8600M GT Nvidia
2 year warranty

In a Dell XPS this works out at $1824, the same specification Alienware Area-51 is $2374

At over $500, that's a very expensive badge.

[artir]

http://www.alienware.com/Surveys/AlienSurvey.aspx?Id=29607129825
You know what to do ;)

This can only show that larger companies are beginning to notice the effect of Linux. And if this happens, it will also make more companies make Linux Games!

Sir, yes sir!

[VChief]

What I'm wondering is this. Alienware is aimed toward the gamer market. What are the chances of game developers such as Blizzard and EA taking notice to the fact that Alienware is offering Linux? As for paying more, I put "Don't Know" and explained that it was a reference to Linux vs Windows on the same computer from Alienware and had nothing to do with other OEMs. I think this will help boost Linux a little. I have my own theory on exactly how Linux can get better noticed, but this isn't the forum for that. We'll see what happens with this.

[billgoldberg]

I completed it, but said I wouldn't pay more for Linux. These companies need to be a little more realistic here, many people aren't going to buy Linux systems if they cost more. If anything they should cost less.

I said, I would be willing to pay the same amount of money as you charge for a vista oem install.

Not that I will ever be buying from them, way to expensive if you aren't going to be gaming on it.

[Extreme Coder]

Sir, yes sir!
:lolflag:

[ubuntu-freak]

It was asking you if you'd be willing to pay more for a Linux-based AlienWare computer as opposed to a Linux based Dell which would be a lot cheaper.

By answering 'no' you essentially said you wouldn't consider paying more for an AlienWare computer (when compared to a lower end Dell) and basically told them to ignore your survey.


Aren't you just guessing that's what they meant? In any case, they should've made it completely clear.

[aaaantoine]

I filled out the survey and provided the following comments to Alienware:


I admit I probably couldn't afford the average Alienware system, but I offer my support for the introduction of Linux-based systems. A Linux system would have less overhead than a modern Windows system, and so offers greater potential for performance.

Linux just needs more native games support. However, the Linux platform will not get more games without greater OS market share, and the lack of games is preventing PC gamers from switching from Windows. Alienware's consideration could help solve this Catch-22.

As for paying extra for Linux, absolutely not. The average Linux user knows what he's doing, and will opt for the Windows version anyway (and then proceed to clear the HDD and install his favorite distribution) if it means it will save them money. This will not give you an accurate measure of Linux users among your customers.

[cookieofdoom]

It doesn't make much sense for them to make Linux machines from my perspective. They make gaming computers, and Linux isn't a gaming OS. I realize that a few games run on it, but a lot of them are older and don't require an alienware machine. HP, Asus, Acer, Dell, Gateway, Compaq, etc. they should be making the Linux workstations/media centers. Gaming? I'd leave that to Windows for now, unless more companies start releasing games for Linux... which would be wonderful.

[Chame_Wizard]

We will see :guitar:

[GOfree]

More advanced gaming hardware for Free Software!

Three cheers for Alienware!

[dragos240]

This is awesome.

[HavocXphere]

I don't see much of a point tbh. One would have to dual-boot as there are not enough games on *nix. And practically no games that require AW hardware.

[billgoldberg]

This is awesome.

Post was made a year ago, I think they aborted potential plans to deploy linux.

[evermooingcow]

MS pays some companys to have Windows preinstalled.. I know it sounds strange, but when I was shopping for a laptop I called lots of shops and told them I did not have the option to buy without Windows on there website, even though I did not agree to there EULA and did not want to pay for it.

All the shops I called, like 3 or 4, told me that Microsoft has a deal with the factory where they help lower the price of the computer, and the shops get the PC from factory with Windows preinstalled! They actually told me the laptop would get more expensive without Windows :S

But AlienWare creates there own PCs, so they shouldnt have this problem
Actually this makes sense..I heard elsewhere that all of the bundled 3rd party software (crapware?) that comes pre-loaded with Windows on a new PC all help to reduce the cost of the PC by acting as advertisements. So in theory having no software pre-loaded could very well raise the cost of the PC.

[dmizer]

Post was made a year ago, I think they aborted potential plans to deploy linux.

Most likely.

Closing this thread. Thank you :)