OSS going mainstream
Dell has, per their announcement last month, started selling computers with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled. Check it out. It’s a big day for open-source. (or was, this happened late last week.)
On the other hand, the computers aren’t as cheap as i would expect them to be without the microsoft tax. They are all cheaper than their closest windows equivalents, but they’re also missing hardware that would make them the equivalent machine, actually making them cost essentially the same. On the other other hand, ubuntu will actually run really well with what it comes with, whereas vista will (from what i’ve heard) chug with the default config it comes on.
And i’m torn about the fact that the PCs aren’t even close to advertised. It’s better than it was when they first came out (3 days ago) when they didn’t even come up in searches for Linux or Ubuntu, now you can find them by searching or on the main site by expanding the desktops or the laptops menu and clicking open-source PCs.
My experience with ubuntu, while not without its setbacks, has been fantastic. It has become my primary OS for several reasons, and i actually dread going back to windows. If i had installed it on hardware it was actually designed for i wouldn’t have run into any of the setbacks that i did. So far, also, i have been able to fix everything that i have set my mind to, unlike in windows or OSX you never reach the point where it is impossible to fix something because the OS just doesn’t want to let you. On the other hand, fixing stuff gets technical very quickly. I was in the command-line terminal within maybe 1 hour of installation, and i would guess that i’ve already logged about 15 hours there. I think it probably took me ten years to spend that much time in the windows equivalent.
That said (i.e. therefore) i can understand Dell not wanting to promote it further. The kinds of people who should buy those computers probably already know that they’re available, and, frankly, the hardware problems that are so common in linux mean that i don’t think that ubuntu (the only linux distro i’ve tried) is ready for the mainstream. Everything else, from installing programs to browsing the ‘nets to making your desktop look totally freakin’ sweet is easier and pretty much better than it is in windows. Plus, most everything is free in both senses.
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