[brlug-general] [brlug-newbies] Dell gives the go-ahead for Linux

[willhill]

Rain?  I'm dancing in the streets, rain or shine.

We'll see how this works out, but the free driver pledge puts real muscle 
behind free software.  Dell's preference for hardware with free drivers puts  
pressure on all vendors to make sure free drivers exist.  Systems certified 
to work with free drivers will work with any free software and this 
eliminates the hardware lock Microsoft has enjoyed so long with big vendors 
like Dell.

As was revealed in the Iowa consumer case, Microsoft believed Linux was in 
Dell's best interest all the way back in 2002.  Dell's move may have 
something to do with the exposure of that opinion.  No one likes being 
manipulated.    

There is only one thing that can be said with certainty about the people who 
filled out Dell's survey:  they are potential Dell customers.  Their ability 
to use free software as a primary desktop is not certain.  To prove the 
point, let's have a poll about how hard it is to avoid the M$ Tax.

How many of you are Microsoft free?  I am, for all the machines in my control 
but I think that's unusual even here on the LUG.  It's my opinion that we've 
all been sold multiple licenses to Windows and other Microsoft stuff.  Even I 
use two windows 2000 machines at work, because my major professor is a lab 
view user. No one else uses those computers, so they must be mine.  In the 
past, I've personally bought DOS and Windows 3.1.  Windows 95, 98, NT and 
2000 have been provided for me by employers.  LSU has used my tech fees to 
pay for others to have XP, Vista, Office 2007 and others.  I might be 
Microsoft free, but I'm still paying the Microsoft tax.  Let's put my 
opinions to the test.


How many of you are Microsoft free on all the machines you own?

How many of you use gnu/linux as your primary desktop?

How many copies of Windows do you own?

How many copies of Windows do you use?

The biggest win of all will be when whole companies are easily able to switch 
over to free software and whole groups are liberated from the Microsoft tax 
and file format lock in.  Dell Linux goes a long way toward that.  Their 
liberation reduces the network effect by that much and PHBs can now see it as 
a viable option.  

On Friday 30 March 2007 1:09 pm, -ray wrote:
> Not to be negative or rain on the parade, but this isn't going to work
> unless Dell really puts some muscle behind it.   Basically all they're
> saying is, sure we'll pre-install linux.  Get your support from the
> community forum.
>
> Problem is, the people that filled out the survey (yes i filled it out)
> aren't the ones that *need* Dell to preinstall linux.  ...