I recently purchased a brand-new Sony VAIO laptop. It’s beautiful, which is why I went against every fiber in my body that expresses allegiance to the open source software movement. See, Sony doesn’t offer any computers with Linux loaded …

The site is a site for IDEAS, not for complaints.

Thank you for your reply,

Firstly, as I said, I relied on my (usually meticulous) brother for the prices. I hear there is a problem with different hardware configurations.. Question.. Why does Dell _not_ offer a ‘free’ hard disk upgrade for some FreeDos systems whilst the MS Windows system gets one? This creates a very real price difference.

Secondly, you still miss my point. I did _not_ “re-affirm the exact point” you were making. In fact, I completely denied it. Whilst the CLI is available, the GUI is also available. Having more options does not create a limitation.

Thirdly, for Grandma on Linux, I simply tell her to turn on the computer, log in from my Linux system (from the comfort of my living room), fix hers & tell her “you’re good to go”.. It doesn’t get any better than that. I did set up a VPN when she installed her system. Hey, I like life to be easy.

Fourthly, again, from my brother (who maintains a mixed Linux/XP/98 (the company still uses some 98 specific apps which fail on XP) network of some 70 or so systems), Dells response to software issues is ‘refer to Microsoft’.. whose response is ‘call your vendor’.. Does anyone remember the “Infinite Loop” index entry in Ashton Tates (remember them?) manual?? “Infinite Loop, see Loop, Infinite which, of course was Loop, Infinite, see Infinite Loop”, otherwise known as the ole’ run around. At least Linux is honest in saying that forums are your best support.. And darn good support at that. The only support Dell gives (for Microsoft) is to companies who purchase support as an extra.. which they could also supply for Linux. RedHat is an excellent example of a company making a very good profit from supporting systems.

Lastly, I forget the link, but there was a rather interesting story of a fellow (in Texas, IIRC) who set up a retiree’s group with Linux.. only to find that they jumped whole heartedly into editing their individual configurations. Who’d a thought Grandma (& Grandpa) would like to change things?

BTW, altho I’ve not done a VISTA install, I can assure you that a Linux/X install is vastly easier than an XP install.. So easy that even Grandma can do it. Unlike XP, it is a one step process. When you are done, it all works. Networking is on (has anyone been following the fiasco that Vista is making of this?), dial-up is there (enter the phone number, user name & password of course) video drivers (remember those?) & sound card drivers are installed, OpenOffice & Firefox are installed and educational as well as recreational games are installed.. Indeed, if you are installing K/Ubuntu/LinuxMint, it is quite likely a LiveCD. After booting to the CD you simply click on a Desktop Icon called “Install” – difficult, eh?. If one should have any questions during the install, simply bring up Firefox & browse the web for answers (Ubuntu forums are already bookmarked). MicroSoft should be so easy.

I realize that just several years ago, Linux/X was not nearly so easy to install/config (it has always been easy to use.. how difficult can a GUI application be?). Things change, though, and this is one of them.

Sorry (ok, not really ;-)) to say it folks, Linux/X, specifically, LinuxMint is easier to install & use than MS Windows.. The facts that it is less expensive, more stable & virus free can be considered bonus’.

Just the facts..

Back on subject, Dell could easily install a version of Ubuntu (LinuxMint is a version of Ubuntu which is itself a version of Debian, meaning it has a _lot_ of support), create a/several mirrors for updates & have a ready made support system in the many users already out here.

p.s. While I’ve no specific knowledge of WinRe, if it acts anything like the recovery console in Windows XP which it replaces, it will likely be of little use. A quick Google shows people are already having trouble with it. YMMV..

Remember, Bbuddha, I/we are not asking Dell to drop Microsoft products. I am glad you are happy with them (Microsoft). My/our point is we would like different options. We would also like a little more honesty from Dell. Microsoft selling an operating system is their right. Microsoft using manipulative, untruthful marketing practices to prevent the dissemination of other’s products is not right. Dell is joining with Microsoft in that. This is wrong.

It costs a whopping $30 more to get Windows XP SP2 instead of FreeDOS.
In most situations where N-series was more, there were different hardware specs being compared.

I find it amazing that you criticize me about editing a config file as a generic example of changing video resolution using a linux control panel, then re-affirm the exact point I was making about ‘fixing’ or modifying the OS ‘_outside_ the GUI’. With complicated, case sensative, syntax in a command line environment.

I’m very glad microsoft has increased their install-disc operations available to users in Vista, which solves this problem specifically. If your vista box encounters this ‘can’t boot into safe mode’ problem, simply boot to the Vista DVD, and you have 4 options:

1) Attempt System Restore from the DVD. (System restore is a great concept, however, traditionall you had to get into some portion of the OS in order to get it to work; now a system can be restored directly from the install DVD.

2) Allow vista to attempt to repair itself. Admittedly, this isn’t the end-all fix all for any startup type problem, but I’ve been rather impressed in the past several weeks of testing it in the lab.

3) While not setup automatically, a user can create an entire system ‘image-like’ backup to a file, and can restore this image using the install DVD, even in the case of a failed HDD.

4) Full command prompt, with some GUI capability (notepad.exe, etc) for finite recovery options, no longer limited in command scope, nor directory locations.

There is also a capabilty to install WinRE on disk for better boot times, and in cases where end users lose their DVD. This is especially helpful to OEM’s where end users don’t keep track of their media very well.

From a support standpoint in helping grandma _OVER THE PHONE_, which is preferable:

1) Linux- OK grandma, you said your comptuer won’t boot to the desktop? OK, we’re going to go into single user mode, and type in all these (case sensative) commands, then I want you to read me parts of some log files, then we’ll type in more case-sensative, complicated commands, or possible edit a config file (could you imagine walking grandma through editing a file using vi?), then reboot and test it. Rinse & repeat until we fix it.

2) Vista, OK grandma, you said your comptuer won’t boot to the desktop?
OK, let’s put in that Vista DVD, then we can go down the list of the one-click pretty hyperlinks in WinRE, and if they don’t work we’ll just click the hyperlink to restore the scheduled system image I setup for you.

Don’t get me wrong, please. I recognize Linux as a wonderfull operating system, which definatly has it’s place in the computing world; however, being preinstall on major OEM computers as a desktop OS for the common layman is _NOT_ it’s place. (In it’s current form anyway).
Linux is an absolutly outstanding OS for people that want to learn about how their OS works, and like to tinker, etc; or for specialty research, or large datacenters with a specific purpose.

So, I say again, if you’re all up in arms about ‘Windoze’ being a ‘Virus’, Dell will still accomodate you. Get an N-Series system, save your whopping $30, and install Linux yourself, and don’t call Dell when you break your OS.