Dell to sell Linux PCs

[BRUCE STANLEY]

Andy Green <andy at warmcat.com> wrote: BRUCE STANLEY wrote:

> If you go out to the Dell Website and select  the "Dell Workstations"
> option, you will see that you can select Red Hat Enterprise Linux v4
> for your operating system.
> 
> If you click on a Windows option for the same configuration,
> you will see that the starting priced for any version of windows
> is higher than the starting price for Linux.

It doesn't work like that on the UK Dell Website.  Last time I looked I 
couldn't even find any mention of Linux, but I checked today and it is 
mentioned.  Here is what the navigation looks like right now to try to 
do as you suggest.

1) http://dell.com redirects me to
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/default.aspx?c=uk&l=en&~ck=geo

Oh yeah on EVERY page: "Dell recommends Windows Vista (TM) Business"

2) Select Desktops | Small business gets you to

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/desktops?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd

where there is an advert for Vista in the top third of the page.

3) "Choose" button for Dell Precision

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/precn_desktops?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd

Oh wow a "special offer" on -- "Windows Vista at no extra cost"

But it does mention RHEL is an option, not a choosable option, just 
mentions it.

4) Click "Select" on the most expensive one, the 690.  Gets you

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_690?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd

Hm, RHEL is not mentioned any more, but "Windows Vista TM at no extra 
cost" is.

5) Click "Customize & Buy" for the left hand choice of two 690s, it's 
the expensive one I figured it would have RHEL as an option.  Gets you here:

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03692

Wow a whole page titled "Welcome to Windows Vista" with a gal who looks 
really happy.  There are two buttons at the bottom, "Choose Vista" and 
"Choose Windows XP".  Nothing about RHEL or Linux or anything except 
kissing one ring or the other.

6)  Well I "chose" Vista let's say

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&kc=DRS66902&l=en&oc=W03692&s=bsd

Err choice between 3 types of Vista.

7) Back up to 5), try the "Choose XP" button

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&kc=DRS66902&l=en&oc=W03692xp&s=bsd

Choice of XP or XP x64, no Linux.

8) Back up to 3), try the cheaper of the pair

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03691

Yeah "Choose Vista" or "Choose XP"

9) Back up to 2), try the cheapest, the 390 which also lists RHEL

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_390?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd

10) Okay choose the most expensive on the left and "Customize and Buy"

http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03392

Aiieeee  "Welcome to Windows Vista"

So it's nice if you can get Linux in the US Dell site, but I can only 
find it mentioned and I certainly am not being allowed to compare prices.

-Andy



Interesting.  Can you select the USA option from the Main page?

Or, can you order Linux via a salesman rather than ordering it 
on line?

If not, maybe for some reason Dell is not yet set up to ship
Linux systems out of the USA.  

Can't imagine why that would make a difference though.


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listman.redhat.com/archives/fedora-list/attachments/20070327/8f35b654/attachment-0001.htm>