Dell to sell Linux PCs

[GaryCarr]

It is hard to select a linux box from the main "www.dell.com" web site. 
Instead try "linux.dell.com", and then on the right hand column select 
"n-series Desktops" or "n-series Notebooks".

Guy Fraser wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-03-27 at 08:27 -0700, BRUCE STANLEY wrote:
>   
>> 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.
>>
>>     
> Doesn't matter, the Canadian and US sites don't allow you to select
> Linux either, you can only Customize with XP or Customize with Vista.
>
> You would probably have to order by phone or email. They do not want 
> to advertise their pricing for Linux, likely because they are still 
> way overcharging for it.
>
> We order the Dell rack mount servers without any O/S, and do our 
> own custom installs, which we feel is preferable to a cookie cutter 
> Linux/Unix install.
>
>
>   
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