Comments on: Dell knows what’s best for Linux users http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/ Gadgets, gear and computer hardware. Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:38:33 -0500 hourly 1 By: William Smith http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1052220 William Smith Thu, 09 Jul 2009 07:05:42 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1052220 yes you can get open office 3.0 for the mini , located at deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ubuntu hardy main you will also need to load the key of course , apt-get update and when finished it will show updates available, it is a direct auto install ( 19 ) packages and takes a little while to load yes you can get open office 3.0 for the mini , located at

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/openoffice-pkgs/ubuntu hardy main

you will also need to load the key of course , apt-get update and when finished it will show updates available, it is a direct auto install ( 19 ) packages and takes a little while to load

]]> By: Dell knows what’s best for Linux users - MyDellMini http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1024280 Dell knows what’s best for Linux users - MyDellMini Fri, 22 May 2009 15:38:37 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1024280 [...] [...] [...] [...]

]]> By: whiskey http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1024271 whiskey Fri, 22 May 2009 15:22:56 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1024271 The commenting filters are too hard... this is Ubuntu LTS and more programs can be found on getdeb.net The commenting filters are too hard… this is Ubuntu LTS and more programs can be found on getdeb.net

]]> By: saxuntu http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1024205 saxuntu Fri, 22 May 2009 12:28:58 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1024205 I appreciate Dell's reasoning, but when I was running Dell's Ubuntu I never received a single security update. I find it hard to believe that their version some how magically didn't need updates that Canonical put out for vanilla Ubuntu. I appreciate Dell’s reasoning, but when I was running Dell’s Ubuntu I never received a single security update. I find it hard to believe that their version some how magically didn’t need updates that Canonical put out for vanilla Ubuntu.

]]> By: Edmond Dantès http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1024117 Edmond Dantès Fri, 22 May 2009 02:01:19 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1024117 Ubuntu 9.04 is a great point supporting Dell's position. Jaunty has been a disaster for quite a few configurations. Some users depended on ATI binary drivers for they graphic interfaces. ATI orphaned a great number of their products, some quite recent, by not supporting them with the new version fglr. And the old drivers do not support the new version of X.org included in 9.04. The open-source drivers are not stable or fast enough. Here I am without GoogleEarth and with display freezes couple of times a day. For me, 9.04 it was Ubuntu's Vista. But Dell doesn't have the solution either. In the open source environment, upgrading software often is the rule. Software is improving constantly and there is no financial impediment in moving to the new version. But this is not always possible with an older OS. It is relevant for every class of user. I will give you an example. Can I get the newest OpenOffice for Dell's Ubuntu? Ubuntu 9.04 is a great point supporting Dell’s position. Jaunty has been a disaster for quite a few configurations. Some users depended on ATI binary drivers for they graphic interfaces. ATI orphaned a great number of their products, some quite recent, by not supporting them with the new version fglr. And the old drivers do not support the new version of X.org included in 9.04. The open-source drivers are not stable or fast enough. Here I am without GoogleEarth and with display freezes couple of times a day. For me, 9.04 it was Ubuntu’s Vista.

But Dell doesn’t have the solution either. In the open source environment, upgrading software often is the rule. Software is improving constantly and there is no financial impediment in moving to the new version. But this is not always possible with an older OS.

It is relevant for every class of user. I will give you an example. Can I get the newest OpenOffice for Dell’s Ubuntu?

]]> By: jTech http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1024080 jTech Thu, 21 May 2009 22:39:28 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1024080 Thank you Dell! This is absolutely the thing to do. One of my major issues with Linux is that they update far too often and don't test enough. So they will release a shiny new distro with all this new cool shit but when I install it I find out I can't get to the cool shit because my damn graphics/sound/wifi cards don't work. Even though they worked perfect in the last version. If Apple or Microsoft did that all hell would break loose. Thank you Dell! This is absolutely the thing to do. One of my major issues with Linux is that they update far too often and don’t test enough.

So they will release a shiny new distro with all this new cool shit but when I install it I find out I can’t get to the cool shit because my damn graphics/sound/wifi cards don’t work. Even though they worked perfect in the last version. If Apple or Microsoft did that all hell would break loose.

]]> By: Fernie from LA http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1024005 Fernie from LA Thu, 21 May 2009 19:44:23 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1024005 I think this makes sense. I can appreciate what Dell is trying to do here. Ubuntu is an entirely new system to most folks and they want to make sure there are no widespread problems that would give Dell or Ubuntu a black eye. Most of us Ubuntu users know that 8.04 is, as they describe, "rock solid". I am running 9.04 and love it, but it has some issues that sometimes requires the command line or tweaking. You don't want to put newbies through this. I also like the idea of Dell repositories. You want to make sure that whatever users install on their machines is optimized for the hardware. It should not break the installed programs. This often happens with updates, especially when there are kernal issues associated with the installation. So keeping everything consistent is a really good idea. For those of us who want the latest greatest programs, we accept the reality that comes with doing so. We know that we must sometimes tweak and go to the command line to get things working again. For me it's no big deal, but for my newbie colleague it is. I want him to have a machine that "just works" ! He is not interested in having the latest Amarok or the newest update to Open Office. As long as he can listen to music and be sure his word processor will work all of the time he doesn't care. Bravo to Dell, it sounds like they have thought this through and want to do it the right way. More companies need to model this approach as it will go a long way toward making Linux on the desktop a true option for non geeks. I think this makes sense. I can appreciate what Dell is trying to do here. Ubuntu is an entirely new system to most folks and they want to make sure there are no widespread problems that would give Dell or Ubuntu a black eye. Most of us Ubuntu users know that 8.04 is, as they describe, “rock solid”. I am running 9.04 and love it, but it has some issues that sometimes requires the command line or tweaking. You don’t want to put newbies through this.

I also like the idea of Dell repositories. You want to make sure that whatever users install on their machines is optimized for the hardware. It should not break the installed programs. This often happens with updates, especially when there are kernal issues associated with the installation. So keeping everything consistent is a really good idea.

For those of us who want the latest greatest programs, we accept the reality that comes with doing so. We know that we must sometimes tweak and go to the command line to get things working again. For me it’s no big deal, but for my newbie colleague it is. I want him to have a machine that “just works” ! He is not interested in having the latest Amarok or the newest update to Open Office. As long as he can listen to music and be sure his word processor will work all of the time he doesn’t care.

Bravo to Dell, it sounds like they have thought this through and want to do it the right way. More companies need to model this approach as it will go a long way toward making Linux on the desktop a true option for non geeks.

]]> By: Travis http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1023972 Travis Thu, 21 May 2009 18:50:05 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1023972 I have no problem with this as long as you have the option to bypass it and be on the "bleeding edge" if you would rather. I have no problem with this as long as you have the option to bypass it and be on the “bleeding edge” if you would rather.

]]> By: Moe http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/05/21/dell-knows-whats-best-for-linux-users/comment-page-1/#comment-1023960 Moe Thu, 21 May 2009 18:43:20 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/?p=91104#comment-1023960 Scott. Very well written. I agree with you. I bought my wife a Dell mini 9 with Ubuntu 8.04. If it was my laptop, I would run the newest and greatest, but my wife is satisfied with everything the laptop offers now, which is a stable and well run Operating System. Scott. Very well written. I agree with you. I bought my wife a Dell mini 9 with Ubuntu 8.04. If it was my laptop, I would run the newest and greatest, but my wife is satisfied with everything the laptop offers now, which is a stable and well run Operating System.

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