Dell Limits Ubuntu Linux Sales
If you’re planning to load up on Dell’s new Ubuntu Linux systems for a corporate department or small business, Dell may have a surprise for you. As the old saying goes, read the fine print.
Indeed, Dell will limit Ubuntu sales to five systems per customer, according to fine print on the PC giant’s Web site. (See the lower right-hand corner of this Dell Web page.) That could frustrate anxious customers who want to load up on Ubuntu Linux for friends and family or small businesses. But The VAR Guy thinks the five-system limit is a smart move.
This is a critical time for desktop Linux. If Dell customers don’t have a positive experience buying and using PCs with Ubuntu Linux, it could trigger a setback for the open source movement. Dell will need to make sure that the Ubuntu systems have the appropriate printer drivers and peripheral drivers. And, perhaps most importantly, the PCs will need to have flawless Internet access.
In a worst-case scenario, Linux novices who can’t go online for help could wind up flooding Dell’s support lines, much in the way that some OS/2 users flooded IBM’s support lines in the mid-1990s during Big Blue’s failed consumer push for OS/2 Warp.
With these concerns in mind, the five-system-per-customer limit seems reasonable to The VAR Guy. Dell will only get one chance to get Ubuntu Linux right.
Update 4:34PM, May 8: Several readers note that Dell has a standard practice of limiting consumer/home office purchases to five PCs per transaction — even if it’s a Windows machine. Check out the comments below for more info. –The VAR Guy
I plan on buying a Dell with Ubuntu pre-installed to show support for OEM’s pre loading Linux.
I do question if Dell is being sincere about their open source efforts or is this an attempt to poison the desktop Linux marketplace.
I would NOT be surprised if Dell deliberately sabotages these Ubuntu preloads to keep Microsoft happy.
Interesting opinion. But The VAR Guy doubts Dell would purposely undermine Linux/Ubuntu to serve MSFT. Remember that Dell has stood up to re-introduce Windows XP systems and now Ubuntu systems at the very time MSFT wants everyone to purchase Vista. These were solid business moves by Dell. But it takes guts to listen to customers rather than Microsoft.
If a major customer with a sophisticated IT department comes along with an order for a few hundred Ubuntu boxes, I suspect that the sales droids handling the VIP accounts will be able to override that limit very quickly. What marketing department in its right mind would turn down that kind of coin?
On the other hand, some single-office Main Street firm with an order for six boxes and no history of ordering Dells might have a problem getting that order filled.
This has nothing to do with Ubuntu. Dell limits all “Home and Home Office” systems 5 per customer. Likewise for “Small Business”. They even force Medium and Large Businesses to order differently when they buy more than 5 at a time.
This is probably an issue with their production capacity. If someone orders 50,000 systems, they won’t be able to ship that as fast as a 5 system order. Beyond a certain order size, delivery dates become a negotiated item.
This is standard practice for Dell for EVERY consumer model they offer for sale.
Why is this reported as “news”. It’s nothing, and it certainly is not related to the fact that Ubuntu comes preloaded in any way. Windows system have the same limitation.
Come ON guys! Are you kidding me???
You can see the same fine print limitation at the bottom of the Home amp; Home Office main page, not just the Ubuntu system page:
http://www.dell.com/content/default.aspx?c=usamp;cs=19amp;l=enamp;s=dhsamp;~ck=bt
The VAR Guy didn’t suggest it was news. Instead, just reporting the facts folks.
The VAR Guy’s article certainly suggests this is new and different behaviour on the part of Dell. Maybe a quick edit to the article is in order, to change the headline and add a quick “reader please note” item to the very top? Otherwise as it currently sits it resembles anti-Linux, anti-Dell FUD.
Anti-Linux? Anti-Dell? The VAR Guy is BUYING one of these systems. He has already left the world of Windows and is running Mac OS X at work. Next up, a Dell Ubuntu machine for his home.
The VAR Guy thinks it’s smart for Dell to limit the # of purchases by customers in order to really make sure things are under control.
The VAR Guy doesn’t want to re-write history by changing the article. But he will add a note to the bottom of the original blog entry indicating that Dell also limits consumer Windows sales to 5 systems.
I said it came off SOUNDING like FUD.
“The VAR Guy doesn’t want to re-write history by changing the article. But he will add a note to the bottom of the original blog entry indicating that Dell also limits consumer Windows sales to 5 systems.”
That should work – top or bottom doesn’t matter, if the headline is also be modifed slightly to draw readers attention to the note at the bottom of the blog. Maybe you might want to put the modifying paragraph in as italic, as that might make it obvious it’s not original?
Its nice that Dell will start selling ubuntu with their systems, but I’ll skip them buying dell until I can call tech support an have some one I can understand.
They should limit the amount of people they support by phone not the amount of times the User is allowed to install Linux. Not very though through I would say! But anybody who supports Linux is smart.
Fred, I’m heading to work in a couple minutes here but I thought I should mention, I’m a dell tech support agent. I also live and work in Phoenix Arizona. It should also be noted, I haven’t heard word one from dell about how we’re going to support linux. Probably hardware and osri support only since not many of us are linux gurus.
I also plan to but an Ubuntu system from Dell, I was going to go with System76 but I think buying now from Dell then getting a laptop from System76 later would be the best way to go. I also would like to see Ubuntu or other Linux machines as an option on new PC’s.. Competition is a good thing.
I plan on buying a Dell with Ubuntu pre-installed to show support for OEM’s pre loading Linux….
Dell? What about companies like ZaReason.com and PricePC.com who have stuck with the open source community thru it all. Now you want to give your money to someone who has questionable loyalty to this community?
Please.
helios
Dell offers the n-Series systems to larger organizations and businesses. Dell also has CFI process in place that will allow customers to deploy whatever OS they deem in their interest. Dell has also submitted for certification on SLED many of it’s business platforms.
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I fail to see why ubuntu is the distribution that finally is going to make the cut though. There have been distros equal to ubuntu (or better) for years but ubuntu just has so much hype.
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