Dell to Offer Ubuntu 7.04

[oldandinthe way]

How serious is Dell about this.

They just signed with Microsoft and Novell for their important customers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070507/ap_on_hi_te/dell_microsoft_novell_4

[tekkieman]

I saw that announcement this morning. I think between offering Ubuntu and re-offering XP, they had to something to appease Microsoft or risk loosing their discounts. In addition, this affords them the "Microsoft protection" scheme that MS demands for the "use of MS intellectual property in linux". Since the specific terms of the agreement state "the promise not to sue the other company's customers", now Dell is a SuSE customer.

[oldandinthe way]

The agreement is not to sue the end-user who uses the Novell product. Use Ubuntu and who knows. Dell has gotten no protection for its Ubuntu sales from Microsoft.

Dell has lost focus and Wall Streets confidence. It is grasping at straws. Its tough to be a company that makes money and gets shat on by the street. They don't really want a big load of consumer business, the corprate world isn't going to be asking them to load Ubuntu, and they really don't need any more support costs.

So get involved in Linux, accomodate a small knoweledgeable group of consumers who want Ubuntu, and offer a path to protect their corporate users.

Only the last relates to revenue streams, and its a defense.

The rest is crap for the morons who are called Wall Street analysts.

[tekkieman]

The agreement is not to sue the end-user who uses the Novell product. Use Ubuntu and who knows. Dell has gotten no protection for its Ubuntu sales from Microsoft.

Dell has lost focus and Wall Streets confidence. It is grasping at straws. Its tough to be a company that makes money and gets shat on by the street. They don't really want a big load of consumer business, the corprate world isn't going to be asking them to load Ubuntu, and they really don't need any more support costs.

So get involved in Linux, accomodate a small knoweledgeable group of consumers who want Ubuntu, and offer a path to protect their corporate users.

Only the last relates to revenue streams, and its a defense.

The rest is crap for the morons who are called Wall Street analysts.

Agreed on the protection of their corporate users. As I understand it, the consumer machines will still get Ubuntu. The SuSE will be specific to servers (along with the Red Hat offering). The corporate customers who purchase SuSE will have paid their "protection money" to Microsoft. Red Hat has their own indemnity assurance, and none of the above could give a crap about the lowly personal user who has squat (unless you declare yourself an independent unpaid developer).

Did anybody really think Dell with get away with giving MS the boid?

[saggitarius]

I had tried to use Ubuntu on my system before, but I don't know ANYTHING about coding and the display on my 19" widescreen LCD monitor was all weird. It looks nice and I really like what I have been reading about linux, I just don't have much time/patience to mess about with stuff. Maybe someday.

[AlecWest]

Just my 2 cents. There seems to be an awful lot of turmoil in the OS world nowadays. Dell will be offering Ubuntu 7.04 (the same distro CEO Michael Dell uses) and is also offering the option of WinXP over Vista. At first, I thought this was just a Dell thing. But insofar as Vista is concerned, I just saw 2 catalogs - one HP, one CDW - and both "suggest" Vista but are offering WinXP as an option. It's almost as though Vista has taken on an air of infamy. If Dell was the only company offering WinXP in lieu of Vista, it would be easy to say that they were grasping at straws. But two major equipment sellers and a major online catalog seller???

When Microsoft recently released glowing sales reports for Vista, a PC Magazine reporter asked them to differentiate between actual sales of the software and installations on computers that are yet to be sold. Microsoft refused comment. Mayhaps there is trouble on Mt. Olympus (Redmond) that they want to keep under wraps.

But it's interesting that, at this time of turmoil, Linux distros (particularly Ubuntu) are now getting recognition by hardware sellers that was previously elusive to the distros. I'm curious to know if any other entity outside Dell is planning on offering a Linux distro option. I've not seen one yet ... but I'm not privy to all the catalog offerings of all sellers. However, if more sellers jump on the Linux bandwagon, it can only be because consumers are asking for it. And if consumers are asking for it in growing numbers, Microsoft may be in for a reckoning of sorts ... especially if the distros become more user friendly over time.

Microsoft may rule the OS roost right now. But word-of-mouth advertising is a powerful tool ... and "free" is a very good price for an OS.

Right now, I'm haggling with an online builder over the particulars of the new desktop system I want to get. But, I know at least three local builders, too. Eventually, though, I'll go with one of them. And Ubuntu will be one of the OS options I'll choose from at first (with Win98SE and WinXP on other partitions). Of course, I could end up with more than one Linux partition, too. And, I suspect I'll quickly find a lot of Linux options to Windows software and, over time, will greatly reduce my dependence on Windows (or possibly eliminate the dependence altogether).

[oldandinthe way]

Consumers can ask for Ubuntu, XP or Vista.

But the default is still Vista.

Corporate users have always had choices. There have been corporate users with Windows 2000 on new Dells thorugh most of the life of XP.

Dell really wants to please Wall Street, it incorporated AMD processors in their product line principally to please the analysts. Anyone know what % of Dell's sales are AMD rather than Intel?

For over the first 20 something of the past 30 years, we have heard that Unix will take over the PC operating system space. It took over a large part of the Federal governments computers, and we know how successful most of their systems have been.

For the past 6 or 7 years (maybe more) we have heard how Linux would take over the desktop. So far it hasn't and I suspect that if that was to be the case it would have been.

Linux has had one great area of success - network servers. In my opinion the credit for that goes to Apache. An Apache webserver with Linux and any old hardware is the most cost effective webserver. And it is reliable.

The only way Linux will take over any more product space is with another "killer ap" which runs only on Linux. Unfortuantely "open-source" aps can easily be ported to Windows or OS/X so the Linux community contains the brake on its acceptance.

[ViRaL1]

What's the cost difference? If it's nominal, I'd rather have my Windows license and then later install Linux if I so choose. Sadly, I've been lazy when it comes to Linux. I just haven't been able to talk myself into taking the time to install / configure it, although I do hear there's a lot less configuration than there used to be.

[AlecWest]

For the past 6 or 7 years (maybe more) we have heard how Linux would take over the desktop. So far it hasn't and I suspect that if that was to be the case it would have been.

Well, that was the point of my post. For the past few years (since DOS went to Win3.x), manufacturers and catalog vendors have always pushed the new OS and never looked back. For home computing purposes, this is the first time I can recall that (at least) 2 major sellers and 1 catalog vendor have done a "backstep" based, I assume, on consumer demand.

Added to that is Microsoft's unwillingness to answer the differentiation question when asked by PC Magazine - coupled with the countless users in countless forums (like my HP forum) desperately trying to downgrade their Vista machine to XP, and there appears to be an awful lot of unrefrigerated fish in Redmond. It might be too soon to count Linux out.

The only way Linux will take over any more product space is with another "killer ap" which runs only on Linux. Unfortuantely "open-source" aps can easily be ported to Windows or OS/X so the Linux community contains the brake on its acceptance.

Whether it can be easily ported to Windows or OS/X isn't the issue. The issue is what OS hardware manufacturers will install on the systems they sell. In the PC world, that has always been Windows ... up to now. Now, sellers are not only giving users an option of "which" Windows they'll install, but Linux, too. And, they're not giving users these options to "be nice," they're doing it to make money because consumers have demanded the options.

I remember a time when Motorola was a major CPU seller. And nobody could envision the day when they'd be kicked off the hill. But then came upstarts Intel and AMD ... and we all know how many Motorola CPU's are sold today. Just because things have "always been" one way doesn't mean they won't change ... especially if the company on the hill seems to be doing its best to alienate their client-base. True, corporate users may continue to remain "sheeple" and follow the old standard course. But lately, there seems to be fewer sheeple in the home user market. Time will tell...

[oldandinthe way]

What the O/S manufacturers feature and the retailers stock is what people buy.

Adding Linux to a catalog (even Dell's and HP's) does not lead people to buy Linux, it allows the manufacturer to serve people who already want Linux.

Walmart tried offering Linux systems on Walmart.com some time back. It no longer offers Linux systems because nobody bought them - in spite of a lower price.

Motorola supplied processors principally to Apple and Commodore. Commodore is gone and Apple is a perpetual also ran - now on Intel hardware.

Intel was in the PC business with the 8008 when Motorola was shipping the 6502. Hardly an upstart.

I was a manager in a Motorola subsidiary when the 68000 was shipping, we wanted to use other vendor's microprocessors because the 68000 was an inferior product for our applications. If its own subsidiaries felt their processor was deficient, its no wonder they are not in the marketplace. By the way, Motorola spun off the chip operation some years back.

I have repeatedly made the point that consumer demand has been irrelevant to decisions by PC makers. It is wall street analyst opinion that is driving them - Dell in particular.

The PC market has been driven by "bigger, faster, cheaper" for many years now. A look at AMD marketshare is a great example of this. When they offered faster and cheaper, they gained share. Now that Intel offers faster and cheaper, AMD is losing share, and having to compete on price has placed them at a huge financial disadvantage because Intel has a much more economical manufacturing structure.

Long ago I learned that most PC owners tend to want what they use at work. They may not buy the same hardware (cost being an issue for many), but they run the same software, either purchased or pirated. Way back in the dawn of time, every PC which came into my dealership had a copy of Lotus 1-2-3 on it, because that's what people used, ditto Word Perfect. Both vendors were slow to adopt Windows, and guess what we found on every machine, Word and Excel. By the time these vendors brought out their Windows products, it was too late.

People don't want Microsoft application clones, they want Microsoft applications. If Apple users buy any third party software the first applications they buy are from Microsoft. Jobs sold Microsoft a piece of his company to keep them producing office for mac.

No Microsoft applications on Linux to date.

No hit applications of any type on Linux to date.

No consumer demand for Linux. It can appeal to the disaffected Microsoft user. It can appeal to those who see the beauty in its design. It can appeal to those who see the righteousness of open source. It can appeal to the home-brew PC builder who wants to save the cost of an O/S. But there still is little consumer demand.

If you asked the general public what the alternative to Windows is, they'd answer - Apple. Where are your Linux commercials? Can't you obfuscate and lie as well as Apple. Or is it there is no vendor who sees any chance to build demand for Linux by advertising.

Notice that at no point in this rant have I mentioned "technical superiority", "reliability" or any of those points which spur heated debate. That is because these are not factors which drive the mass market. Good enough is good enough.

[buttzilla]

I believe they tinkered with red hat years ago. I recall a supervisor around twelve years ago purchasing a redhat Dell. Shortly after his purchase he installed windows.

[buttzilla]

I forgot to add to my last post that Dell has chosen to join with Novell and microsoft and not Ubuntu. Does that mean no ubuntu machines at all

[AlecWest]

If you asked the general public what the alternative to Windows is, they'd answer - Apple. Where are your Linux commercials? Can't you obfuscate and lie as well as Apple. Or is it there is no vendor who sees any chance to build demand for Linux by advertising.

"Commercials" are for people who want to make money off of what they develop. Many open-source developers aren't motivated by profit. But word-of-mouth advertising is pretty powerful.

A few years ago, an author wrote a novel that no publisher would touch. So, he paid to have it published. A year later and 300,000 copies sold, the publishers began to take notice ... and Warner offered author James Redfield a seven-figure advance to publish his novel, "The Celestine Prophesy," which later became a film. Now (ahem), I'm not saying that the novel or film was "good" ... only that consumers demanded the book ... and when they demanded it enough, a major book distributor (Warner) listened. And in the computer world, open-source OSs are free ... so there's one less person to pay for the privelege of using it.

But I can understand your defense of Microsoft. For years, and sometimes even now, I dream of the long-gone days when there was only one phone company - Ma Bell. And I remember the "always was, always will be" beliefs that many people had for Ma Bell. Well, they're still around. But they're not the only game in town.

[oldandinthe way]

I'm not defending Microsoft.

I'm disagreeing with your idea that if you build a better mousetrap people will come. Linux has been around quite a while, unless something happens which makes it seem attractive it will not grow into a threat to Microsoft.

When James Buchanan Duke invented modern marketing to take advantage of the fact that he could manufacture in one day, more cigarettes than were consumed in a year, he set the stage for our consumer society.

If you don't market a product, no one will demand it. If there is no one to profit by the success of the product no one markets it.

If Linux were a commercial product it would have succeeded or failed by now. Instead it lives on the margins, supported by dedicated followers who make gradual improvements in it. But sheep move in herds, and need to be herded. They is no shepard.

As for Ma Bell a red herring. Judge Green decided that breaking it up under our antitrust laws would benefit the public. It remains to be seen whether the public actually needed this. The surviving baby bells are larger than Ma was. They hold the patents which are needed to connect to the phone network, possibly stifling competition (ask Vonage). And they divied up much pf the wireless business.

We pay less for long distance but more for local service and will pay more still as the Bells divest themselves of local service.

[AlecWest]

I'm not defending Microsoft.

I'm disagreeing with your idea that if you build a better mousetrap people will come. Linux has been around quite a while, unless something happens which makes it seem attractive it will not grow into a threat to Microsoft.

Well, something has happened. In almost every home user forum I've seen, Vista is generally not spoken of in kind terms. The threat to Microsoft is Microsoft itself. Here's just one opinion:

http://blog.waynehartman.com/archive/2007/04/12/66.aspx

True, this is a Windows to Windows switch. But Microsoft isn't just alienating home users as this year-old article indicates:

http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/5436/

And while all this alienating is going on, Linux is not standing still:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=FTLB2UMUHKFK2QSNDLQCK...leID=197001889

But, I suppose you and I could argue this until we're both blue in the face. You would think that, by now, Microsoft would be publically promising a Vista update to resolve the driver and compatability issues. And while they might not be standing still, their PR department should wake up and smell the coffee. If they don't, they will face a situation they've never had to face before ... word-of-mouth marketing pressure from free open-source developers - compounded by Microsoft's "our way or the highway" arrogance toward support for a faulty product that, in the box, costs a lot of money.

P.S. I can remember a time when Japanese and Korean automobiles were laughed at by the "big 3" in Detroit and thought of as "toys." They aren't laughing anymore. In all likelihood, they've gone into partnership with them to survive.

[Faustus]

If you don't market a product, no one will demand it. If there is no one to profit by the success of the product no one markets it.

The why for the first time in my 10+ years are customers ASKING about linux. Why have I had several calls from people who are obviously not "super users" saying "I think I have a hardware problem, but want to let you know before we begin that I have linux on this system"

I forgot to add to my last post that Dell has chosen to join with Novell and microsoft and not Ubuntu. Does that mean no ubuntu machines at all

NOvell for server products, Ubuntu for Desktop Computing

[AlecWest]

Then why for the first time in my 10+ years are customers ASKING about linux? Why have I had several calls from people who are obviously not "super users" saying "I think I have a hardware problem, but want to let you know before we begin that I have linux on this system?"

I'm not a computer professional. But, I'm known by friends (to my chagrin, sometimes) as a computer "geek" and am constantly being asked for advice on this and that. And like you, some of my friends are bringing up the Linux question before I bring it up to them. Just recently, I received a "Ubuntu" teeshirt in the mail and wore it to work. Only two people asked me about it ... but their question wasn't "What the heck does that mean?" It was, "So, you run it on your computer? What's it like?"

Sadly, I have to tell them that I'm still using a Win98SE/WinXP dual-boot system ... but that my next system (could be purchased within the next month or so) will be a triple-boot scenario adding Ubuntu into the mix ... and possibly other distros in other partitions. Point is, the people asking me could not even be remotely defined as "geeks." One of them didn't even know what a "firewall" was until I explained it to him. But I suspect that the garden-variety user, after hearing all the recent problems with Vista (or possibly experiencing them), is now very curious about alternatives ... especially the "turnkey" alternatives like Ubuntu.

In the Microsoft-Watch comments area on an article dealing with WGA re-validation snafus, a computer retailer named Chris made this comment:

Its bad enough that in my current job I've seen this a few times already since Vista's release in January to John Q. Public. "Call Microsoft. It's a problem with Windows Genuine Advantage," is my answer to their concern.

Telling them something they don't want to hear is met with the expected anger at my company. I can't back down, since it's not our fault.

"Microsoft thinks you're a pirate. We have no control over this since we didn't create the operating system. Furthermore, calling the computer's manufacturer isn't going to do any good either. They'll tell you to call Microsoft. You must go straight to the heart of the problem by calling Microsoft. If you don't want to go through the hassle with this kind of garbage, get a Mac or install Linux on this computer."

This usually diffuses the bomb. The customer understands they have to call Microsoft. But, in more than half the instances, I've been asked to explain the alternatives. I usually start with showing them the Macs we have available. I often end by demonstrating Ubuntu from a Live CD, handing it to them after the demo, and saying, "Here, I've got more copies where this came from. It's free as in beer and free as in speech. If you like it, copy it for your friends. No one will call you a pirate for it." The next time it happens, I'll be able to add, "Ubuntu is so well designed and supported that Dell is shipping it on some of their desktop and laptop systems."

I dread the next mainboard replacement I have to perform and having to tell the customer to purchase a new license because of Microsoft's EULA.

My job is to provide solutions for my customers. While Microsoft and the rest of Windows-based software industry has solutions available for most needs, the bottom line is that Microsoft has to stop abusing it's customers. Piracy is a problem, but abusing customers is not a solution. This is not win-win for anyone. In the long run it's likely to cost Microsoft a lot more than just pirated software.

Unfortunately, I don't think they'll stop. I think they'll go right on abusing their client-base until the only client-base they're left with are those who feel "trapped" by Microsoft.

Of course, if I hear someone bemoan their "trapped" situation, I'll start singing a lyric from a song by The Eagles:

So often times it happens,
That we live our lives in chains,
And we never even know
We hold the key.

Hopefully, by that time, I'll be "already gone."

P.S. BTW, I've always been interested in trying Linux. It's part of the reason I chose my "avatar" as I did back in 2002 when I first joined these forums (hint hint). But, it took XP's invasiveness followed by Vista's enhanced invasiveness (and other Vista problems) before I considered jumping ship. Now, when I think about my own system, jumping ship from Microsoft has elevated itself from a mere "desire" to a "holy quest."

[AlecWest]

Bump. This isn't Ubuntu. But it isn't Windows, either:

http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_n?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

[buttzilla]

I'm not defending Microsoft.

I'm disagreeing with your idea that if you build a better mousetrap people will come. Linux has been around quite a while, unless something happens which makes it seem attractive it will not grow into a threat to Microsoft.

Well, something has happened. In almost every home user forum I've seen, Vista is generally not spoken of in kind terms. The threat to Microsoft is Microsoft itself. Here's just one opinion:

http://blog.waynehartman.com/archive/2007/04/12/66.aspx

True, this is a Windows to Windows switch. But Microsoft isn't just alienating home users as this year-old article indicates:

http://www.neoseeker.com/news/story/5436/

And while all this alienating is going on, Linux is not standing still:

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=FTLB2UMUHKFK2QSNDLQCK...leID=197001889

But, I suppose you and I could argue this until we're both blue in the face. You would think that, by now, Microsoft would be publically promising a Vista update to resolve the driver and compatability issues. And while they might not be standing still, their PR department should wake up and smell the coffee. If they don't, they will face a situation they've never had to face before ... word-of-mouth marketing pressure from free open-source developers - compounded by Microsoft's "our way or the highway" arrogance toward support for a faulty product that, in the box, costs a lot of money.

P.S. I can remember a time when Japanese and Korean automobiles were laughed at by the "big 3" in Detroit and thought of as "toys." They aren't laughing anymore. In all likelihood, they've gone into partnership with them to survive.

You are showing us one complaint. Show me a few million more and i might agree. So far they have sold 40 millions copies. At those numbers you will have a few people who have complaints. My only major problem is that not all software titles are yet compatable with it. Is that their fault or is it the fault of the software vendors?

[Faustus]

Bump. This isn't Ubuntu. But it isn't Windows, either:

http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_n?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

I'm pretty sure they are going with that for Business use and Ubuntu for consumer use.

[DereX888]

Ubuntu to i.e. Slackware is like Windows XP to Windoows 2000: very similar with same roots, yet both polluted with useless features that supposed to help "newbies" (which they don't).

If someone needs Windows to install any linux distro - its a mistake. Stay with your windows, and try to learn a bit about linux first. Youre not ready for linux yet.

If you can't set i.e. partitions or a boot manager for yourself and by yourself on the system you want to install linux on - don't do it, its a mistake, stay with your windows. Youre not ready forl inux yet.

If you dont have home network of computers, dont play with various more or less advanced video toys, but use just a single machine just for web browsing, email and chat - then HELL YES, go for it, Ubuntu is all you need (but then I doubt you'll be on this forum)

Many people have this weird idea that jumping to linux as "difficult" as jumping from win98 to winXP - well, it isn't.
No matter how many DVDs full of wizards, helpers etc etc Ubuntu will come with - it will always be linux, and as such it require at least a bit of brain from the user at some point.
IMHO no linux distro is ready "for the masses" yet.
Some of you may think its stupid, but I always compare easiness of every new distro against... Windows 95. I'm sorry to say it, but even newest Ubuntu is still not half easy as that old dreck was. Im sure my mother would stuck with non-working camera, wrong refresh rate (if she wouldn't have LCD yet) or just wrong screen resolution because of her widescreen monitor... and those are just simplest things that ought work by itself...

[acid_burn]

a half dozen web sites I use that require Internet Explorer

Which six websites were you referring to?

I don't doubt you, I've always suspected that some holdouts are out there somewhere, I'm just curious to check them out.

[DereX888]

a half dozen web sites I use that require Internet Explorer

Which six websites were you referring to?

I don't doubt you, I've always suspected that some holdouts are out there somewhere, I'm just curious to check them out.

LOL do you have to ask?

Im sure of those, so lemme shoot:

www.microsoft.com
www.windows.com
www.windowsupdate.com
www.officeupdate.com
www.windowsvista.com
and
many of the fictional 'companies' websites created by Microsoft (click here for list) that were usually created as an "real life examples" or a "case in study" LOL

[AlecWest]

So far they have sold 40 millions copies.

Uh-huh ... and when PC Magazine contacted Microsoft and asked them to differentiate between actual REAL in-the-box sales of Vista and mere installations on computers that have yet to be sold, Microsoft declined comment. They have done a good job of creating the "illusion" that Vista is actually "popular." But as one Wired Magazine columnist put it, "Vista is writing checks that Microsoft can't cash."

[AlecWest]

and a half dozen web sites I use that require Internet Explorer.

When I first started browsing (after a short stint with Mosaic lonnnng ago), I chose Netscape over MSIE ... and stayed with Netscape until I converted to Mozilla and Firefox. I'm not saying they're "better" than MSIE, just that I preferred the browsers. And when it comes to businesses, I developed a personal policy ... that I don't do business with sites that order me to use a specific browser. The lion's share of websites out there are cross-compatible between browsers ... which leads me to believe that webmasters who choose to code MSIE-only sites are just plain lazy. And design laziness curries no favor with my wallet.

[Faustus]

Ubuntu Dells to be released later today. 2 Desktops and 1 notebook.

[AlecWest]

Ubuntu Dells to be released later today. 2 Desktops and 1 notebook.

Yup. At 2:00 PM PDT, the http://dell.com/open website will stop linking to a "splash" page saying Ubuntu is coming and start linking to a page showing the systems available. Still, I'm wondering about something. Will Dell sell these units only by direct sale ... or will Dell Ubuntu units also be sold in Walmart stores:

http://www.i4u.com/article9127.html

[dphirschler]

No consumer demand for Linux. It can appeal to the disaffected Microsoft user. It can appeal to those who see the beauty in its design. It can appeal to those who see the righteousness of open source. It can appeal to the home-brew PC builder who wants to save the cost of an O/S. But there still is little consumer demand.

I recently checked out the Ubuntu Linux live CD as well as the KDE version Kubuntu (FWIW, I prefer the standard Ubuntu which to my understanding is Gnome). I was beyond impressed, and I have decided to make the switch, at least on one PC at home which gets heavy use.

I am currently a WinXP user. My most powerful PC at home has XP on it and I use it for audio and video restoration. There are many applications I used on that machine that I doubt I will find on Linux. And so, for now, that machine will remain a Windows PC. But I suspect as time marches on, I will discover new tools to do what I currently do in Windows.

And oldandintheway points out several reasons why I want to make the switch. My fondness for open-source software is only one reason.

I hope Ubuntu Linux takes off for several reasons. And I see Dell's decision to ship Ubuntu as a positive. One thing I hope this leads to is pressure on hardware manufacturers to make Linux drivers available.

Anyways, wish me luck making the switch. See you on the other side.


Darryl

[AlecWest]

Here are the Ubuntu machines from Dell:

http://www.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/linux_3x?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

[dphirschler]

Well, Ubuntu installed without problems. And so far, I am extremely impressed. I have it connected to my Windows network, sharing files, using the shared printer. Connected to the Internet without a hitch, configured my video. And I am a complete Linux noob.

Now if I could just find a driver for my Hauppauge HVR-1600... In the mean time, I will just have to use my other Hauppauge card (WinTV).

This is quite the learning experience, and a lot of fun. The OS is fast and light and the GUI is attractive and intuitive. It's still hard to believe this OS is free.


Darryl