Dell: 1 in 3 netbooks sold with Linux...

... and customers aren't returning them, contrary to the experiences of other laptop-makers. Ubuntu scores! [Lilliputing]

[#1 posted by chus3r , February 25, 2009 10:14 AM]

We just ordered one a couple of weeks ago. It should arrive today with any luck and my non-tech wife is really excited about giving Ubuntu a whirl. If they do another special price deal like they did before we might grab another one for the kids.

[#2 posted by Jerm , February 25, 2009 6:05 PM]

I wonder how many of the folks ordering the linux ones are thinking of converting them to hackintoshes?

[#3 posted by mork the delayer , February 26, 2009 8:59 AM]

Hm. You can get it with 3G support, but only w/ Windows.

[#4 posted by Roy Trumbull , February 26, 2009 8:59 AM]

Making my laptop dual boot with Ubuntu was one of the best things I ever did. As MS operating systems age so much update crudeware is added that they grind to a halt.
Ubuntu is up in less than a minute. I've also switched to Open Office.

[#5 posted by Crackity Jones , February 26, 2009 9:33 AM]

XP let me down about a year ago - I lose everything. I thought that I might at least try Ubuntu now that I'm at ground 0 and have nothing to lose. So I boot it up and have been using it since... well, until I got a Dell Notebook with Vista - which I think is better (please don't shoot). Ubuntu is great but still has a long way to come, but I'm really pleased that it's getting more cover. There's a lot of love, time and effort put into it.

[#6 posted by BastardNamban , February 26, 2009 9:48 AM]

"If you build it they will come"

Dell, remember this. You're getting it RIGHT.

Don't stop now. Don't let MS cripple another miracle platform- linux is the saviour of the netbook. Keep making it. People "get" linux isn't just for "computer geeks" now. Not that that ever was true, but that they get that it isn't now.

Keep it up!

[#7 posted by Auto Parts for Brains , February 26, 2009 10:39 AM]

Ubuntu is great, but it is still a baby ( a cute and adorable one at that)compared to Microsoft's Windows or Apple's OSx. I am glad that Dell chose to give their customers a choice. I am sticking with XP though. It does all the things I need to do without relearning anything.

[#8 posted by beneditor , February 26, 2009 11:57 AM]

Research shows that 1 in 3 netbook users save themselves the cost of a windoze license, and by the linux version. Then install OS X on it. Probably.

[#9 posted by Itsumishi , February 26, 2009 6:54 PM]

That's good news. I'm sure Ubunto is nice (I have only had the pleasure of using it for a few minutes at a time). If I had a netbook I'd certainly look at it.

However there are two reasons that I have not switched away from XP despite how much I hate it and Microsoft in general.

Firstly Adobe doesn't support Linux. My 3 primary applications are Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver. Without these well I wouldn't use my computer much.

Secondly I don't have the money for a decent Mac setup (which I would love!). I get cheap second hand parts for PCs through my work and stuff and manage to keep a half decent although slightly unstable rig going.

Also I am aware that you can download applications that will allow you to operate a virtual windows environment, etc on Linux machines that can then deploy Adobe. However this just means you eat more ram and run unnecessary and even more unstable applications.
-
Also as someone that knows a bit of coding, but very little Linux coding my Boss has an EEE running that strange little Xandros build. That thing is a fucking nightmare. It's fine if you want to use it as is, but buy any extra hardware that's not supported, want to updgrade software already installed (eg. Open office 3) and god damn that shit is difficult and time consuming.

[#10 posted by skyjack23 , February 27, 2009 4:32 AM]

Linux isn't for graphic designers. Adobe isn't supported for now, and getting Adobe to run on Linux isn't fun or worth it. But every graphic designer I know has an art computer and a personal computer. My personal computer runs xubuntu. I use it for writing articles, web stuff, spreadsheets, and just surfing. Most people don't do much more than that on their computers.

Every time a friend comes to me with a "broken" computer, it's a catastrophic windoze failure. I install ubuntu or xubuntu depending on how old the machine is, and tell them that it isn't windoze, so they'll have to keep an open mind and be willing to learn. I haven't had anyone want to go back to MS.

I'm not ready to give up OSX completely and forever, but most people are even if they don't know it.

[#11 posted by Oddball , February 27, 2009 1:22 PM]

I'm guessing they're not getting returns because they've gone with a distro that isn't horrific.

Itsumishi, I would strongly recommend your boss install eeebuntu on his eee PC. That Xandros distro is a complete disaster from the ground up. eeebuntu should work perfectly out of the box, and it is a fairly standard linux distro with an interface that doesn't suck.

[#12 posted by Itsumishi , March 1, 2009 6:47 PM]

But every graphic designer I know has an art computer and a personal computer.

I'm not a graphic designer. At least not yet. It's essentially a hobby that I make a little money with on the side. I also can not afford to purchase 2 computers, as I said I've built the one I do have out of scrap parts I get through my work.

I would strongly recommend your boss install eeebuntu on his eee PC.

I think I'll do this today.