Dell is running Linux on 3 models

May 25th, 2007, 10:48 PM

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned this bit of unusual news. Dell always used Intel chips, ran Microsoft Windows and their computers came directly from factory to customer.

Dell is a Texas company who actually listened to suggestions from its Ideastorm Website. Dell factories will begin making three popular computer models that run Ubuntu Linux immediately.

These models will sell at Walmart in the US and Puerto Rico. Why not Canada, I wonder? If you
could, would you buy a Dell Linux? They hit the shelves on June 10th.

Uncle

May 26th, 2007, 01:46 AM

I wouldn't buy a dell to begin with, let alone a dell with linux.

It's a nice nod to the Open Source community but I highly doubt that the average dell customer will be looking for an alternative to Windows.

I would prefer to see Dell offer linux as an option on all of their systems rather then pre-installing it on their bargain box's.

May 26th, 2007, 01:55 AM

No I wouldn't. I'd buy a Dell Windows system for low end office automation functions (you can get them for about $400 to $700) but for the high end, for what I want to do, I wouldn't touch Dell. Dell's price/performance advantage is at the low end, but if you want a system for high end gaming--which I do--Dell's price/performance advantage disappears and Linux won't run the games I want anyway. I use Linux regularly for serious computing, when I want to do software development or fiddle with my system, and when I've got it figured out I might redevelop it in Visual Basic on Windows, but usually I don't. The next system I acquire, for instance, if I get it in the next year, will be based on the Asus P5K main board with the P35 chipset, an Intel E6600 processor, and 2 Gb of DDR2 PC6400 RAM. I can get those components and stick them into my existing computer case, plus a new power supply and PCI-X video card, for less than I can buy a Dell system for with those specs. Then I'll repartition the drive and install a dual boot Windows-Linux system, just as my present system is.

But I'm a geek...

May 26th, 2007, 02:08 AM

[quote=Dexter Sinister;837873The next system I acquire, for instance, if I get it in the next year, will be based on the Asus P5K main board with the P35 chipset, an Intel E6600 processor, and 2 Gb of DDR2 PC6400 RAM. I can get those components and stick them into my existing computer case, plus a new power supply and PCI-X video card, for less than I can buy a Dell system for with those specs. Then I'll repartition the drive and install a dual boot Windows-Linux system, just as my present system is.

But I'm a geek... [/quote]

Dexter, consider the Asus P5NE 32-E SLI, built with the 680i chipset. It is the board I am running currently, it is by far the most customizable board I have bought yet. Best part about it is the overclocking abilities, in the BIOS, you can unlink the FSB frequency from the memory frequency allowing some impressive CPU speeds. You can easily obtain a 1ghz overclock with the Core 2 based cpu's. Here is a screenshot from CPUZ showing my current config.