3 ms·

Just ran into this buying a laptop! I bought the Windows one, nuked it, and had Ubuntu installed in like 15 minutes :D

fnands 5y ago
Yeah I was kinda wondering, what's their game plan here? Hope that people don't notice the price difference and DIY it? Might just be what someone else said, this is what Dell is not being paid to pre-install whatever
- belval 5y ago
  Precisely, Dell does not care and knows that people using Linux mostly likely know how to install it, so why not get the $200 from McAfee?
- closeparen 5y ago
  If you install it yourself then presumably Dell is not responsible for any compatibility/quality issues.
- gambiting 5y ago
  When you work at a big company and put a request in for a laptop with Linux, then IT will just order you that Linux version of it - no one cares that there's $200 to be saved there by reinstalling the OS. IT doesn't have the time nor the need to do that - they will just order the Linux version and be done.
  - Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
    I'd think IT would be re-imaging the laptop from a common image before giving it to the user, so they'd still be better off getting the Windows laptop and wiping it.
    - gambiting 5y ago
      Maybe, but you might be overestimating certain IT departments. At my wife's work everyone uses windows laptops, but her team needed Macs for some technical reason, so they all got brand new Macs that IT basically refused to support, they haven't been preconfigured or anything. I feel like if she asked for a Linux laptop they would just buy her one of these and that would be it. If it breaks then Dell can deal with it.
Ourgon 5y ago
I did this with a "Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo Windows Home Server" some 14 years ago and managed to get the licence fee ($60) back from Microsoft after sending them a bunch of stickers, manuals and assorted included Windows-related guff. I had to hammer them a bit but after a letter or three they gave in. I don't know where you live but if it is somewhere within the EU it could be worth trying this. I have no idea whether such an attempt could succeed in the USA without taking them to some court or other.
- solarkraft 5y ago
  It can be hard. Related story: https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210302-01.html https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210302-01.html

Yeah I was kinda wondering, what's their game plan here? Hope that people don't notice the price difference and DIY it? Might just be what someone else said, this is what Dell is not being paid to pre-install whatever

belval 5y ago
Precisely, Dell does not care and knows that people using Linux mostly likely know how to install it, so why not get the $200 from McAfee?
closeparen 5y ago
If you install it yourself then presumably Dell is not responsible for any compatibility/quality issues.
gambiting 5y ago
When you work at a big company and put a request in for a laptop with Linux, then IT will just order you that Linux version of it - no one cares that there's $200 to be saved there by reinstalling the OS. IT doesn't have the time nor the need to do that - they will just order the Linux version and be done.
- Sohcahtoa82 5y ago
  I'd think IT would be re-imaging the laptop from a common image before giving it to the user, so they'd still be better off getting the Windows laptop and wiping it.
  - gambiting 5y ago
    Maybe, but you might be overestimating certain IT departments. At my wife's work everyone uses windows laptops, but her team needed Macs for some technical reason, so they all got brand new Macs that IT basically refused to support, they haven't been preconfigured or anything. I feel like if she asked for a Linux laptop they would just buy her one of these and that would be it. If it breaks then Dell can deal with it.

Ourgon 5y ago

I did this with a "Fujitsu-Siemens Scaleo Windows Home Server" some 14 years ago and managed to get the licence fee ($60) back from Microsoft after sending them a bunch of stickers, manuals and assorted included Windows-related guff. I had to hammer them a bit but after a letter or three they gave in. I don't know where you live but if it is somewhere within the EU it could be worth trying this. I have no idea whether such an attempt could succeed in the USA without taking them to some court or other.

solarkraft 5y ago
It can be hard. Related story: https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210302-01.html https://fsfe.org/news/2021/news-20210302-01.html