Buy! Buy! Buy! - into Openness (Linux Journal) [LWN.net]

Buy! Buy! Buy! - into Openness (Linux Journal)

Posted Apr 3, 2007 20:57 UTC (Tue) by docwhat (guest, #40373)
In reply to: Buy! Buy! Buy! - into Openness (Linux Journal) by leomilano
Parent article: Buy! Buy! Buy! - into Openness (Linux Journal)

But I don't *like* the Dell hardware. It's cheap feeling and the power supplies suck hard and they "key" all the hardware so it only works with Dell hardware.

I don't understand why this is a big deal; Dell just discovered one of the many ways that it isn't satisfying their customers.

Ciao!

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Buy! Buy! Buy! - into Openness (Linux Journal)

Posted Apr 3, 2007 21:18 UTC (Tue) by bfields (subscriber, #19510) [Link] (1 responses)

they "key" all the hardware so it only works with Dell hardware.

They do? What's an example?

Buy! Buy! Buy! - into Openness (Linux Journal)

Posted Apr 4, 2007 15:43 UTC (Wed) by lj (guest, #376) [Link]

I think the OP overstated this, but I will say that Dell uses non-ATX power supplies and motherboards in their systems. For example, I'm wrestling with this right now with two older PowerEdge 400SC systems with failing power supplies. I can either buy another Dell PS or I can go to PC Power and Cooling to get a Silencer 410 for about $120.

If the 400SC could accomodate a standard ATX power supply, I could go with a Seasonic 330 (which would be a nice improvement over the stock noisy Dell 250) for $60 from Newegg.

Same basic problem with the mobo- not standard ATX so my options for replacing the P4/i875-based board are limited.