Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
Posted May 24, 2007 18:54 UTC (Thu) by kjp (guest, #39639)Parent article: Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
still waiting for the machines to go up. they're older mobos and don't appear to have an e-sata port. They have a wiki but still dont have detailed specs. I assume they're btx. The pictures on the windows configurator pages are tiny and not very good at all. Come on dell. Pages and pages of crap addons but no detailed specs and pics? You're going to have to at least try to get me to switch from newegg.
If they get close to my parts wishlist price of a e6420 with 2gb ram and 2 sata disks I might get an xps 410. Unfortunately they stick it to you with ram and disk upgrades.
Posted May 24, 2007 21:23 UTC (Thu)
by kjp (guest, #39639)
[Link] (5 responses)
xps 410, e6420 core 2 duo, 2gb ram, 250gb disk, nvidia 7300 le, no monitor or speakers = 869 for the ubuntu and 919 for windows. So the $50 discount is correct.
Posted May 25, 2007 5:43 UTC (Fri)
by drag (guest, #31333)
[Link]
Generally speaking Linux MD software raid is faster and more stable. Generally speakind you'd only use the Linux 'fakeraid' dm drivers if you need compatability with dual booting Windows or something like that.
Posted May 25, 2007 8:46 UTC (Fri)
by kripkenstein (guest, #43281)
[Link] (3 responses)
So there is still some price advantage for Ubuntu, but it isn't that big. Still nice though.
Posted May 26, 2007 15:47 UTC (Sat)
by Duncan (guest, #6647)
[Link] (1 responses)
I was wondering about graphics, as the comments I'd seen so far said
Looks like at least on this one, that's what's at play, as Intel graphics
Since proprietary kernel/xorg drivers are an option not even under
Duncan
Posted May 27, 2007 12:48 UTC (Sun)
by drag (guest, #31333)
[Link]
The 9200 you mentioned is a R200 card. I had a PCIe X800 that ran fine using dRI drivers and that is a r400 (r480 or something like that) card.
The current generation of ATI cards are the r500 series. They are not supported by either 2D or 3D Free software drivers. Vesa compatability is the only option for Linux users unless you install their proprietary drivers.
You can easily identify a r500 card by the fact the name of it will be numbered above x1000. Like a x1300 is a R500 card.
It looks like this Dell laptop is a model that is specific for Linux users. The corrisponding Windows laptop is the 1505 (vs 1505n for tUbuntu) and it indeed has the ATI card. Looks like Dell ditched the ATI graphics for this card in favor for the standard Intel graphics and optional Nvidia add-on.
So if you buy this laptop with the onboard Intel graphics and ditch the proprietary Intel 'regulatory daemon' in favor the the updated firmware and mac80211-based drivers then you can have a fully Free software supported laptop. (unless your the type that will consider the closed firmware as restrictive)
Posted May 26, 2007 17:44 UTC (Sat)
by fergal (guest, #602)
[Link]
Posted May 25, 2007 2:27 UTC (Fri)
by kjp (guest, #39639)
[Link] (1 responses)
It shows the partition lay out (with a couple of recovery partitions) and says the bios is flashable using linux tools.
Posted May 26, 2007 15:50 UTC (Sat)
by Duncan (guest, #6647)
[Link]
=8^) I've been using FreeDOS to handle flashing here. It'd be nice to be
Duncan
Just priced the machines. Unfortunately, they don't offer a RAID set up with the ubuntu machines(!) so I priced them with 1 250GB drive.Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
I haven't looked at that hardware, but I expect that the RAID options for the comparable Windows machines are 'BIOS-assistanted' or 'host-raid' sorts of SATA raid. Also known as 'fake raid' in Linux-land. This is common for low-end systems.Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Hardware/sata.html
I checked some configurations for the notebook offering. It also seems to have about a $50 price difference in favor of Ubuntu vs. Windows. However, the Windows notebook has a nice ATI graphics card, whereas the Ubuntu one has Intel GMA. On the other hand, picking Windows Home Premium instead of Home Basic (which you need for Aero, and probably other things - most users would want it, I am guessing) adds $30.Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
> However, the Windows notebook has a niceDell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
> ATI graphics card, whereas the Ubuntu one
> has Intel GMA.
proprietary graphics, but the stories all quoted Dell saying they'd focus
on open source driver available hardware.
have open/native Linux/xorg drivers, while neither NVidia nor ATI hardware
anything close to modern has good open/native 3D support, and some even
lacks decent open 2D support, it's all proprietary.
consideration here, period (I'm running an ATI Radeon 9200 on my
workstation, the last of the series that ATI provided support for open
drivers on), ATI/NVidia graphics were therefore a no-go for me, despite
what I might otherwise consider. If Dell's actually doing Intel graphics,
they're back in consideration again, for the laptop I've been thinking
about getting. I'd run Gentoo/amd64 on it of course, since that's what
I'm running on my workstation, and I could compile for both at the same
time that way.
There are Free software drivers 3D drivers for ATI cards for r200, r300, and r400 series cards. (most of them, there are still models specific that are troublesome)Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
I have a Shuttle that I use as a PVR, it's on-board ATI graphics card is no longer supported by ATI and the open driver doesn't do TV-out so Ubuntu 7.04 is out of bounds. ATI graphics cards don't sound so "nice" to me (at the time of purchase, there was no real open option).Dell launches three Ubuntu Linux PC (Computerworld)
They have an interesting wiki at http://linux.dell.com/wiki/index.php/Ubuntu_7.04Wiki
> [T]he bios is flashable using linux tools.Wiki
able to do it from Linux, however. Glad Dell sees it that way too. =8^)