# attention all Linux geeks who are looking to buy a new computer...



## 14yearpcmaker (Mar 11, 2007)

It appears that DELL will be offering Windows ***OR*** Linux preinstalled on their pcs now~~~!!!  



> Based on customer feedback Dell began soliciting last month, Dell said that a top request among customers was that the company should begin offering Linux as an alternative to Windows on its personal computers, according to a posting on a company blog. Dell said it "has heard" what customers said and will act accordingly.
> 
> "We will expand our Linux support beyond our existing servers and Precision workstation line," the company said on its IdeaStorm blog . "Our first step in this effort is offering Linux pre-installed on select desktop and notebook systems."
> 
> ...


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2007)

WOOHOO! I'm very happy to hear that!


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## 14yearpcmaker (Mar 11, 2007)

ladycat said:


> WOOHOO! I'm very happy to hear that!


Me too!


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## primal1 (Aug 22, 2003)

Finally!!!


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Now watch 'em pick something not too many people use, like Slack.


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## tnhomestead (Jul 23, 2006)

itsa start


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

Its nice if the linux dell is selling is the one you want. I also doubt the amount of support they will actually offer you. I know novell's SUSE linux support is pretty bad. YOu get nice kernel support but provided application is hit miss if they have any idea how it works.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

For my part, I hope they offer Ubuntu simply because the support - both professional and 'bulletinboard' is top notch.


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## designer (Aug 19, 2004)

I've heard good things about Linux but never tried it. I am not happy with windows but can you run normal software on linux?I've also thought of getting a Mac but haven't because of the same reason. What kind of programs can you use on linux?


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## 14yearpcmaker (Mar 11, 2007)

Linux is not compatable with ANY windows program.


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## pixelphotograph (Apr 8, 2007)

Dell had done that a few years back and now that Michael Dell is back so is linux

lenovo (ibm) also does well with different flavors of linux as well.


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## Andy Nonymous (Aug 20, 2005)

14yearpcmaker said:


> Linux is not compatable with ANY windows program.


Not true! I take it you have never heard of Wine, the wiindow emulator for X based OS's http://www.winehq.com/ And Wine is not the only Win Emulator, just the most popular.

About 4 years ago I had a copy of Corel Linux (Debian based) running on a desktop system, and liked it quite well. Windows couldn't "see" or access any part of the Linux partition, but Linux could access and read everything on the windows partion of the hard disk, read and write to WordPerfect .wpd / .rtf files previously done in WP for windows without problems, read and write text files, work with graphic files with Gimp, browse with Mozilla, etc, etc... 

Even if Linux didn't run any windows programs, exactly which windows programs have no equivilent in Linux (other than some games)? OpenOffice does nearly everything Word will do, with nearly identical menus as Word (and it's free / open source, and will work under Windows, or Linux, or Max OS11, or Sun Solaris). So do you really need windows? 

And even some games are ported to Linux these days. There are a couple geeks in the neighborhood who have Diablo, Neverwinter Knights, and Everquest hosted on Linux servers for their friends to log into and play. 

Linux: it's not just for geeks. :nerd: :angel:


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## 14yearpcmaker (Mar 11, 2007)

Andy Nonymous said:


> Not true! I take it you have never heard of Wine, the wiindow emulator for X based OS's http://www.winehq.com/ And Wine is not the only Win Emulator, just the most popular.
> 
> About 4 years ago I had a copy of Corel Linux (Debian based) running on a desktop system, and liked it quite well. Windows couldn't "see" or access any part of the Linux partition, but Linux could access and read everything on the windows partion of the hard disk, read and write to WordPerfect .wpd / .rtf files previously done in WP for windows without problems, read and write text files, work with graphic files with Gimp, browse with Mozilla, etc, etc...
> 
> ...


1.) you didn't have to come off so hateful
2.) where did I state that windows programs aren't compatable when using a *windows emulator*??

and yes, I have heard of WINE and other emulators, as I use WINE every once in a while.



Andy Nonymous said:


> Linux: it's not just for geeks


where did I state that It was ONLY for geeks, other than the title? And I only said, "attention all linux geeks who are looking to buy a new computer"...do you honestly think a 50 year old computer novice will go out and buy a Linux system? Windows is hard enough for a computer novice, let alone Linux.


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## Gary in ohio (May 11, 2002)

14yearpcmaker said:


> Linux is not compatable with ANY windows program.


Linux is an OS, programs run on OS's. So no native windows programs can run on linux. They can run UNDER linux using WINE or some of the other windows emulators.


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## 14yearpcmaker (Mar 11, 2007)

Gary in ohio said:


> Linux is an OS, programs run on OS's. So no native windows programs can run on linux. They can run UNDER linux using WINE or some of the other windows emulators.


Exactly my point


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