Ensuring the Success of Dell Desktop Linux
I’m watching the progress that Dell is making with their second desktop Linux effort and am increasingly wondering how long before the Linux supporters make it clear to Dell this is a bad idea. While some are being patient, it is becoming increasingly clear to me that many don’t fundamentally understand why this is vastly more difficult than it looks, and why Dell will desperately need their support, not their constant criticism, to justify continuing the effort.
This week let me try to explain why it is nearly impossible, but not actually impossible, to do desktop Linux from an OEM’s perspective and why, right now, most of Dell’s competitors are betting Dell will fail in this effort.
Let’s be clear: I don’t think Microsoft will cause this to fail. I don’t think Windows users will cause this to fail. I’m damn near convinced that Linux supporters will cause this to fail, and that is the problem that will need to be addressed if this is to succeed.
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Dilution and Misuse of the "Linux" Brand
|
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today's howtos
|
Time to buy a Dell folks!
I was wondering when someone would get past all the Dell Linux hype and put the ball squarely back in the Linux users court.
Dell needs this to be commercially viable, so we need to buy these when Dell releases something to the public.
Save your pennies.
re: Dell
Bad design, poor QC, Off shored support, Zillions of legal loopholes and lame ass excuses in their "no matter what" exorbitantly priced service contracts, and more pre-installed crapware then any other vendor on the planet - um..... No Thanks.
Re: Dell is the Suxorz
All true. I can't help but think that after years of asking why we cannot get a major OEM player to sell Linux on the desktop, it smacks of hypocrisy complain about the vendor.
Enderle
I know it's your choice, Susan, but I have learned to ignore everything from that Microsoft shill and never post links to that. By feeding him you're asking for more of the subtle anti-Linux FUD.
Rob Enderle: 'I started writing about Linux because I was told I couldn't and
the more people told me I couldn?t, and particularly when they said 'or
else,' the more the Linux dirty laundry became attractive to me'
Rob Enderle: 'I saw what appeared to be a word-for-word copy of about every
third line of code in the central module of the Linux kernel'
Rob Enderle: 'many Linux supporters are a bunch of potty-mouthed malcontents.
Enterprises are better off staying away from Linux and open source'
Rob Enderle: 'Linux is being widely used on the desktop in the third world,
where applications are limited and labor is inexpensive..' Rob Enderle
Rob Enderle: 'I have a hard time seeing the Zealots as any different from
terrorist... I strongly believe that if September 11 showed us anything, it
was that zealots'
Linux fails to defend itself against imaginary FUD problem
,----[ Quote ]
| I wouldn't normally respond to pleas for attention, but Rob Enderle's
| latest piece on Linux and FUD cannot escape comment.
`----
http://www.businessreviewonline.com/os/archives/2007/02/linux_fails_to.html
Microsoft Xbox to Join the Battle for Video Downloading
,----[ Quote ]
| Editors' Note: November 10, 2006, Friday An article in Business Day
| on Tuesday described a decision by Microsoft to offer movies and
| episodes of television shows for downloading through its Xbox Live
| online service in the United States.
|
| The article quoted Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle
| Group, discussing the features that set Xbox Live service apart
| and its position in the market.
|
| But the article did not note that Mr. Enderle had Microsoft as a client,
| a fact later pointed out by a reader. Mr. Enderle does consulting work
| for several of Microsoft's product groups, though not for the one
| developing the Xbox; still, had The Times known of Mr. Enderle's work
| for Microsoft, it would not have sought out his opinion on the product.
`----
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50713F83A5B0C748CDDA80994DE404482
http://tinyurl.com/y3avsv
NY Times bans Microsoft analysts from Microsoft stories
,----[ Quote ]
| The New York Times continues to perplex with its analyst- quoting
| policy. Rather than having analysts declare their ties to clients,
| the paper would prefer to quote analysts that have no experience
| with a client - a protocol which seems to undermine the very point
| of citing analysts.
|
| The Register this week started pushing the Times to explain its
| quoting stance after noticing that Rob Enderle - the most quoted
| ^^^^^^^^^^^
| technology analyst on the planet - had been blocked from commenting
| on companies with which he has a financial relationship. The ban
| against Enderle appeared odd, given that Times reporters continue
| to cite analysts from larger firms who also have financial
| relationships with the companies discussed.
|
| [...]
|
| As it turns out, there's a cottage industry devoted to Rob
| Enderle, where Linux zealots fire off this form letter to editors
| whenever Enderle appears talking about Microsoft. Perhaps the Linux
| crowd could put its fabled collective mind toward creating letters
| for all the major analysts. Lord knows, the Times could use
| some help.
`----
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/15/nytimes_ms_ban/
PC Mag May Boycott Edelman PR
Transparency is a word that's been kicked around a lot lately. But too much transparency is what got Edelman PR pro and blogebrity Steve Rubel kicked around this week, instead. An early Friday 13th comment about PC Magazine is fueling a potential boycott, as well as fulfilling what the PR world had feared about blogging.
Same Edelman?