Dell Netbooks: Windows XP Beats Ubuntu On Value

is that wrong? If it encourages them to offer more Linux systems at the same price of XP is that a loss? Isn't Linux better value for the money?

Yes but since the vendors pay less for the OS they can still make a nice profit.

>Yes but since the vendors pay less for the OS they can still make a nice profit.

Sigh. So easy to make assumptions when you don't have to come up with facts.

Two points: The OS is only one cost of selling computers. Support, inventory, etc,etc also affect costs. And... That crapware installed on Windows machines brings in revenue that offsets the cost of Windows.

An interesting thing, I discovered today. The problem with the original availability of Linux powered Asus netbooks in Australia, when they were first released (the original 701s), there wasn't enough to meet demand, and Asus and others are choosing to ship windows powered netbooks, to Australia, rather than manufacture more and ship Linux powered ones to meet the market demand, which would be quite high, the same percentage as in the US.

Quoting:Asus and others are choosing to ship windows powered netbooks, to Australia, rather than manufacture more and ship Linux powered ones to meet the market demand

Can you hear the "oh noes, what have we done?!?" screaming from that? ;)

Quoting:Can you hear the "oh noes, what have we done?

No.... People are buying netbooks, and living with the limited functionality that they get from Windows., which means they are making sales anyway.

Which gives me the screaming tom tits, because I had to buy Windows Home powered machines in order to supply customers with Linux powered machines.

If I can find an overseas supplier, at the right price, I'll import them myself

ta, my opinion (and I sound like a broken record, I know) is that users get even less functionality on the Eee from the supplied Xandros than they would from running XP. I want it to die.

I won't be selling the Xandros pre load. I'll be replacing it with something more useful, like EeeBuntu

Actually it occurs to me that the manufacturers are dumping their windows net books here.

It's very hard finding a distro that's juuuust right on the Eee. There's always something that does not work entirely right. Functionally almost anything is better than the supplied Xandros, but that does run rather snappy and boots up just as fast.

I meant to try CrunchEee, but alas the wee lappie has left the building, and when I get my own netbook it likely won't be an Eee.

Would we want to know what the OEM's are paying for the old Winders softsnare?

I will bet that m$ is giving the netbook builders free use of xp just so they will use it.

> I will bet that m$ is giving the netbook builders free use of xp just so they will use it.

My guess is not more than $2. I seriously doubt there is much of a difference in price between Linux and Windows - we also don't know what Xandros gets from Asus.

The comparison in the article didn't make a lot of sense to me. The author is comparing Dell's price for Ubuntu to Best Buy's price for Windows. Best Buy AFAICT is selling the equipment close to cost and then trying to sell software and Geek Squad for the profit. I recently got a $400 laptop and they weren't happy to hear that I'd be running Linux.