Operating Systems - Multiboot Ideas
Pre-Installed Linux | Ubuntu | Fedora | OpenSUSE | Multi-Boot
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Sales Strategies, Desktops and Laptops submitted by dhart
02/16/07 **PARTIALLY IMPLEMENTED**
Offer the 3 top free Linux versions for free pre-installation on all Dell PCs.
Quality free and open source software drastically lowers the cost of new PCs, and helps prevent software piracy. For example OpenOffice.org, the Microsoft Office alternative, can shave hundreds of dollars off the price of a new PC. Cast your vote for OpenOffice and other free software.
Offer easy multi-boot options with Windows Vista, Windows XP, or NO Windows (yes, Linux can entirely replace Windows!)
Offer trade-ins and Linux CDs for older model Dell PCs. Cast your vote for the mini Linux Dell PC and the Universal Education Dell PC, both utilizing free software.
Would you try Linux if it were this easy?
CHOICE is what consumers want on their new PCs, not annoying surprise circus-ware (the typical smattering of confusing 3rd party popup-infested software found on most new Dell PCs). Quality free and open source software is well behaved, and may be legally pre-installed on PCs, and legally shared with friends and family, sharing is encouraged! Cast your vote for consumer CHOICE and public transparency at Dell.
Please take a look at www.dell.com/open for linux options on the Inspiron.
151150
Support Windows XP By Posting Drivers for PCs with Vista
Operating Systems - Multiboot submitted by gear
Apr 15
Now that the decision has been made by Microsoft to keep XP Home and other editions on the market at least until 2010, it is time to do more to add value to Dell's product and take advantage of your build to order model.
Recently, it is noted that:
a) the Inspiron 1520 has been brought back with XP for the home market.
This need to be greatly expanded with XP available pre-installed on every PC sold by Dell. The build to order model is indifferent to it.
b) Retail machines sold at Best Buy, etc. need to come with XP and not just Vista.
Want to be real brilliant? Find a way with Microsoft so that customer can choose whether they want Vista or XP installed when they first boot up a new machine. Make the choice revocable so that a customer can always change their mind later if they made the wrong decision.
c) Dell need to support their customers who had the misfortune to have bought Vista based machines before the full extent of the Vista disaster (few drivers that work properly, etc.) were known.
There are many people out there who have machines that were bought that cannot do what it was intended to do because of the failings of Vista.
Specifically, Dell need to make available "unofficially" or officially, XP drivers for all machines that are shipped with Vista to date.
While Dell can elect not to support these machine's software if they are reinstalled with Windows XP, providing the drivers is a must.
What Dell can do is to make clear what devices will work, what wouldn't work if XP were installed on it, and how much functionality a user converting a Vista machine to XP can expect.
If Dell is real clever, they would offer to these loyal customers the option of either downloading the drivers from the website, or alternatively, having the drivers / application programs disks mailed to them for a nominal cost.
Want to be real smart? Sell a retrofit kit including a copy of Windows XP (Upgrade edition) so users can easily upgrade their Vista machines to Windows XP.
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FYI, I bought an Inspiron 1525 at retail and converted it to XP myself.
The problem was difficult if you wanted to use AHCI rather than ATA compatibility mode. (Had to create my own boot disk from the XP disks).
I got it working, but had to hunt for drivers from the Inspiron 1520 (not all of them work properly), the Latitute D820 (some work), and then, some of the Inspiron 1525 drivers work with both Vista and XP.
As it stands, your competitors Fujitsu and Sony are both shipping XP installation disks and drivers with every Vista Business machine shipped.
Give customers a reason to choose build to order by offering something that is simply not available from your competitors HP, etc.
210
Universal Computer capable of running Linux/OSX/Windows.
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Desktops and Laptops submitted by okroger104
Jan 18
What about considering the idea of a computer whose hardware is certified to be compatible with the three major operating systems? OSX, LINUX, and Windows.
User can specify which OSs they would like to have preinstalled or none at all. (not sure about OSX, but you can walk into any Apple store and pick up a copy.) But at least the unit would be certified to be fully compatible w/ these OSs.
Each of these OSs can run on Intel's platforms and also with Nvidia's graphics chips. They all utilize wifi, USB and firewire.
300
User selects which OS(Linux or Windows) to boot into on all new Dells
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Desktops and Laptops submitted by shannon_vanwagner
12/14/07
Imagine the headline.."With Dell you get a choice in what OS you can boot into when your computer starts up!" OR "Experience the best of all worlds Windows/Linux with your dual-boot Dell!!"
Dell could be the only company (at least initially) that sells all computers with the capability to select which OS (Linux or Windows) to use after the computer boots up. The computer can be configured to dual-boot Linux or Windows at the factory.
This would give both new users and experienced users the awesome capability to choose which Operating System they want to use every time they boot up their computer!! It's very important that common people get a choice when it comes to which OS they get to use - it's the future of computing!
Technology and Innovation is so important these days and so by offering this feature I think this would help to make Dell the market leader in innovation.
Here's how it might work:
The computer boots up and gives the user a choice with a snazzy, easy to use menu to select whether to enter Windows or to enter Linux (the Linux could eventually even be a few different distros so there would be even more choice!).
The user would then select which OS they want to use for that session, select it and then boot into it. Eventually Dell could then add the functionality for the two operating systems to share(or at least have access to) a part of the filesystem so the user's files could be accessed from whichever OS the user is currently booted into.
There would also be a simple recovery DVD and/or partition that could put the machine back to its original state if the user were to mess anything up.
Think about it, this would give users ULTIMATE POWER and more importantly A CHOICE!!! DELL CAN BREAK THE MONOPOLY AND SET THE NEW STANDARD!
Be INNOVATIVE, Think CHOICE!!
Can't wait to see it!!
DELL ROCKS!
Shannon VanWagner
250
Ubuntu & Win XP Dual boot; Open office and Firefox /Thunderbird
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Desktops and Laptops submitted by bsteff
02/20/07
Sell desktops (and yes laptops) with dual boot of Ubuntu AND Win XP. My particular work environment cannot tolerate Vista and I don't like the control Microsoft is attempting to exert over my PC. Consumers are NOT mindless idiots!!! GEt rid of DRM. I will gladly pay for digital content and I will not sell/give it to a friend or acquaintance (read pirate/thief). GWA is bad enough with threats from Microsoft to crank up the pressure on non-genuine PC's. I am a physician and I control, to a large extent, at my hospital system what type of software we get in the form of PACS (computerized x-ray digital image viewing on local PC's - thin client) Almost all of imaging is now digital.
The threat of Microsoft DRM degrading images used for the critical diagnosis of patients is intolerable such that we are exerting considerable pressure on vendors to provide clients that run under open source. Why open source? Simplyu because it puts us back in control. If images are degraded and critical diagnoses missed, we docs and our patients are going to pay the price. Ubuntu, and other GUI's of LInux (such as Xandros) can let us avoid this. I run Ubuntu routinely and find it dependable and easy to use. I can trust it. Microsoft has lost my last shred of trust with Vista and its DRM and driver situation.
On another front, we in medicine are under tremendous pressure to cut costs. For a faculty of over 400 at my medical school and staff of about 1500, the cost of MS Office is tremendous. Open Office Org. software is a great help in this regared and even has features that MS Office does not offer. MS has lost our trust. We will probably all use Open Office Org in the future - so why not offer it as loaded at purchase time. I would be willing to pay a nominal fee, say $30-50 for the loading up of the software on my PC so htat i can use it immediately when I receive it.
Dell should know that the loading of all the JUNK software that comes on my PC's from Dell is a Large factor in my reluctance to order new PC's at shorter intervals, no matter what the technical hardware advances.
Brad A. Steffler, MD
Medical School Professor
1336
Windows XP
Operating Systems - Multiboot, Desktops and Laptops submitted by xdz3r0
08/08/07
Add Windows XP as an option for ALL laptops and desktops. Period.
or even better. allow consumer to choose 2 OS's. I know I'd be so much happier knowing I could boot into Windows XP and Vista, seeing as Vista doesnt even have a Service Pack out yet and it's full of bugs.
310
Open Source, Debian
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot submitted by gplgeek
02/20/07
We really need a option to not ship any OS with the system, or be able to choose Debian pre-installed.
All systems should have NATIVE and preferably open drivers where possible. For example, wifi drivers should be open, or provided by the kernel. Kernel.org offers to code drivers free if given specs by companies so there is no reason we should not have a stable and compatible system.
Most of my friends are moving to linux for gaming, as I have, but I do admit that I use other os's from time to time to play legacy games... For this reason maybe you should have checkboxes so that people can select the os's that they want.
I'm sure they would be satisfied with a install cd, or even netboot image, in fact you could put many net-boot installers on a multi-boot dvd and in one disk easily allow the installation of debian, debian testing (etch), Fedora, OpenSuse, Ubuntu, Freedos, Reactos, FreeBSD, DragonFly BSD, etc.
I am not opposed to offering Microsoft products to users but having any OS be a default OS, or exclusively ship with a PC, screams anti-trade to me.
921
Flexible OS selection
Operating Systems, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Desktops and Laptops submitted by frobert
02/20/07
Woould GREATLY appreciate the ability to select more than ONE OS for a new computer. Given the ONLY choice of XP Media stinks! One should have all XP choices.
Having a linux boot sector would be good also.
No reason why Firefox can't be placed on the new unit @ Dell--it's FREE.
Dell just needs MORE selections especially since it touts building YOUR OWN computer THEN give us the abilitly to CHOOSE !!!
912
Dell multi booter software
Operating Systems - Multiboot, Software submitted by pro2ghz
Apr 1
Create your own Dell multi booter software.
OK, maybe im not clear.
Dell, should make this multi OS booter software, which in the beginning, when you open ur computer the software window( of the multibooter software comes up) and asks you which OS you want to use.
make it simple, straght to the point yet as John Maeda points out complex to do many thing yet simple and slick.
comment if im not clear.
and yes I know these software are already out there BUT let DELL make which I hope will be easy to use and already preloaded.
90
Dual Boot XP and VISTA
Operating Systems - Multiboot submitted by tom
02/21/07
Due to the problems with Vista, Vista drivers, and Vista software compatibility, a dual boot system with XP and Vista should be the norm. An option should be provided to eliminate one or the other operating system at a later date.
30
Easy Dual Boot Option
Operating Systems - Multiboot submitted by brheitner
Feb 14
IF Dell cannot have pre-configured Dual Boot Systems sold with both Ubuntu/Vista.
Can Dell include a utility to "MAKE IT EASIER" for the most basic of users to optionally install another OS?
EX- A utility that backop the HD, partions the drive, installs the Grub, Lilo or Custom Dell Boot Selector and then allows the user to install the new OS (EX: Dell Vista machine including the utility then the user can easily install Ubuntu without the "Fear" of running an ubuntu Live CD to partition the hard drive and install).
270
Dell: Offer OPTIONAL Dual-boot Linux and Windows - on your new Ubuntu systems!
Linux, Operating Systems - Multiboot, Sales Strategies submitted by phubert
06/01/07
Other suppliers of primarily LINUX systems (Pogolinux, for example) offer this.
If you wish to compete with existing 2nd tier suppliers who are clearly responding to their own customers' requests, you should offer dual-boot configurations.
Depending on what systems you offer, DEVELOPERS will be among those buying.
Virtualization (along with such as CrossOver Office) is one approach, but dual boot isn't going away yet!
I believe more are likely to try your Linux PC offers if they can have dual-boot as well.
**
Let me suggest XP Pro or a higher-end Vista (since XP won't continue to be _available_ to you TO offer).
**
Since this refers specifically to the new Ubuntu systems, it is not a duplicate suggestion.
**
2007-08-09
Clearly, Dell's latest statements about their directions in support of virtualization could easily make THIS suggestion moot.
I think a round of applause is due Dell for this!
570
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