[Ham-Linux] Here is a message I ahve been trying get Dell to answer.

[jeff]

> On Tue, 2006-04-18 at 21:12 -0700, Leo B. Whiteway wrote:
> > This message has had no response and I wonder if we will have to look 
> > for a different supplier.
> > Posting this to these groups may not be polite but I am getting angry 
> > with the lack of response from Dell.

It's not only Dell - email response from major retailers just plain
sucks.


> > I want to buy notebook/laptop computer/s and I want to know if you will 
> > sell any without any operating system as we do not allow any computers 
> > in our place of business with any Microsoft software installed.

Dell will actually put linux on some of their servers, but I don't
believe it's offered to the public - only their corporate customers.
The website should tell you.

Your best bet for any answer at all would be to call them.  While I
can't state you'll get anybody with a clue, it's probably better than
you will get via email.

Not that I don't sympathize, but will your business be negatively
impacted by a laptop with Windows sitting in the building?



I am a corporate Dell customer.  When they got into the printer business
(by which I mean they slapped a DELL emblem on a Lexmark), I had to
rattle a lot of chains to get a linux driver.  The Somebody that
eventually called me apologized for the delay and emailed me the driver.
I suggested that perhaps they consider actually putting the driver on
the website, allowing them to avoid calls like mine.

If you go to the site, pick a day when you won't be in a hurry.  Even
their customer site crawls sometimes.


> > Do you sell computers without Microsoft or do you only force buyers to 
> > pay the Microsoft penalty and thus have us clear the drive and reinstall 
> > proper software?

You might be able to get a server with no OS.

Generally the larger companies won't sell computers w/o Winblows.
There's some sort of legal hitch, but I'm not 100% sure what it is.


> HP (but probably not Compaq) is pushing Linux, might even ship with
> Linux if you ask.

I'm pretty sure that Dell only uses Red Hat for linux servers.



Overall, I'm pretty happy with Dell.
This does not mean there haven't been a lot of frustrating episodes, but
they're pretty good.  Right off the bat, their warranty will have either
a new part shipped to you overnight or a part and a tech to install it.
Their phone lines are 24x7x365.

Of course you still have to call their support lines first, which is
another story entirely......


I'll close with fair warning on a related topic:
AVOID CHEYENNE/ARCSERVE/BRIGHTSTOR backup products.  If they are your
only choice, use Windows Backup or command line copy commands.

I spent forty-two days with the dedicated, polite,
somewhat-knowledgeable folks who provide tech support for their
products.  I went from the bottom to the top techies and after 42 days,
NOTHING GOT FIXED.  They finally recommended not using their OWN agent
for backup.

The only person I talked to from my country was the operator who routed
my calls to India.  There is NO support in the US, including the VPs.  I
got so frustrated with the lack of a fix that my only entertainment was
trying to figure out how to make them laugh.  Rest assured that Bob,
Maria, and Frank were NOT their real names (well-spoken though they
were).