Alienware Evaluating Customers' Interest in Linux

http://www.osnews.com/story/24310/Alienware_Evaluating_Customers_Interest_in_Linux

by vimes656 • 16 years ago

49 49 16 years ago

goombastic2• 16 years ago

Would have been easier for them to allow people to say no to Windows when they buy the laptop, rather than do polls and other stuff.

I would be interested in: a) easier windows refunds and b)GNU-Linux compatible specs.

arespredator• 16 years ago

As much as I admire Alienware computers' design, craftsmanship, speed, etc., and as much as I appreciate the company's interest in linux, I hardly think there's any sense in Alienware linux-based computers, since they're designed for gaming and gaming only.

asdfj843lkdjs3• 16 years ago

I wanted an off the shelf consumer RAID1 one desktop. Only Alienware offered something like that. It came with Win7, I am still trying to get Ubuntu to recognize the RAID.

benologist2• 16 years ago

The desktop I bought at BestBuy ~3 years ago came with raid, it's not an uncommon option anymore.

corin_4• 16 years ago

However they are a part of Dell, so possibly feedback to Alienware will also be used by their colleagues in non-gaming areas.

burgerbrain2• 16 years ago

As much as I admire any manufacturers interest in linux, I hardly think there's any sense in anybody shipping with it. Few people who want to use linux are incapable of spending the 20 minutes to install it themselves, and no matter what distro you pick you'll never satisfy a large portion of your linux using customers.

Just sell me a computer with a blank harddrive. That would be swell.

Dobbs4• 15 years ago

I want hardware support. I want a set of open specs on a laptop. That way FreeBSD, Debian, Ubuntu, and Slackware could all possibly run on it. I don't want to purchase a system in which if you use their preinstalled version of Ubuntu it works but anything else your hosed.

So when I look at a 'Linux' laptop that is what I'm looking at it for. Can I run FreeBSD with working sound/sleep/wireless?

trotsky• 16 years ago

Gaming is one of the few things I still boot into windows for.

chris11• 15 years ago

I'd chose linux if it was cheaper. MSDNAA is free so there is no reason for me to pay any money for another copy of windows.

corin_4• 16 years ago

"Would you be willing to pay extra for a Linux-based Alienware system?"

mironathetin• 16 years ago

Actually, Alienware would save money. Windows pre-installed does not come for free. A linux based system should be cheaper than a windows based computer.

I never liked to pay for a windows licence by default although I install linux anyway.

corin_4• 16 years ago

That was my point. If I buy a computer with linux on I expect it to be cheaper than Windows, so it was weird that Alienware are asking people that question.

boredguy8• 16 years ago

I thought one of Alienware's distinction was their support. Presumably they need to hire support reps for whatever flavor of Linux they support. Also presumably, this is more costly and intensive than hiring someone with an A+ certification. Obviously this is conjecture, but it would explain the 'charge more'.

corin_4• 16 years ago

I can't fairly speak to their support quality (having never bought their products, and as someone who sees a fair bit of their money come my way for marketing) but:

- I would have thought most people currently buying linux PCs don't have the same support needs as those buying Windows PCs (generalisation obviously, but lowest common denominator and averages)

- For Dell products at least, support is a paid-for extra that you can add on when buying (at least for OS-level support)

- I wonder how the costs would balance out between needing staff with new skills and saving money on Windows licenses

ZoFreX3• 15 years ago

If it was reasonably priced and decent, I would actually love support for Linux on my pc. My next one will probably be an Alienware (the mx11 netbook), and if they can make things less of a headache, I'm all for it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a geek, I'm a power user, I can fix my own computer. I just don't want to. I just installed the latest version of Ubuntu on my current netbook, and surprise surprise, I need to hack some drivers and recompile the kernel. It's a chore that I just don't want to deal with any more.

More economically, if the price of support works out less than the opportunity cost of doing it myself, then it obviously makes sense to use the support.

amalcon2• 16 years ago

Alienware has always been focused on gaming systems. Maybe they want to bundle some form of VMWare?

narag• 16 years ago

Crapware authors pay manufacturers. At least that's the rationale they use to give.

sandGorgon• 15 years ago

yes - for good suspend/resume (in laptops), multiple monitor (hot plugging and unplugging doesnt work as well as Win 7) and.... Steam.

novas0x2a• 15 years ago

Yes, I would. Why is that weird? It's not just about the money. Linux users are clearly willing to spend more for some things. Even though it's probably a symbolic gesture, the humble indie bundles show that.[1][2]

Not to mention that it will cost Alienware quite a bit of money to start shipping Linux. As I put in the "additional comments" box in the survey: I would pay (up to $150) extra only if every installed hardware component (sans video card) worked properly with stock Linux. That includes webcam and HDMI audio out. Video card is sort of a special case, though :(

1) http://www.wolfire.com/humble 2) http://www.humblebundle.com/

freyrs3• 16 years ago

If I have $3k to drop and need that much horsepower I'd rather build a small cluster for the price.

asdfj843lkdjs3• 16 years ago

You can do MUCH better building for yourself. Sadly, some of us don't have the time.

iwwr2• 15 years ago

If you're paying $2-3K for an Alienware machine, you might as well fork over $99 for a Windows OEM.

Edit: A link to the actual survey

http://www.alienware.com/Surveys/AlienSurvey.aspx?Id=2960712...

goombastic2• 15 years ago

Geeks optimize everything. 99$ extra for Win (esp. if you don't use it) is 99$ wasted. Many of us are also finicky about taking a stand. A thousand geeks saying no to 99$ extra is a lot of money and a community in itself.

iwwr2• 15 years ago

What would you use an Alienware Linux machine for?

lanstein• 15 years ago

The dollar sign goes before the number.

azim• 15 years ago

Installing Linux in favor of Windows won't make computers cheaper. Microsoft sells OEM distributors their Windows 7 Home license for around $50. Then, the reason off the shelf computers come bundled with so much bloatware from the likes of McAffee, Symantec, and 100 free hours of AOL is because those companies pay for it. In many cases, pc manufacturers actually return a net positive on installed software.

drinian2• 15 years ago

It's a tax paid to Microsoft. It's a matter of principle.

Legion• 15 years ago

What I get from buying a "Linux machine" isn't just avoiding purchasing a Windows license. (Those tend to be paid for by all the software bundling, anyway)

What I get is a computer that is tested on Linux and thus is known to have well-supported hardware.

I've had plenty of computers that "work" in Linux, but some of the smaller details (suspend/resume, advanced functions of the audio hardware, etc) would either not work, or would only work after considerable effort.

polymind2• 15 years ago

I love alienware products very much. Their sheer no-compromise attitude to build the best gaming pc's is known through the world. I personally feel that they should enter linux market by manufacturing specific products, for ex something on the lines of google cr-48 chrome notebook. There is lot of scope in this area and personally as a hacker/programmer I know what kind of hunger we are in. Also a lot of customizations can be done on linux desktops & laptops which the traditional companies like sony,lenovo,ibm,apple don't offer. //(There is lot to talk, but i think i made all my important points)\\

So I hearty welcome their interest in knowing our interest, but will be seriously disappointed if they didn't enter this market. :)

ZoFreX3• 15 years ago

> Their sheer no-compromise attitude to build the best gaming pc's is known through the world

Sorry, but this is fluff. There are many companies that make specialist gaming PCs, and Alienware aren't number one. Don't get me wrong, they're good (and the vast majority of pre-made "gaming" PCs I've seen were absolutely terrible), but they're no Scan for example.

polymind2• 15 years ago

>Sorry, but this is fluff. There are many companies that make specialist gaming PCs, and Alienware aren't number one. Don't get me wrong, they're good (and the vast majority of pre-made "gaming" PCs I've seen were absolutely terrible), but they're no Scan for example.

If you got the idea from my post that Alienware are the best manufactures of 'gaming pc', then I am sorry. All I was claiming is that their 'attitude' 'in building' the best pc's in the world. And for the sake of debate, name any other company that is as consistent as alienware in offering similar products across a wide spectrum. Please don't say my 'backyard tony' builds a better one than them. One company that is accessible to all kind of people.

drinian2• 15 years ago

My last laptop was from Sager, which is rebranded Clevo. http://system76.com also sells them with Ubuntu pre-loaded. They're absolutely fantastic machines.

narrator• 15 years ago

If I want a high-powered computer to run desktop Linux I go for HP. They certify and rigorously test a subset of their desktop systems to fully support Linux:

http://h20338.www2.hp.com/enterprise/cache/321143-0-0-0-121....

sigzero• 15 years ago

I had no idea HP did that.

sgt• 15 years ago

Sigh, I can't read OSNews anymore. It's got ugly ads plastered all over it.

wazoox• 15 years ago

Funnily, it's one of the very few websites I white-listed in adblock, because they asked very nicely their readers to do so to support them.

Alienware Evaluating Customers' Interest in Linux

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