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It is hard to select a linux box from the main "<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.dell.com">www.dell.com</a>" web site.
Instead try "linux.dell.com", and then on the right hand column select
"n-series Desktops" or "n-series Notebooks".<br>
<br>
Guy Fraser wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid1175014855.7067.23.camel@sigurd.incentre.net"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On Tue, 2007-03-27 at 08:27 -0700, BRUCE STANLEY wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">
Andy Green <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:andy@warmcat.com"><andy@warmcat.com></a> wrote:
BRUCE STANLEY wrote:
> If you go out to the Dell Website and select the "Dell
Workstations"
> option, you will see that you can select Red Hat Enterprise
Linux v4
> for your operating system.
>
> If you click on a Windows option for the same configuration,
> you will see that the starting priced for any version of
windows
> is higher than the starting price for Linux.
It doesn't work like that on the UK Dell Website. Last time I
looked I
couldn't even find any mention of Linux, but I checked today
and it is
mentioned. Here is what the navigation looks like right now to
try to
do as you suggest.
1) <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://dell.com">http://dell.com</a> redirects me to
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/default.aspx?c=uk&l=en&~ck=geo">http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/default.aspx?c=uk&l=en&~ck=geo</a>
Oh yeah on EVERY page: "Dell recommends Windows Vista (TM)
Business"
2) Select Desktops | Small business gets you to
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/desktops?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd">http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/desktops?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd</a>
where there is an advert for Vista in the top third of the
page.
3) "Choose" button for Dell Precision
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/precn_desktops?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd">http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/precn_desktops?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd</a>
Oh wow a "special offer" on -- "Windows Vista at no extra
cost"
But it does mention RHEL is an option, not a choosable option,
just
mentions it.
4) Click "Select" on the most expensive one, the 690. Gets you
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_690?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd">http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_690?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd</a>
Hm, RHEL is not mentioned any more, but "Windows Vista TM at
no extra
cost" is.
5) Click "Customize & Buy" for the left hand choice of two
690s, it's
the expensive one I figured it would have RHEL as an option.
Gets you here:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03692">http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03692</a>
Wow a whole page titled "Welcome to Windows Vista" with a gal
who looks
really happy. There are two buttons at the bottom, "Choose
Vista" and
"Choose Windows XP". Nothing about RHEL or Linux or anything
except
kissing one ring or the other.
6) Well I "chose" Vista let's say
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&kc=DRS66902&l=en&oc=W03692&s=bsd">http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&kc=DRS66902&l=en&oc=W03692&s=bsd</a>
Err choice between 3 types of Vista.
7) Back up to 5), try the "Choose XP" button
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&kc=DRS66902&l=en&oc=W03692xp&s=bsd">http://configure.euro.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?b=&c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&kc=DRS66902&l=en&oc=W03692xp&s=bsd</a>
Choice of XP or XP x64, no Linux.
8) Back up to 3), try the cheaper of the pair
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03691">http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03691</a>
Yeah "Choose Vista" or "Choose XP"
9) Back up to 2), try the cheapest, the 390 which also lists
RHEL
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_390?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd">http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/precn_390?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd</a>
10) Okay choose the most expensive on the left and "Customize
and Buy<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03392Aiieeee">"
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/emea/topics/vistabundles/bsdbundles?c=uk&cs=ukbsdt1&l=en&s=bsd&~section=W03392
Aiieeee "</a>Welcome to Windows Vista"
So it's nice if you can get Linux in the US Dell site, but I
can only
find it mentioned and I certainly am not being allowed to
compare prices.
-Andy
Interesting. Can you select the USA option from the Main page?
Or, can you order Linux via a salesman rather than ordering it
on line?
If not, maybe for some reason Dell is not yet set up to ship
Linux systems out of the USA.
Can't imagine why that would make a difference though.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->Doesn't matter, the Canadian and US sites don't allow you to select
Linux either, you can only Customize with XP or Customize with Vista.
You would probably have to order by phone or email. They do not want
to advertise their pricing for Linux, likely because they are still
way overcharging for it.
We order the Dell rack mount servers without any O/S, and do our
own custom installs, which we feel is preferable to a cookie cutter
Linux/Unix install.
</pre>
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