[OT] Dell D600 + NIC Troubles

[Robert P. J. Day]

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 Andrew_Morgan at Dell.com wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: fedora-list-bounces at redhat.com
> [mailto:fedora-list-bounces at redhat.com]On Behalf Of Ow Mun Heng
> Sent: 17 August 2004 10:27
> To: Fedora-List
> Subject: [OT] Dell D600 + NIC Troubles
...
> Please help, Dell is giving me a *&^ of a time because I also Run Linux.

i've had to deal with that nonsense several times over the last few 
years.  i've been the happy owner of both a 7500 and an 8100 inspiron, 
but i always dread calling dell for tech support because, inevitably, 
the first suggestion is to run the dell-supplied, windows-based 
diagnostics.  and when i point out that i'm not running windows, but 
linux, there is a several second pause, at which point i am 
*invariably* told that, well, i have to re-install the windows that 
came with the system because we *need* to run those diagnostics.  at 
which point, i politely but *firmly* explain that we will be doing no 
such thing, and that mr. dell person better listen really carefully to 
what i'm trying to say.  never fails.

i'm not convinced that any of the major vendors is taking linux 
seriously yet.  not dell.  and not, despite their massive financial 
investment, ibm.  exhibit A:  today's "globe and mail", with big ibm 
ad in business section, selling desktops and laptops, and prominent 
writing "IBM recommends Microsoft Windows XP Professional for 
Business."  yes, i'm sure they have no choice, it's part of some kind 
of arm-twisting microsoft licensing agreement, i suspect.

good thing the US DOJ put such a smackdown on microsoft back then. 
god only knows how they'd abuse their monopoly position if it weren't 
for that. :-)

anyway, the point is, despite all the "we like linux" happy talk from 
the major vendors, if you run linux, you still have to fight to be 
treated like a first-class citizen.

rday