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posted by mrpg on Friday November 17 2017, @05:29PM   Printer-friendly
from the but-isn't-it-free? dept.

Dude, you're gettin' a Dell!

The whole juggernaut that is now Linux on Dell started as the brainchild of two core individuals, Barton George (Senior Principal Engineer) and Jared Dominguez (OS Architect and Linux Engineer).

It was their vision that began it all back in 2012. It was long hours, uncertain futures and sheer belief that people really did want Linux laptops that sustained them. Here is the untold story of how Dell gained the top spot in preinstalled Linux on laptops.

[...] This first attempt at Linux on laptops failed mainly because most non-technical users were blinded by the cheap price and didn't understand what they were actually buying.

[...] This time the duo had the right initial market. It was big, commercial web-scale operators and their developers who were crying out for a fully supported Linux laptop.

People who do technical work, like Linux. People who don't, don't.


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  • (Score: 2) by lentilla on Friday November 17 2017, @07:51PM (13 children)

    by lentilla (1770) on Friday November 17 2017, @07:51PM (#598350)

    There will be much discussion here about the crapware that comes pre-installed with Windows on a brand-new computer, so maybe now is a good time to ask a question:

    "How exactly does one install a fresh copy of Windows (without all the crapware) on a brand-new PC?"

    One presumably has the licence to run Windows, so after you bring the computer home from the store and wipe the hard disk, how do you re-install the operating system that you paid for back on the computer?

    Starting Score:    1  point
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  • (Score: 4, Informative) by John Bresnahan on Friday November 17 2017, @08:05PM (2 children)

    by John Bresnahan (5989) on Friday November 17 2017, @08:05PM (#598355)

    This should provide a good start:

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install-winpc/how-to-download-official-windows-10-iso-files/35cde7ec-5b6f-481c-a02d-dadf465df326?auth=1 [microsoft.com]

    You can freely download an ISO file and either burn it to a DVD (I think it requires dual-layer), or load it in a USB thumbdrive (either use an available GUI utility, or get to a Administrator command window and perform the several steps manually). Then, boot from the media you created and follow the simple instructions.

    If your computer came with a copy of Windows 10, then the fresh install should automatically activate.

    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @08:51PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @08:51PM (#598379)

      If your computer came with a copy of Windows 10, then the fresh install should automatically activate.

      If it does, dispatch with either a large caliber handgun or large sledge. Then turn the selected tool upon yourself. If the install does not activate, it is your lucky day. Go forth, and sin no more. Install a real operating system.

    • (Score: 2) by Teckla on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:09PM

      by Teckla (3812) on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:09PM (#598677)

      I installed a fresh copy of Windows 10 a week ago. (Upgraded to a larger SSD.) Burned the Windows 10 ISO to a standard DVD-R disc.

  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @08:10PM (9 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @08:10PM (#598359)

    First, identify all the vendors for all the hardware in the computer.

    OK, next go to all the vendors of all the hardware in the computer, and download all their drivers for all the hardware in the computer.

    Third, save all the drivers for all the hardware in the computer on separate media.

    Fourth, go buy a retail copy of the OS of your choice (Hahahaaa, who are we kidding, it's the OS of Microsoft's choice, as per their update rules).

    Fifth, install that OS, and with it all the drivers for all the hardware in the computer that you bought.

    Sixth, activate your OS with Microsoft (because important reasons).

    Oh, also don't install any of the vendor crapware on your system. Even though it comes with the drivers. Duh!

    See? Windows! It's easy and convenient!

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @08:30PM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 17 2017, @08:30PM (#598368)

      First, identify all the vendors for all the hardware in the computer.

      OK, next go to all the vendors of all the hardware in the computer, and download all their drivers for all the hardware in the computer.

      Third, save all the drivers for all the hardware in the computer on separate media.

      Fourth, go buy a retail copy of the OS of your choice (Hahahaaa, who are we kidding, it's the OS of Microsoft's choice, as per their update rules).

      Fifth, install that OS, and with it all the drivers for all the hardware in the computer that you bought.

      Sixth, activate your OS with Microsoft (because important reasons).

      Oh, also don't install any of the vendor crapware on your system. Even though it comes with the drivers. Duh!

      See? Windows! It's easy and convenient!

      I don't like Windows, and I recommend installation of a free operating system.

      But arguments like this don't help. It is clear that you have not actually done this process, and are just making this shit up.

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by Grishnakh on Friday November 17 2017, @08:52PM (3 children)

        by Grishnakh (2831) on Friday November 17 2017, @08:52PM (#598380)

        He's not making anything up; that's exactly how it used to be back in the 2000/XP days.

        Supposedly it's not as bad now, but I only had to do that back in the XP days so that's the way I remember it.

        • (Score: 2) by choose another one on Friday November 17 2017, @09:23PM

          by choose another one (515) Subscriber Badge on Friday November 17 2017, @09:23PM (#598397)

          He's not making anything up; that's exactly how it used to be back in the 2000/XP days.

          Not exactly - the fourth step is wrong. Back in the 2000/XP days you could buy a clean "OEM" copy of windows for around 10% of the full retail version price, some made you buy it with hardware (e.g. a cheap mouse) but still way way less than paying for full retail.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @04:44AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @04:44AM (#598843)

          He's not making anything up; that's exactly how it used to be back in the 2000/XP days.

          GGP could not have been talking about Windows 2000, because windows 2000 and earlier did not have activation.

          But even if we're talking about Windows XP GGP's argument is still bullshit because Windows XP is 16 years old -- and we should be comparing it with its contemporaries. Windows installation sucked, but installing any flavour of GNU/Linux in 2001 sucked too, probably moreso. Things really are much improved now.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @12:25PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 19 2017, @12:25PM (#598906)

            when win7 came out, by the time the first windows preinstalled PC recognized the network printer, I had installed successfully installed sidux on other three PCs.

    • (Score: 0, Flamebait) by ElizabethGreene on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:20AM (3 children)

      by ElizabethGreene (6748) Subscriber Badge on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:20AM (#598536) Journal

      > First, identify all the vendors for all the hardware in the computer.
      ...

      I haven't had to do this since Windows 7. Today I use the (Free and open source) Microsoft Dvd/USB creation tool to explode the iso on a usb stick, put it in the PC, and boot the USB drive. Pick the OS, pick Clean install, Next, Next, Next, Finish.

      Then I click the box for my privacy choices, and I have to make a choice.

      If I sign in with my @microsoft.com email (I work for the man.) my machine will automatically join our Azure AD. It will bitlocker the system, push down our VPN profile, and set up my access to the company app store so I can grab Office, etc.

      If I sign in with my Xbox account (my @gmail.com email) I'm at a usable desktop. My desktop background shows up automagically, my onedrive works, my bookmarks are in edge. From here I install adblock plus for edge from the Microsoft Store (Yes, that's a thing), sign in to Skype, grab and install my software essentials from my OneDrive.

      In the background, while I'm doing the above, the system scampers out to Windows update and pulls down any drivers I'm missing plus the latest cumulative updates. It just works.

      Today's Microsoft is not Mr. Gates or Mr. Ballmer's Microsoft. It's different and better.

      • (Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:56PM (2 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 18 2017, @03:56PM (#598685)

        You're right! This is sooo much better.

        Explain to us again the part where you disable the telemetry, firewall off the Microsoft services, download the drivers for the things that you install for your particular needs that aren't included with the ISO, and otherwise get to have a computer where you have some semblance of control? We love that part!

        • (Score: 1) by ElizabethGreene on Monday November 20 2017, @03:40PM (1 child)

          by ElizabethGreene (6748) Subscriber Badge on Monday November 20 2017, @03:40PM (#599267) Journal

          Question on that: Do you have the same concerns about telemetry and privacy for your mobile devices? E.g. an iPhone or Android Phone? If so, how do you handle those?

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20 2017, @06:23PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 20 2017, @06:23PM (#599323)

            I can't really speak for the GP, but I sure do worry about the phone. The options seem to be, if anything, more limited. Generally, I try to buy phones that are campatible with an installable OS (e.g. lineageOS, etc.). This isn't perfect (Apps are an issue, although xprivacy helps and supposedly the newest version of Android has more built-in controls), but a non provider OS is generally better than anything that comes from a provider.