OMG! Ubuntu! reports
[January 11,] the company announced the immediate availability of the Dell Precision 3520 mobile workstation (that's "professional laptop" to you and [me]).
Better yet, buyers can save over $100 by choosing Ubuntu 16.04 LTS pre-loaded instead of Windows 10--now that's what you call a deal!
[...] Dell's Barton George says more Ubuntu-powered Precision workstations will go on sale in the coming months, worldwide, including an Ubuntu version of the company's stylish new Precision 5720 All-in-One desktop PC.
Unlike other vendors, Dell [doesn't] ship their Linux option on no-frills reduced-power hardware. All models in the Dell Precision lineup pack powerful 7th generation Intel Core and Intel Xeon processors, support Thunderbolt 3 (ahem, USB-C), and can be kitted out with up to 32GB RAM!
The Dell Precision 3520 is available to buy & configure right now priced from $899 (base specs, with Ubuntu 1604 LTS). It ships worldwide.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday January 14 2017, @01:37AM
Some types of software cannot be distributed as free software from day one because of market realities, particularly games, players for rented movies, and income tax return preparation wizards.
Then those types of software should not be used until they are free software. If they can't deal with that, then they should disappear from existence. I have absolutely zero sympathy for people who engage in deeply unethical activities just to make money, especially when the 'pragmatic' arguments don't even make sense. I despise this notion that we should ignore ethics in favor of technological, amoral pragmatism.
For tax software, the government should simply develop free software for that purpose; it would benefit everyone more in the long run than freedom-denying proprietary software.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 24 2017, @04:15AM
There is nothing unethical about creating things in exchange for putting food on the table. It is the foundation of every economy and has been since before the invention of money.
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Tuesday January 24 2017, @04:19AM
For tax software, the government should simply develop free software for that purpose
In a jurisdiction where nearly every legislator of the majority party has signed a "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" to oppose any and all measures that increase the tax rate, where should the government find the money to develop said software?