Dell hones its Linux efforts
By Stephen Shankland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
May 26, 1999, 5:45 p.m. PT
Dell Computer focused its efforts to sell Linux-based computers,
adding a
Web page just for those machines and Linux software to its online store.
The Web site offers a link to a site that gathers together all
the Linux
models in one place instead of having them scattered across several
different sites for workstations, servers, and desktops.
The site also has a link to the Linux software available at Gigabuys,
Dell's online store for software and computer peripherals. So far,
Dell
sells word processors, office suites, programming tools, and utilities.
Also today, Dell lopped off the $20 difference that used to make
its Linux
systems somewhat more expensive than its computers running Microsoft
Windows, a spokesman said.
Further, Dell today began selling Linux versions of its business-oriented
Optiplex line of desktop computers. The cheapest such computer costs
$1,094
with a 350-MHz Pentium II chip and 64MB of memory but no monitor.
Dell, along with big-name computer manufacturers IBM, Compaq Computer,
and
Hewlett-Packard, has embraced Linux. Executives at these companies
have
said they see Linux as a growing market and that they want to make
sure
customers looking for Linux computers won't have to go elsewhere. In
addition, they say customers thinking about testing the Linux waters
will
be reassured by their well-known brand names.
But there are competitors, which are smaller but often more experienced
with Linux. VA Linux Systems, for example, is the recipient of an equity
investment from Intel to make sure Linux systems will be available
at the
same time as computers with other operating systems when Intel ships
new
chips.
However, unlike its big-name competitors, Dell pre-installs Linux.
Others
certify their machines as working with Linux, but leave the installation
to
resellers, the customer, or the company's own custom installation facility,
which charges extra.
Dell certifies its machines only with Red Hat's version of Linux,
currently the most popular. IBM, though, is on the other side of the
spectrum, supporting the four major commercial distributions: Red Hat,
SuSE, Pacific HiTech's TurboLinux, and Caldera Systems' OpenLinux.
IBM last week certified several of its Intel-based Netfinity 3000
and 5000
servers to work with the four Linux versions.
In addition, IBM said a Linux driver for IBM's ServRAID 3 adapter
now is
available from the four Linux companies. Writing drivers for specific
hardware is a key requirement before the Unix-like operating system
can be
used.
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