[Cialug] Dell's Ubuntu Netbook

[Tim Champion]

I think the problem here is that you are starting out on the leftmost column
(the one that says "Ubuntu" on the top) and then adding RAM & disk to match
the other columns.  There are 3 start points for Ubuntu Mini 9's.

If you look at the rightmost column on this page:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-inspiron-9?c=us&cs=19&l=en&ref=hmpgwn2&s=dhs
You'll see the xp model 1gb+16gb SSD.
Now scan your eyes down on the same column, and there are 2 green buttons.
One says "Build Yours", and the second button says "Build yours with Ubuntu
for $409".  Those 2 buttons take you to either the XP build screen @ $449,
or the Ubuntu build screen @ $409.  The only differences between those 2 are
the operating system, and $40.  That's where I was doing my price
comparisons.

Same with the center column.

Dell often has different start points that give you a better value.  If you
start with the lowest start point, and then configure it up to match one of
the other start points, it often ends up more expensive.  That's when you
scrap that configuration and move up to a higher start point.

One more thing is that before yesterday (or the day before) when looking at
equally configured Mini 9's, the XP models were cheaper, but becuase of the
repsonse in the Ideastorm community, the not only matched the prices, the
went further (as they should have honestly) and made the Ubuntu models
cheaper than the XP models.

I honestly didn't intend on getting in an argument with people about how to
navigate Dell's config options, I just wanted to point out that Dell, being
the #2 computer manufacturer (behind HP) in the United States, is selling
Ubuntu computer cheaper than equally configured windows through its primary
sales path (not on a separate site as it was before)

I'm also not saying its the cheapest or best netbook on the market.  The
Acer Aspire One with Linux, 512MB, & 8gb SSD is $329 - no rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834115496

Tim Champion
timchampion at gmail.com


On Wed, Oct 8, 2008 at 1:32 PM, Paul Gray <gray at cs.uni.edu> wrote:

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> Tim Champion wrote:
> > Tony - That is incorrect.  It is truly a apples-to-apples comparison.
> >
> > the mini 9 with XP, 512MB & 8gb ssd costs $399
> > The mini 9 with Ubuntu, 512MB & 8gb ssd costs $359 ($40 less)
> >
> > xp+1GB+16GB ssd = $449
> > Ubuntu+ 1gb+16GB ssd= $409 ($40 less)
>
> I get: Ubuntu + 1GB + 16GB = $449 in my configurator run through.
> XP+1GB+16GB sdd = $464.
>
> Tony is also correct (since there wasn't any configuration stated in
> your original message).  For the 8GB configuration when you compare the
> lowest-price apples-to-apples configuration, there's similarly not a $40
> difference.
>
> How's this unit compare to the eee PC w/ Linux/1GB/20GBSSD?
> $409.99, with a $65 rebate = $345?
>
> http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10008689
>
> - --
> Paul Gray
> 314 East Gym, Dept. of Computer Science        -o)
> University of Northern Iowa                    /\\
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