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Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

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Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#51

Post by croon »

jmkni wrote: post #31
luka-birsa wrote: post #6

As a 20 year Linux user I really appreciate Dells support in proving the market exists. This improved support across all manufacturers. I've recently acquired a HP Envy 13 2017 laptop with Windows preinstalled. I've really wanted to try Windows out, but after installing Google Chrome and Docker (1hr after starting it up) it stopped working - windows boot up into a blank black screen. In a hurry I've downloaded Ubuntu…

Windows has gotten a lot better, but the rules regarding new computers hasn't changed in the past 30 years, you still need to wipe the hard drive and install it yourself from scratch, and then spend a little time disabling the ads, bing crap, telemetry, etc. Once you do, it's rock solid, but it should be OOTB and it annoys me that it isn't. It leaves those not familiar with Windows with a bad first impression, and th…

> Once you do, it's rock solid, but it should be OOTB and it annoys me that it isn't.

I was very happy with an Asus Zenbook I bought that had the PURE (+ sometimes a number) suffix on the model name. Those laptops come with a clean windows install + any needed drivers.

It only saves an hour or two for yourself, but I wish more (or really all) manufacturers supplied these models.

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#52

Post by zdkl »

pjmlp wrote: post #43
dkersten wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obviously if you're developing primarily for Windows, you're going to need to run Windows. I don't think that's what the person you're replying to meant by that at all, but rather that the Windows UX doesn't buy you , as the user of the OS, anything that Linux doesn't.

Sure it does, proper GPU acceleration, hybrid graphics support and hibernation that actually works, and UI/UX tooling resembling Xerox PARC way of computing, only beaten by macOS. Not everyone wants to replicate a PDP-11.

Honestly, tooling on windows is in the range [complicated-unusable]. Higher order abstractions and OS specific optimisations just seem to get in the way when I'm developping.

I for one do not feel windows has a good story if you're developping anything you don't use VS for.

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#53

Post by vini »

Kipters wrote: post #44
jmkni wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Windows has gotten a lot better, but the rules regarding new computers hasn't changed in the past 30 years, you still need to wipe the hard drive and install it yourself from scratch, and then spend a little time disabling the ads, bing crap, telemetry, etc. Once you do, it's rock solid, but it should be OOTB and it annoys me that it isn't. It leaves those not familiar with Windows with a bad first impression, and th…

There's an option in Windows Defender settings that automatically wipes the hard drive and reinstalls from scratch, without the manufacturer's bloatware

Tried this on a Lenovo notebook and it will reinstall the Lenovo bloatware anyways. I think this restore the initial windows image state, but the image that came in the notebook is customized by Lenovo.

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#54

Post by marsRoverDev »

majewsky wrote: post #39
linux-user wrote: post #23

Is Dell still offering those? I cannot find anything. For example this dell page has no current offerings: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/555/campaigns/dell-linux-ubu...

Yeah, I'm puzzled as well. Upon reading the article, I tried to find Linux notebooks via their homepage (i.e. by starting at dell.com), but found nothing.

Are you on the US site or another? If I go to the US site, the option for an ubuntu flavour isn't there. If you go to the UK version:

http://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/laptop-and-2-in-1-pcs/xps-13/...

They are available at the end of the carousel showing the fitout options.

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#55

Post by smhg »

If you don't need the portability of a laptop and want a similar package to the Dell XPS for a lot less money: an Intel NUC might be an idea.

I've been using one for almost a year after my XPS 13 9343 got stolen. Dell's significant price increase on the newer models made me try out the NUC and it's been great so far.

If you stick to these 'mainstream' components (the XPS and NUC have very similar hardware), Linux support really isn't an issue. "It just works".

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#56

Post by blntechie »

dkersten wrote: post #41
pjmlp wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you're a developer there's no UX reason to go Windows anymore. I am a developer serving Windows customers, that rely on native UI/UX for their workflows.

Obviously if you're developing primarily for Windows, you're going to need to run Windows. I don't think that's what the person you're replying to meant by that at all, but rather that the Windows UX doesn't buy you , as the user of the OS, anything that Linux doesn't.

I never get to see same smoothness in graphics and fonts as MacOS/Windows/ChromeOS in the same machine with Linux.

Every single time I decide that I'm moving to Linux, I give up after living with the browsers for a day or two. Rendering and fonts are just inferior to other systems in my experience.

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#57

Post by Retric »

pjmlp wrote: post #43
dkersten wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Obviously if you're developing primarily for Windows, you're going to need to run Windows. I don't think that's what the person you're replying to meant by that at all, but rather that the Windows UX doesn't buy you , as the user of the OS, anything that Linux doesn't.

Sure it does, proper GPU acceleration, hybrid graphics support and hibernation that actually works, and UI/UX tooling resembling Xerox PARC way of computing, only beaten by macOS. Not everyone wants to replicate a PDP-11.

I swapped back and forth a few times and Linux worked for all of that stuff 5 years ago. I do .Net development so I tend to stick with windows. But, from a pure user standpoint Linux is more user friendly on compatible hardware.

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#58

Post by arvinsim »

smhg wrote: post #55

If you don't need the portability of a laptop and want a similar package to the Dell XPS for a lot less money: an Intel NUC might be an idea. I've been using one for almost a year after my XPS 13 9343 got stolen. Dell's significant price increase on the newer models made me try out the NUC and it's been great so far. If you stick to these 'mainstream' components (the XPS and NUC have very similar hardware), Linux sup…

What specific NUC are your referring to?

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#59

Post by eeZah7Ux »

majewsky wrote: post #38
jorgemf wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Incorrect, I break arch less times than Ubuntu and I use it daily while I use Ubuntu casually

Arch's KISS attitude is really helpful for that. Whenever I have to deal with a Debian/Ubuntu system, I'm sort of weary of "apt install"ing any daemons because of the autoconfigure magic that's going on in dpkg. With Arch, installing a package just unpacks the package files and runs a few innocuous post-install hooks, mostly to rebuild indexes (mandb, fontconfig, etc.) and compile DKMS-based kernel modules. But nothi…

There is no "autoconfigure magic". Daemons install standard configuration files and start by default. Autostart can be disabled, that's all.

Re: Dell’s gamble on Linux laptops has paid off

#60

Post by sandGorgon »

luka-birsa wrote: post #6

As a 20 year Linux user I really appreciate Dells support in proving the market exists. This improved support across all manufacturers. I've recently acquired a HP Envy 13 2017 laptop with Windows preinstalled. I've really wanted to try Windows out, but after installing Google Chrome and Docker (1hr after starting it up) it stopped working - windows boot up into a blank black screen. In a hurry I've downloaded Ubuntu…

I would also recommend Fedora 27. I have seldom seen an OS as polished as that. Holds its own versus OSX.
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