Dell Ubuntu Linux PCs Delayed?
This is pure speculation by The VAR Guy. But things are getting a little strange over at Dell. It seems that some people who ordered Dell PCs with Ubuntu Linux preinstalled have been told that ship dates have been delayed a bit.
For instance, some people who ordered Ubuntu Linux PCs during the Memorial Day Weekend (May 26-28) were originally told that their systems would likely ship on June 12. Now, according to Dell’s online tracking system, those PCs won’t likely leave Dell’s facilities until at least June 19. Doesn’t three weeks seem like a long time for Dell to build a PC? Aren’t these PCs based on widely available industry components and a freely available operating system?
The VAR Guy remembers waiting this long for a Dell Plasma TV back in 2005. But that was during the holiday rush. And it was worth the wait to see glorious HDTV on a plasma.
But the extended wait for an Ubuntu PC from Dell seems a bit, um, strange. Or is the norm for a new product introduction from Dell? Has anybody out there received Dell PCs with Ubuntu preinstalled?
The sliver of hope in all this: Dell’s own bloggers seem to be monitoring the Ubuntu Linux community for user concerns and feedback. Check out the comment from Dell on this recent AllAboutUbuntu.com blog post.
UPDATE (June 14, 3:30pm Eastern): Dell just informed The VAR Guy that his Ubuntu PC has been shipped. No explanation on what caused the delay. But the system is in transit. Once it arrives, The VAR Guy will gloat a bit before booting it up and sharing some observations with readers.
Is this a case of dell underestimating demand for Linux/Ubuntu?
Since they haven’t shipped any systems with Ubuntu yet, I’d say…no.
Well some people do seem to have received Dell Ubuntu PCs.
Just to clarify: The VAR Guy didn’t say that Dell hadn’t shipped any Ubuntu PCs yet. In fact, reports across the web today suggest that Dell has successfully shipped Ubuntu laptops to many customers.
Naturally, The VAR Guy is curious to hear more. Is Dell’s supply chain performing well or is there a backlog of Ubuntu orders?
The VAR Guy likes to talk about The VAR Guy in the third person. The VAR Guy.
Angus: Just to prove that The VAR Guy has a sense of humor — Jimmy likes Elaine and Seinfeld. And so does The VAR Guy.
The VAR Guy
I got my Dell machine with Ubuntu three dasy BEFORE they said that I would get it.
So how do you like the machine Thomas? what are the pros and cons so far?
-jp
[…] * TechIQ also picked up the story, with The VAR guy wondering if something strange was going on at Dell. He too commented on the fact that Dell left a comment on the All about Ubuntu blog, saying it was #8220;The sliver of hope in all this#8221;. He later updated his blog post to say he had been contacted by Dell and that the computer The VAR guy had ordered had been shipped, saying #8220;No explanation on what caused the delay. But the system is in transit. Once it arrives, The VAR Guy will gloat a bit before booting it up and sharing some observations with readers.#8221; You can read it all at http://techiqmag.com/2007/06/13/dell-ubuntu-linux-pcs-delayed/ […]
Laptop with Ubuntu preinstalled ordered July 15, now told it will ship August 31.
G: Sorry to hear the news. FYI, The VAR Guy was frustrated by shipment delays but now thinks very highly of his Ubuntu PC.