[Am-info] Dell: no more 'no OS' shipments

[Erick Andrews]

On Mon, 12 Aug 2002 01:59:31 +0400, Hans Reiser wrote:

>John J. Urbaniak wrote:
>
>>  
>>
>>I wonder - does IBM sell machines  without a Microsoft OS preloaded?
>>Linux maybe?
>>
>>IBM so-called "support" for Linux may soon be called to appear before
>>the Emperor.
>>
>>If history is any guide, IBM will cave in to Microsoft and drop all
>>support for Linux.  They will announce something like "Linux is only for
>>our 'top 1000' customers," or some such garbage.  Then all mention of
>>Linux will disappear from IBM literature and ads.
>>
>>All you Linux lovers who are encouraged by IBM's "support" might be
>>sensitized to the betrayal we OS/2 lovers received from IBM.
>>
>>John
>>
>>
>>
>>  
>>
>Much as I hope that you are wrong, the same laptop division that 
>torpedoed OS/2 has already dropped support for Linux.
>
>If I understand correctly, IBM manages each of these as separate profit 
>centers, and their division managers don't have incentives to support 
>the company strategic direction in OS matters like Linux and OS/2.  This 
>means that the laptop division is not controlled into losing some money 
>in the short term by supporting Linux and supporting IBM's ability to 
>tell customers that they can choose one OS for all their IBM made 
>computers.  I would hazard a guess that Microsoft gave that laptop 
>division some incentives to support only MS and not Linux (or OS/2).  I 
>would guess that the manager of that division just doesn't give a shit 
>about the rest of IBM trying to be the preferred supplier for those who 
>want Linux, and he didn't give a shit about that OS/2 division they used 
>to have, and maybe he was even eager to sabotage his OS/2 division 
>competitor in the race for the CEO slot.
>
>This is why I never give employees metrics that their salaries are 
>calculated on.  The metrics acquire an importance that drowns out all 
>other considerations.
>
>When I see employees not supporting other employees in my little firm, I 
>usually pull out my evil eye look.;-)
>
>Just to make life more complex in the telling of it, let me mention that 
>I'd still rather buy from IBM than Dell for Linux laptops.  I have a 
>Dell laptop for Linux, and it was a mistake.  At least with IBM you can 
>hope that they won't tell you to remove Linux before fixing your broken 
>hardware (anybody have experiences with IBM doing that?.... I hope 
>not.... ), unlike Dell.
>
>-- 
>Hans

Sure.  And recall Michael Dell's testimony in front of Sen. Orrin Hatch's
Judiciary Committee a few years ago?  In fact, I recall Bill G. was present 
then.

Mr. Dell is still wearing Bill's butt-plug.  Why?  Because his company's 
survival is predicated upon it [in it] and even if he wants to sell naked 
machines, he's indentured.

I still want to know what Wal-Mart will do.  They seem to be the only
major force to have had some cohones, perhaps standing alone, in spite 
of Redmond.

-- 
Erick Andrews