Published by Robert Pogson April 19th, 2013
in technology.
“Rumour loving Digitimes reports that several major vendors, including Lenovo, HP, Toshiba, Acer and Asus will launch Intel based convertibles sometime in the third quarter. Lenovo will lead the way and it will introduce its first Android based notebook a bit earlier, in May. ”
see Rumour: Intel reportedly pushing Android convertibles – Sorry Redmond, it’s just not working out…
Chuckle. You know the end of monopoly is near when it fragments and one half of Wintel throws the other half, M$, out of the lifeboat. When OEMs and retailers get behind */Linux the party will be at my house. 
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson April 12th, 2013
in technology.
“Global notebook shipments suffered a drop in the first quarter, down 14.1% sequentially and 13.7% on year, the sharpest decline in the notebook industry’s history, showing the current weak status of the industry, according to Digitimes Research’s latest notebook report
Digitimes Research believes that strong tablet demand is the driver behind the drop in first-quarter notebook shipments and emerging countries’ notebook markets are also expected to have been impacted.”
see Digitimes Research: Global notebook shipments see record decline in 1Q13
OEMs, you can’t have it both ways:
- believing M$ promotes huge gains in PC shipments while
- blaming tablets when shipments go south.
Not much changed in the last year except M$ tried to inflict one more horror on the world of IT. Economies are recovering. Tablets don’t cover the range of features and performance you’ve told the world are indispensible. What’s wrong is that you allowed M$ to dictate to you what to build for the last two decades. You didn’t have to but you did. Now, when M$ tells you to jump off a cliff, are you going to do it? Think for yourself. ASUS shipped GNU/Linux on eeePCs with huge rates of growth a few years ago but M$ shut them up. Dell is selling GNU/Linux PCs like hot cakes in China and India. Why not everywhere?
There’s a reason M$ interferes in your business, Free Software works for your end-users and M$ makes no money on it. Free Software would work for you too. Just ship it. People will buy it. You can lop ~$100 off the price and still make money. You can bet consumers will notice.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson April 10th, 2013
in technology.
“Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013 (1Q13), down -13.9% compared to the same quarter in 2012 and worse than the forecast decline of -7.7%, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. The extent of the year-on-year contraction marked the worst quarter since IDC began tracking the PC market quarterly in 1994. The results also marked the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines.”
see PC Shipments Post the Steepest Decline Ever in a Single Quarter
OEMs and retailers by now must acknowledge that only an insane person keeps on doing the same old thing and expecting a different outcome. It’s time to do more than question using Wintel as the default for personal computing. Clearly, consumers and businesses no longer buy into that thesis. It’s time to look at GNU/Linux seriously as a lower-cost and higher-performing OS for everyone. ISVs must realize that to be independent of Wintel’s fortune, they must port applications to GNU/Linux on both servers and clients.
I recommend Debian GNU/Linux for everything you used to do with Wintel. You can run it on ARM, x86/amd64, small, large, cheap and expensive computers. OEMs and retailers should quite “recommending” that other OS to consumers who don’t want it. They are sick of that.
NB MSFT was up 2.26% during trading hours but lost it all on the news and OEMs were down even more.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson March 1st, 2013
in technology.
Competition on price/performance? Who needs that? We all do and Dell is giving us real choice:
“The Sputnik costs £899 – which makes it £120 cheaper than the comparable XPS 13 model pre-installed with Windows 8, which sells for £1,019.”
see Dell Sputnik now being sold in Europe.
Dell and other OEMs should say to Hell with M$ and offer more choice to consumers/buyers.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson February 5th, 2013
in technology.
Well, M$ is just going to be a creditor, not a shareholder in the new Dell. That’s good unless Dell dies under the burden of debt. If Michael Dell can revitalize the company with enough growth to pay back the debts, Dell can finally be free of “conventional wisdom” that locks Dell into Wintel.
“The transaction will be financed through a combination of cash and equity from Michael Dell, cash from investment funds affiliated with Silver Lake, cash invested by Michael Dell’s investment firm, MSD Capital, and a $2 billion loan from Microsoft (MSFT_). The deal will also be financed by a rollover of existing debt, and debt financing from Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Credit Suisse and RBC Capital Markets.”
see Dell to Go Private in $24.4 Billion Deal (Update1) – TheStreet.
This is another form of diversification for M$ and it should not interfere with M$’s relationships with other OEMs. If I were Dell, I would pay back M$ ASAP before M$ sets the hook.
See also The Register’s Take and an astute comment there …
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson January 29th, 2013
in technology.
Rumours are that M$ wants a piece of Dell and an exclusive deal… Don’t do it, Dell. Remember Nokia, and many others. An exclusive deal would tie you to a sinking ship. M$ is just going to use you as temporary buoyancy for “8″.
see Microsoft’s involvement in Dell buyout proving complicated
see also Dell buyout stalled by Microsoft, low takeover price?
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson January 22nd, 2013
in technology.
“CNBC’s David Faber is reporting that Microsoft may invest between $1 billion and $3 billion in Dell as part of the computer maker’s plan to go private.”
see Report: Microsoft in talks to invest up to $3B in Dell to help take the PC maker private – GeekWire.
This is another example of M$ nailing its coffin shut from the inside. If it did buy a piece of Dell would Dell be beholden sufficiently to continue to be a “partner”? Perhaps for a while but Michael Dell is OK with GNU/Linux and Android/Linux and taking Dell private is mostly his way to get out from under a bunch of dead wood on the Board of Dell. If M$ made a sweet deal with Dell, I would bet other OEMs would hedge their bets by investing heavily in */Linux and M$ would be shooting itself in the foot.
As long as the Board fears the effect of selling GNU/Linux on share prices they will be stubborn. If Michael Dell was in charge, he could make whatever arrangements he wanted with China, Canonical and the rest of the world. The phenomenal success of Android/Linux freed from M$ is no doubt tempting for him. He could do a lot more Android/Linux and GNU/Linux if the Board and shareholders were out of the picture.
Dell was Michael Dell’s baby. I would bet he sees Dell in need of fewer restrictions in order to continue to grow and to thrive. Why he invites investment from M$ is beyond me. Google has a ton of cash. Perhaps he should ask them…
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson January 16th, 2013
in technology.
“Dell is reportedly investigating a move to take the company private in a leveraged buy-out to clear the decks for a radical repositioning of the company. And according to a report from Atlantic Media’s Quartz, that includes relaunching Dell’s desktop and mobile business around a brand-new product: a computing device the size of a thumb-drive that will sell for about $50.
see Is Dell looking to kill PCs with “Project Ophelia”? | Ars Technica.
Like every other OEM, Dell is looking at getting out from under the burden of Wintel. A thin client on a USB-drive that an employee could use at work anywhere or at home makes a lot of sense for many. Being totally independent of M$ and Intel at the same time means huge savings, a competitive advantage for Dell and lower prices for customers. This is the future of small cheap computing.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson December 16th, 2012
in technology.
“Amazon is selling books and Google is making it up with search. So far we couldn’t find a way to build a business on Android.”
see Dell Gives up on Android, Doubles Down on Windows 8 | Maximum PC.
Dell, what’s wrong with competing on price/performance like everyone else except M$? Others are making tons of money selling Android/Linux devices. So could Dell. If Dell’s business is making and selling hardware, just do it.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson December 9th, 2012
in technology.
Despite the popular “web stats” (which show something but it’s not adoption of operating systems) GNU/Linux and FLOSS continue to eat into the dominance of that other OS and non-FREE software on desktops and servers. Where GNU/Linux is offered to consumers, it is bought. Many organizations large and small now use GNU/Linux.
“It wasn’t just five years ago, the percentage of Linux being used in business was around 1%. When you made claims of growth, not one person in IT would listen. But as everyone knows, the landscape of IT changes faster than most. One minute you’re staring down the barrel of extinction and the next you’re being hoisted atop the shoulders of business claiming you a hero.”
see Driving forces behind Linux and open source growth | TechRepublic.
Jack Wallen touches on some large forces but there are many others:
- Canonical’s liaisons with OEMs like DELL which has actual salesmen and retail shelves,
- IBM which serves many large businesses and organizations providing technical support for migration and operation, eliminating an important barrier to adoption by business,
- Governments’ budgetary problems which are partially solved by using FLOSS for operating systems and desktops/notebooks/tablets/smart phones,
- Governments getting together to solve problems of IT, cutting out single sources of supply which charge arbitary prices, and
- last, but not least, GNU/Linux adoption in schools, primary, secondary and tertiary, solving the problem of shortage of knowledge globally and spreading influence of FLOSS mindshare into organizations large and small, even homes.
In short, GNU/Linux is a cooperative project of the world and no non-FREE machinations can hold it back. Knowledge is free and while money and promotion by non-FREE businesses like M$ can keep that other OS and non-FREE software on the playing field, it can no longer exclude FREE software. I recommend Debian GNU/Linux to those thinking to move to GNU/Linux on any kind of computer.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson November 30th, 2012
in technology.
“After a little clicking around to compare different laptops, I ended up on a comparison page for the Vostro line. Naturally, I was drawn to the $299 priced laptop, when I noticed that there are 2 computers that differ only in the OS pre-installed, AND $70! This is the first time I’ve just naturally stumbled upon such a blatant exposure of the Windows tax.”
see The Raving Rick: Dell Vostro without Windows Tax.
It’s not an accidental find either. Dell makes it easy:
- From www.dell.com, choose small and home office,
- choose laptops and ultrabooks,
- choose laptops Vostro,
- choose Vostro 2420 and 2520, the lowest priced option, and
- 15″:
See the tax? $70 for nothing. Don’t pay it. Make the choice of Ubuntu GNU/Linux. There’s still “Dell recommends Windows” at the top right but it sure seems smaller today.
It’s not all roses over at Dell, however. The Var Guy points out some inconsistencies still.
- Robert Pogson
Published by Robert Pogson November 29th, 2012
in technology.
This is the XPS-13 at $1549 in “developer version”. It’s an “Ultrabook”TM with that other OS. I guess it’s a nearly optimal notebook with GNU/Linux although I would prefer Debian GNU/Linux instead of Ubuntu GNU/Linux.
see Dell
I still don’t get why Dell doesn’t sell small cheap computers that run GNU/Linux in USA. They do in India/China. USA certainly does have millions who could afford a small cheap computer but not an Ultrabook.
- Robert Pogson
17466
12763
206
3
2
23909 
11862 
11714 
4635 
4261 
1642 
198 
14 
2 
0 
0 
0 
Recent Comments