Ubuntu.com listing laptops?

[Felipe Figueiredo]

On Thursday 10 May 2007 10:25:49 jarrodhenry at comcast.net wrote:
> 
>  -------------- Original message ----------------------
> From: Ghodmode <ghodmode at ghodmode.com>
> > Perhaps the idea isn't completely bad, though.  What if Ubuntu were to add 
a
> > section to their site that says "Where can I buy a computer with Ubuntu
> > Linux Pre-Loaded?"?  Allow a link and a short description for each 
merchant,
> > in alphabetical order.  That wouldn't show any favoritism among merchants.
> > They could add a "Merchants, add your site to this list!" link.
> > 
> > I think that this would support all vendors who sell Ubuntu Linux-based
> > computers.  In turn, this may also encourage more vendors to put together 
a
> > Ubuntu package.  If they could get a link to their site on Ubuntu's site,
> > they might see more customer purchases.
> > 
> > -- Vince
> 
> The problem is, Vince, that that's not how the corporate world works.  You'd 
get companies, even if they were in alphabetical order, vying and offering 
money to get higher and higher placement on the list.  They would be upset if 
their description was not as "good as" their competitor's.  It'd turn into a 
full time job placating the vendors as they came on to the list, and for 
what?

But, then again, ubuntu's site already has something like this, hasn't it? 
What about the section on "where  tyo buy ubuntu CDs/DVDs"? How do they 
manage the corporate sharks? Do they *have* to manage them?

I, too, don't want to see ads in ubuntu's site. It's pure and simple, and IMHO 
connected to the goals of the product. But having such a section would only 
be a logical step from where we are now. It makes no sense not to do it.

So, if corp sharks are willing to pay for a nice place in the sun, so be it. 
That's how it works, you said yourself. Bigger names appear first, offer 
more, cost more. People are already used to turning to small names for budget 
prices. 

Wouldn't it be nice for canonical to add another incoming (advertising in a 
small non-central section of the site) account? From where I stand, anything 
that helps canonical pay the bill, benefits us (the community) in respect to 
continuity of the project (provided they stay true to the motto).


> Most people who are looking for a computer go to the manufacturer's site 
first.  They don't go to the OS website.    The only people who would go to 
Ubuntu.com are people who know what they want, and frankly, by that point, 
they'd already know that Dell is selling it.

Couldn't agree more. Then again, I would like to see a link in Dell's site to 
easily find ubuntu desktops/laptops. Or better yet, browse models by OS. What 
about that?


> That said, it's not going to be as big a roll-out as people think.  It will, 
from what I' ve been told from some insiders, only be on one inspiron, one 
XPS machine, and one desktop model.    It's not like the entire lineup is 
going to offer linux.
>

It's a starter, I guess.

regards
FF