Re: [SLUG] Hardware retailers supplying Linux preinatalled.

[Jeff Waugh <jdub@nospam.aphid.net>]

Tony Cook wrote:
> Does anyone know of PC retailers in the Sydney area who are supplying PCs
> with Linux preinstalled?


Why do we want Linux preinstalled again? That's right... Newbies.

I don't really see preinstallation as a necessity for user-friendly computer
purchases... Think about it this way:

IBM sell their Aptiva boxes, both business and home versions, with a startup
installation system. It asks a few questions, and (as one would expect)
reboots. Compaq used to do the same thing (no idea these days).

The way most distro CD's work these days, wouldn't that be a better
solution? Throw in your CD, start the machine, get a few questions
regarding your setup (probably targeted towards an initial installation),
and there you are. Your *own* Linux, not someone's idea of what you'd like.

It could be as simple as asking which desktop environment you were after.
Once that's chosen, no debs, no rpms, just "What sort of stuff do you like
to do with your computer?" Tasks. My computer does tasks, not applications.
:P

The detail comes *post* installation. There's only one company I know who've
made the art of copying files to a hard drive such a complete shermozzle
(apologies to Simon).


From what Anand tells me, Debconf may just be this `holy grail' of simple
Q&A configuration. Given that Debian already has brilliant `ask and thou
shalt receive' application installation, I can see this being very cool.


$0.02 I guess...

- Jeff


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