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Time:
14:00 EST/19:00 GMT | News Source:
InfoWorld |
Posted By: Todd Richardson |
A full day of interviews at Dell Computer's headquarters here is more than enough to get a firm grip on what executives hold as the key virtues of the company.
So, when IDG News Service last week sat down with Dell Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Dell, it seemed appropriate to ask him about some of the not-so-mature markets Dell has pursued. In the case of the Linux desktop, Dell pulled back on large investments in 2001 as demand faltered, Dell said. But this failure has not stopped the company from attacking the nascent markets for HPCC (high-performance computing clusters) and for Linux clusters running Oracle database software. Dell painted a picture of where and when he draws the line on new ventures.
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#1 By
665 (64.126.91.172)
at
1/16/2003 2:52:44 PM
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Most MS zealots like Judge Kollar-Kotelly.
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#2 By
3339 (65.198.47.10)
at
1/16/2003 4:29:42 PM
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The point is sphbecker, Dell thought people would. They invested money in improving desktop linux by supporting Gnome and Eazel. They mysteriously backed away from this investment and are now trying to sweep that history under the rug to not upset Microsoft. Mikey is also being coy about the extent that Linux is profitable for them. Not just in the server market--it's undeniable that Dell saw that with a little R&D they had a viable desktop OS at a minimal cost. He "believes" you can purchase a linux workstation from the website? Come on. And it's awfully hard to find.... I haven't found it yet.
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#3 By
3339 (65.198.47.10)
at
1/16/2003 5:10:12 PM
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Not really. No, Not at all. I didn't say it didn't exist. The point is even Mike doesn't really know for sure. That's because they've pulled it, put it back, pulled it, put it back... etc... And even if he did or did not know, Mikey sounds so pathetic that I laugh everytime I think about this interview. The reporter did an excellent job. Is he trying to suggest that Dell has a strong Linux offering? Or is he suggesting that there's no market for it? Does he want us to beleive that he isn't influenced by Microsoft or does he want us to know that he can't do a single thing without their approval? In the words of Mike, "Whoo." That's my point.
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#4 By
3339 (65.198.47.10)
at
1/16/2003 5:17:51 PM
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Of course not. Of course, any softy who claims that OEMs, particularly Dell, do not find any promise in Linux should feel silly after reading this.
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#5 By
7754 (216.160.8.41)
at
1/16/2003 5:19:06 PM
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The point is, SodaJerk, is that Dell agrees with just about everyone else in the industry that the Linux desktop market just isn't there yet. They made a gamble on it in 2001, but they lost and backed out. They will explore it when there's money in it. How is that pathetic? From a business perspective, Dell strategies>results speak for themselves.
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#6 By
3339 (65.198.47.10)
at
1/16/2003 5:22:08 PM
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bluvg, the point is they didn't lose. They backed out without ever seeing if it would or would not be a success. If you do not see what is really going on under the surface, that's fine. It speaks for itself. The pathetic part is that Dell saw a business opportunity that they backed out on because they were afraid of MS.
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#8 By
7754 (216.160.8.41)
at
1/16/2003 9:12:27 PM
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I don't think Dell is scared by Microsoft, at least not anymore. Microsoft really has no leverage on them--if they wouldn't allow Dell to ship Windows, of course it would hurt Dell, but it would hurt Microsoft badly as well. They are under pretty close scrutiny from the Justice Department, too, so they'd have to be quite creative with any sort of anti-competitive measure. (Flight, the "special preference" licenses are past history, remember?)
Sodajerk, you're going against a host of evidence and industry consensus to the contrary. Linux on servers--doing well. Linux on desktop--not yet. Dell can always re-enter the market. Why did they not stay in the market? Their own numbers told them otherwise. Your conspiracy theory about Microsoft pressuring them is what's pathetic here. Yes, unsubstantiated claims that go against countless facts, figures, and industry reports are pathetic.
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#9 By
2332 (65.221.182.3)
at
1/16/2003 10:06:40 PM
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Guys, by 2001, the anti-trust case was in full swing. If Microsoft made a move to hurt Dell for selling Linux then, they would have certainly looked REALLY bad and it would have hurt their court case a LOT.
The only evidence available suggests that Dell backed out of Linux sales for one reason, and one reason only... nobody demanded a Linux desktop. By nobody, I mean so few that it might as well have been nobody.
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