Dell tablets to save Vista
By Jonathan Schlaffer
Vista hasn’t exactly gotten off to a great start, despite certain sales claims by Microsoft. Now that Dell is offering Linux on some of their computers, Vista may even be a harder sell. I still don’t recommend installing Linux (especially Ubuntu) yourself but I see nothing wrong when it’s been installed by an OEM. A monkey could install Vista.
Before this turn into a rant post about Linux and Vista, I’ll get back to the topic at hand. Some believe that Dell is planning to release a Tablet PC with Vista installed. The problem with this is Dell may not actually be planning to release it but very cool if they are. The other problem is many Tablets have lower end hardware than their full size laptop brethren.
OS Weekly thinks we should all care about a Vista tablet from Dell (or from anyone for that matter). Some Tablets may not be able to run the advanced features of Vista such as Aero Glass and even if they are equipped with faster processors, chances are the hard drives on the system will be a bottleneck as many Tablets make use of slower 4200RPM hard drives as opposed to the now more common 5400RPM and 7200RPM drives (even in laptops).
This could also be a good thing, as Microsoft had to produce a specific version of XP for Tablet computers, Vista includes Tablet functionality in all but the Home Basic version so no modifications to the software will be required; it will simply work.
Whether or not Dell makes a move for the Tablet market is up in the air but it is clear that Vista is going to need a push to get onto more systems and Dell may just be the one to do it but can it push both Vista and Ubuntu at the same time, whether they can or not doesn’t matter, it HAS to.
If Dell can push these yet-to-be Vista tablets, it may well aid Microsoft in getting the Vista sales it needs. Even if this doesn’t happen or even if it does, eventually all of us will be using Vista at home or at work regardless of what transpires within Dell.
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May 28th, 2007
Eh?
“I still don’t recommend installing Linux (especially Ubuntu) yourself”
Have you actually tried install Ubuntu yourself?
It is ‘as easy’ as Windows. Why not try it before recommending people not to try it?
May 28th, 2007
I have several articles about that very thing over on the sister tech site, link is above. Having said that… it’s not that easy if you have a X.org error during both boot AND install plus a GRUB error, no, I did not enjoy my installation of Ubuntu… I had to install a backup hard drive to my laptop and… so on and so forth.
If you have an ATi card… it’s not that easy, believe you me.
May 29th, 2007
You have indeed hit on two problems with the Ubuntu installer that some people are getting. I would recommend to those people that they check out the excellent free support options available to Ubuntu users http://www.ubuntu.com/support.
For example http://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/ - the official support ticket system. Staffed by volunteers, answers often come pretty quickly.
Worth noting there is at least one other option to install Ubuntu and that is to use the “alternate” CD. This is designed for those computers that (for some reason or other) don’t boot/install from the Live desktop CD.
Whilst the Ubuntu installer isn’t perfect, it’s only one part of the whole experience. Once it is installed there is so much more to it than just the installer.
May 29th, 2007
There will be a Dell tablet.
http://direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2007/05/18/15193.aspx
May 29th, 2007
I think the only tablet from Dell that could possibly save Vista would have to made of swiss chocolate, come with a free Ferrari (an Audi TT for the home version) and Vista as a boxed extra…
June 5th, 2007
“Vista hasn’t exactly gotten off to a great start, despite certain sales claims by Microsoft.”
Vista has sold more than 40 million copies and turned itself into the fastest selling OS ever, despite certain bad start claims by Vista.Blorge.