Michael Dell sinks $100M into Red Hat

Triangle Business Journal ^ | May 8, 2005 | Leo John

[HAL9000]

The $100 Dell PC could happen if they don't have to split the money with Microsoft.

[advance_copy]

Software companies fall fast and hard. Microsoft better be paying attention to this.

[tfecw]

People can use all the money the save to pay people like me to train them how to use Linux.

[blues_guitarist]

"The $100 Dell PC could happen if they don't have to split the money with Microsoft."

Ya Mon!

[newgeezer]

Bill G. is going to be plenty p*ssed off about this!

[John Jorsett]

I like the Red Hat distro. It's fairly easy to install and works well. Too bad all the specialized software tools I use have to have Windows.

[usapatriot28]

Maybe Dell will now actually support Linux on their machines. We've had tech support tell us that they can't help us with a hardware problem because we have Fedora installed, instead of Windows. If we call with the exact same problem on an identical machine with XP, they are willing to help out. Now we just lie and say the machine is running XP even if it's not.

[tfecw]

"Bill G. is going to be plenty p*ssed off about this!"

I'm sure he won't give 2 Sh*t's

Now if Intel decided to put it's weight behind *nix. Then the panic alarms might go off. MS does too much stuff to worry care what dell does. MS isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

[flashbunny]

as opposed to all the training they have right now to use windows?

All they need is well designed aps that fit the needs of the end user. If they have that, the OS is pretty transparent to the whole process of using a pc.

[ShadowAce]

[HamiltonJay]

Dell finally going to offer LINUX on their PC's? If so, I'll be ordering a few promptly...

[newgeezer]

Bill doesn't give a sh*t about Dell? HAH. That's a good one!

[rdb3]

This can't be true. Everyone knows that Linux is a dorm-room operating system. Right? </vicious sarcasm>

[timtoews5292004]

how? I'm sure that all the parts together that make up a PC would be well over $100 (and Yes I know cost per item goes down as volume of items purchased increases). how'd they pull that off?

[ShadowAce]

I thought you'd enjoy this article. :)

I wonder what this will do to the stock price? WIll GE be happy aboput this? These and other questions to be answered soon!

[HAL9000]

how? I'm sure that all the parts together that make up a PC would be well over $100 (and Yes I know cost per item goes down as volume of items purchased increases). how'd they pull that off?

They may have to cut back on things like their 90-day warranty and free telephone support calls to India.

Microsoft has been calling for a $100 PC, and Dell could deliver it with Linux.

Of course, Microsoft could easily afford to start their own PC manufacturing division, and drive Dell out of business.

[marblehead17]

ping

[Tribune7]

Dell's a big supporter of Dubya, which may put a kink in any political strategy M$ might have planned vs. Linux -- not that M$ would have a political strategy.

[Petronski]

Didn't Dell start in a dorm room too?

[Golden Eagle]

There's no evidence Mike Dell even knew this happened, very likely one of his accountants made the investment for him. With $10 billion plus, there's a lot of money to spread around.

Besides, whoever made the investment is surely regretting it now, since the stock has slid 40% in just the last few months. So Dell's $100 million is now magically $60 million, thanks to the boneheaded investment in Linux.