Linux is HORRIBLE when it comes to setup a wireless connection. It is a real nightmare to make it work. WHY Dell is loading his PCs with linux? Linux is NOT wireless friendly. If I was a Dell shareholder I will sell my shares right away. ANOTHER bad move of Dell. :)
2007-12-26 02:39:28 · 8 answers · asked by George 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Computer Networking
Actually LInux is quite friendly with the correct wifi cards. Not all cards are linux friendly (that is the manufacturers of the cards issue, they simply aren't supplying the correct drivers for linux!)
I have several machines here running various versions of Ubuntu, Fedora, etc. All of them work wirelessly without any issues. (I did a little research to find Linux Friendly wireless adapters!) Most of the Ornioco Gold cards work great as do many others. The cards both internal and external that use Atheros or Broadcom chipsets usually also work fine.
USB adapters are a different issue, they usually don't have linux support and are a pain to get working, if they can be made to work at all. Blame Linksys, Dlink etc for NOT providing drivers. Don't blame the OS.
If you are running a desktop machine and want wireless, just use an external bridge attached to the ethernet port. They work regardless of the OS.
So change your outlook and your card. Linux is very stable, works very well, and is different from Windows.
I am using an HP laptop running Ubuntu with a 2wire PCMCIA card. works just fine. So Linux isn't the issue here!
PS Linksys, Buffalo, and many other manufacturers have LINUX cores in the routers Just check http://dd-wrt.com to see! Or check the GPL licenses printed on the routers!
So linux is certainly wifi friendly - in fact it is used to control most wireless ISP's and most wireless high power systems!
2007-12-26 02:56:48 · answer #1 · answered by Tracy L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Technically, your 'question' is really a statement. The simple answer: Dell has optimized the systems that they sell with Ubuntu. That means that they have already done the testing and setup on the wireless drivers. Simply buy the computer, start it up, configure user accounts, connect to a wireless access point, enter a password if you need to, and you're good to go. Dell's Linux PCs are just as easy to use as XP and Vista, IMO. I guess Dell should be thankful that you're not a shareholder, because you'd be selling your shares on the basis of incorrect information. :-)
2007-12-29 15:36:21 · answer #2 · answered by john_eitel 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk with the DELL Tech they will help you through the set up.
Dell is offering a viable alternative to the Wonder World of Window as currently expressed in the MS Vista and the four flavors of said system.
Linux is not for everybody, but Ubuntu is not that difficult to set up for WiFi, and it is getting better. I was a solid HP / Compaq fan, most of my computers are HP / Compaq, but they will only carry MS Vista, so i refused to purchase a new computer through them this time and told the exactly why.
I use Ubuntu on one machine and am installing it on another this week. soon Microsoft will be out of my life... I am also recommending Ubuntu to my clients. Many are making the switch. I think that your fear of Linux is not really warrented but you are intitled to your opinion. Oh, i don't have a problem setting up WiFi in Linux...... maybe that is because i am not a Windows Only Fan. You may find it interesting that the WWW pretty much runs on Unix and Linux......
2007-12-26 10:54:36 · answer #3 · answered by mhp_wizo_93_418 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many consumer devices that require a hard drive are running Linux, because of three primary reasons.
1. Easy of configuration when no user intervention is wanted.
2. Stability
3. FREE or cheap
Case in point. TIVO, the worlds best DVR runs on Linux. And it supports many wireless options. You go to the store, and buy a wireless USB NIC and plug it in, and it works, first time. If it didn't, millions of people would be yelling "why did TIVO put Linux in there DVR, another misstep for the world leader in DVR's"
2007-12-26 11:01:11 · answer #4 · answered by Dan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ubuntu is nice. The trouble is that WIRELESS manufacturers are not LINUX friendly.
The problem lies with businesses mindlessly supporting Microsoft all the way. Microsoft is a blood sucking mammoth. Ubuntu is human, free, and developing extremelly quickly. You can plug in a cable to connect it to internet.
You can pay and install VISTA and dualboot with UBUNTU
Don't waste money on Microsoft Office, it's already been replaced by freeware in UBUNTU. How much is that???
2007-12-26 12:30:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
With the proper drivers it is not a problem. My Ubuntu 7.10 installation is quite happy to use the wireless card in my HP Pavillion laptop. Ubuntu was quite happy to use the wireless card in a Dell laptop I had a my former job. And it was quite happy to use the wireless on my Dell 8500 Inspiron.
2007-12-27 01:58:12 · answer #6 · answered by Sp II Guzzi 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They just assume that whoever is buying a pc loaded with linux is just going to install a unlicensed windows copy.
2007-12-26 11:18:45 · answer #7 · answered by Dori K 1 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Choice I would assume.
2007-12-26 11:28:08 · answer #8 · answered by datalj12 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋