Rip-off Britain – in which consumers pay over the odds for IT goods including Windows Vista compared to our counterparts in the US and Europe – also applies to Linux systems, it seems.
Price hike for open-source Dell systems
Last week's LinuxWorld event saw a number of open-source desktop announcements, including Dell announcing it was selling its first Linux-based PCs outside the US, with the Ubuntu-based Inspiron 530n desktop, and the Inspiron 6400n notebook now available in the UK, France and Germany.
The Dell Inspiron 530(n) desktop comes with an Intel Dual Core E2140 (1.6GHz) processor, plus 512MB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and a 19in panel. When the Inspiron 530 desktop is used as the benchmark machine, it seems that UK users are paying more for a Linux-based machine compared to European users.
The UK Inspiron 530n desktop (running Ubuntu) costs £398.99, including VAT.
But the same entry-level Ubuntu Inspiron 530n in Germany is 7.3 percent cheaper (than the UK) at only €548.99 (£371.76). Meanwhile, in France the entry-level Inspiron 530n is 11.4 percent cheaper at just £358.21, and the French machines come with more RAM (512MB) on its Nvidia GeForce 8300GS graphics card, compared to the 124MB that's standard on UK and German machines.
But it is when this same machine is compared to the US that the price difference is the most startling, with the US Ubuntu Inspiron 530n - some 34.5 percent cheaper.
In the UK, a similarly specced to the U.K. version Ubuntu Inspiron 530n costs $599, which translates to just £296.67, making the machine over £100 (and 34.5 percent) less expensive than the U.K. equivalent.
In the US, the Ubuntu Inspiron 530n with a similar spec to the UK version costs $599, which translates to just £296.67, making the machine over £100 (and 34.5 percent) less expensive than the UK equivalent.
Dell could not provide a spokesman for interview with PC Advisor's sister title Techworld, but the PC maker did state that "costs vary from region to region for a variety of factors such as local promotions and local taxes etc." Yet it is worth noting that VAT levels are higher in France and Germany, than that of the UK.
Dell is not the only PC maker to ship PCs running an open-source operating system. Rival Lenovo has said it will start shipping Thinkpads pre-loaded with Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 (SLES10) in the fourth quarter of this year. HP has yet to commit to installing Linux on consumer boxes.
Meanwhile, Dell has also announced that it also intends to factory-install Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Desktops on its hardware in China, although no further details have yet been provided.
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Save money and beat rip-off Britain
Comments
Law said: TechGuru - you obviously havent tried installing the latest Ubuntu its unbelievably simple takes next to no experience - and also has a proprietry-driver installer and a decent network manager The only complicated bit is if you want some nice Beryl type eye-candy because xgl isnt default - so its not just a simple case install Beryl like in latest Suse
PenguinFan said: TechGuruMost of your points make good sense in a general distro context but they are not pertinent to TFA which is about machines with Linux pre-installed
TechGuru said: Its about time Distros were produced so that it was simple to install Linux to a PCMost Linux distros are complicated to install and get functioning properly ie Internet via broadband connections and wi fi networks device drivers etcThe distros should have all the drivers or a site to get them in a form that we can installPerhaps a batch file to do the job invisibly with the options listed if requiredMost of the optionsextras in a strange format that requires an experienced Linux user to install making it difficult for the novice user to comprehend So Linux people if you want uptake of the OS make it simpler to install and make sure all the drivers are in one place and in a format thats quick and easy to install
LastChip said: Its a shame Here is a great opportunity to not only let the world see the benefits of Linux but also provide computers that are very competitive in priceSadly profit comes before all else and the golden goose may well be slaughtered before it sees any life at allWhen are these manufacturers going to learn the British people are not fools and this level of profiteering does nothing to enhance their reputation