Fulano X

When I tried to buy an Inspiron 530mt from the Dell website, I found out that if I buy one with Vista O/S it would be $100-200 cheaper than one installed with Ubuntu, even though they have the same specifications.

See for yourself:

Inspiron 530 mt Windows Vista Sp1

ComponentsPROCESSORIntel® Core™2 Duo E4600 (2MB L2 Cache,2.4GHz,800 FSB)edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premiumedit
MEMORY2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMsedit
MONITOR19 inch S199WFP Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Monitor with TrueLife*edit
VIDEO CARDIntegrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100edit
HARD DRIVE250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™edit
OPTICAL DRIVE16X DVD+/-RW Driveedit
SOUND CARDIntegrated 7.1 Channel Audioedit
KEYBOARDDell USB Keyboardedit
MOUSEDell Entry Optical Mouseedit
MODEM56K PCI Data Fax Modemedit

Accessories
FLOPPY DRIVE AND MEDIA READERNo Floppy Drive Includededit
SPEAKERSDell AX210 1.2W Speakersedit
PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWAREMicrosoft Works 9.0edit
SECURITY SOFTWAREMcAfee SecurityCenter 15-monthsedit
ADOBE SOFTWAREAdobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1edit

Services & Software
SUPPORT SERVICES1 Year Limited Warranty plus 1 Year NBD On-Site Serviceedit
Also included with your systemDigitial MusicNo Digital Music Software Requested
LabelsWindows Vista™ Premium
Extended ServicesInternational Processing
NETWORK INTERFACEIntegrated 10/100 Ethernet

Inspiron 530 mt Ubuntu 7.10

Components
PROCESSORIntel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4500 (2MB L2 Cache,2.20GHz,800 FSB)edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Ubuntu Linux version 7.10 with DVD Playbackedit
MEMORY2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMsedit
MONITOR19 inch SE198WFP Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Monitoredit
VIDEO CARDIntegrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100edit
HARD DRIVE250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™edit
OPTICAL DRIVE16X DVD+/-RW Driveedit
SOUND CARDIntegrated 7.1 Channel Audioedit
KEYBOARDDell USB Keyboardedit
MOUSEDell Entry Optical MouseeditAccessories
FLOPPY DRIVE AND MEDIA READERNo Floppy Drive Includededit
NETWORK INTERFACEIntegrated 10/100 Ethernetedit
SPEAKERSDell AX210 1.2W Speakersedit

Services & Software
SUPPORT SERVICES1 Year Limited Warranty plus 1 Year NBD On-Site Serviceedit

Also included with your system
Modem No Modem Option (nota mia: no tenia modem disponible para comprar)

I try to get answers to that difference with a Sales Rep and that'

13:11:25 System System
You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat
13:11:25 System System
Connected with LADHSDalila_Pineda
13:11:35 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Thank you for choosing Dell, Home Sales dept. My name is Dalila, how can i help you?
13:11:50 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Could you indicate me the country where you are located at this time
13:11:56 Customer Ricardo Rivera
Puerto Rico
13:12:10 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Thank you
13:12:15 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
How can i help you
13:13:15 Customer Ricardo Rivera
Why the Inspiron 530mt with Ubuntu OS is 100$ more than the same model with the same specifications with Windows Vista?
13:13:40 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Is a different OS, and each company sets their prices
13:13:55 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
so, actually, it's not so much up to us
13:14:05 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
is also up to Linux and Microsoft
13:14:44 Customer Ricardo Rivera
Canonical charge dell for the use of Ubuntu???
13:15:15 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Well. Dell has to buy the license to be able to sell it
13:16:02 Customer Ricardo Rivera
With Microsoft thats true but Canonical I believe thats not the case...
13:18:05 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
As far as i know, it has always been like that, but you might be right. Anyhow, the price is not set up by us, the sales agents, so the only thing we can imagine is: either there is a additional upgrade that you havent seen or is an extra charge for Linux. In both cases, the price is set up
13:18:10 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
and we cannot change it
13:22:48 Customer Ricardo Rivera
I know your limitations but I believe theres got to be an error.. In other models like laptops the diference in prices is 50$ close to the cost of a OEM License in Windows...
13:23:15 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
ok sir
13:23:20 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
provide me
13:23:20 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
the links
13:23:26 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
for both equipments
13:23:30 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
ok?
13:23:35 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
please
13:23:45 Customer Ricardo Rivera
Ok wait
13:24:16 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Thank you
13:24:25 Customer Ricardo Rivera
http://configure.la.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=pr&cs=prdhs1&l=en&oc=D530Ren&s=dhs
13:24:31 Customer Ricardo Rivera
Windows Vista Version
13:24:57 Customer Ricardo Rivera
http://configure.la.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=pr&cs=prdhs1&l=en&oc=D53UBen&s=dhs
13:25:01 Customer Ricardo Rivera
Ubuntu Version
13:25:41 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Allow me around 3 minutes to verify
13:25:41 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
ok?
13:25:46 Customer Ricardo Rivera
ok
13:26:21 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
ok, for start
13:26:32 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
as soon as you enter the configurations
13:26:37 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
you can see
13:27:12 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
that the one with Ubuntu is cheaper
13:27:18 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
it cost $399
13:27:27 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
and the one with Vista is
13:27:32 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
$599
13:27:57 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Both of them have different processor and different memory
13:29:17 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Maybe when you make changes the price raises more, but that's because the upgrades cost more than one the configuration already includes it
13:33:07 Customer Ricardo Rivera
Thats why i ask.... If I want a 530 mt with the same hardware in Ubuntu as in Windows why I have to pay more... Theres got to be a reason or maybe an official statement for that difference
13:33:43 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
No sir, ok, let me try to explain you some things, ok?
13:33:52 Customer Ricardo Rivera
ok
13:35:43 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
Thank you
13:36:13 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
ok, so, you see that the basic price is higher on th one with Vista, right?
13:36:33 Customer Ricardo Rivera
yes
13:37:49 Agent LADHSDalila_Pineda
ok, so
13:39:26 Customer Ricardo Rivera
ok let me ask..... Dell charge for the cost of customization?... because the basic model is mass produce....
13:39:36 Customer Ricardo Rivera
?
13:39:54 System System
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