So Dell, is Ubuntu safer than Windows or not?

[Simon]

Dell appears to be back-tracking on a claim made on its website that Ubuntu is safer than Windows.

The PC maker's website contained a page listing the "top 10 things you should know about Ubuntu". At number six was the eyebrow-raising claim that "Ubuntu is safer than Windows".

"The vast majority of viruses and spyware written by hackers are not designed to target and attack Linux," Dell stated to back up its claim.

Dell's proclamation was immediately picked up on by bloggers and news aggregators such as Digg.com, no doubt attracting the attention of Microsoft's PR machine.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/security/358714/so-dell-is-ubuntu-safer-than-windows-or-not

[Steve]

I wonder why they've removed the statement re safety as its essentially true,worried about their relationship with MS I wonder?

[Simon]

Quite possibly, Steve.

[Niall]

Dell are morons

A friend of mine that builds and hosts websites just got a laptop through them, and while I forget which laptop it is I can remember it's one that supports touch screen with windows7 (although her model doesn't have that as she didn't need it). They upgraded her to this after the previous one failed within an unacceptably short period, then this one failed and they came out, tinkered and said they'd fixed it. It turns out they hadn't fixed it, they'd made it worse so they had to get a part that wasn't in stock. 2 weeks later they had the part (how can you not have parts for something you actively provide support for?) and came to fit it. They fitted it and damaged the casing around the keyboard (which they wouldn't need to touch), broke the DVD drive so the bay wobbled and didn't read disks, and actually completely broke the rear panel they'd come to repair!

3 days later after she called support to share her utter disdain, they brought a new laptop, delivered by the very same 'support technician' who never even apologised for causing the whole problem in the first place.

Avoid Dell is my opinion, especially in the Wrexham area if the cover is regional!

[john]

Fortunately I've never needed to use Dell's service department but all my machines have been Dell's and they've been fine.

[Glenn]

There again at work, we brought 450 Dell D610 & D620 from Dell 5 years ago, apporximately 10% of the D610's have had systemboard changes for power switch failures. But the D620's, I think, only 1 has had a problem, it's a great machine.

[pctech]

About 4 years agp I ordered one of their flagship XPS gaming rigs.

First one arriuved bashed up and when I turned it on it sounded as though it was about to die and their own diagnostic software was throwing up a thermal warning so rejected it.

Second two replacements did not reach me as were damaged in transit but noone phoned to tell me, had to chase the couriers.

Wouldn't touch Dell with a barge pole, disinfected or not.

Michael Dell owes me for three wasted days off thanks to his useless company.

[Gary]

I ordered a dell years ago it never actually got to me, it remained lost in transport, that was an xps system, they kept saing have it for less money, a great idea except no one knew where it was  My mothers dell has been fault less for 4 years. From what I know I do not think reliability are used much in the same sentence these days, they really have gone down hill, and the XPS line, it looks awful, they really have shot themselves in the foot, and the price of the Dell Alienware machines are a joke considering the reviews show them to more faulty a DFS salesmans ethics.

[pctech]

I think the move to Aluminium casing was a good idea (My Mesh has an aluminium case) but I think they use cheap components so its not a surprise reliability is so bad.