If you guys haven't heard, dell is offering the E510n as a desktop pc that comes with no operating system installed, but a free copy of freedos that you can install. The idea being that you can install a free os of your choice.

that's fair enough. in fact the computer is really hard to find on their website and infact costs more than a simular pc with windows already installed. obviously dell doesn't want to do anything to hurt its relationship with m$. you can find out more at

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/10/06/dell_open_pc/

However i would really recommend that article not because of its implications for linux, but because if you go to page 3 there is the really funny transcript with ashlee and the quite obviously indian support person.

what's the deal. why do they have to pretent to be american, why does it matter.

and i really love the way ashlee keeps baiting her and the person keeps denying it.

EDIT:
hey. you know i just realised something. on this site here
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...c=DE510N&s=dhs
where the computer is being offered. you will see
FreeDOS™ included in the box, ready to install [Included in Price]

ok. that's fair enough. it probably only includes the cost of the media or some tiny fee. but then you go to cd-rw and dvd-rom drives and you read
All DVD Drives include Cyberlink PowerDVD LE. All CD-RW drives shown below include Sonic DigitalMedia. All DVD+RW drive shown below include Sonic DigitalMedia and MyDVD LE. XP Media Center Edition requires a DVD-ROM or DVD burner.

so you still have to pay for the cost of software that runs on windows, which is obviously completely useless to you if you use the computer in the way that dell had actually intended. Am I the only person who sees this.