Free Yoga as in Free Speech not as in Free Beer

My friend and fellow yogi, Evan, posted on the Cultivate Yoga Instagram account the following about the offerings we have at the Cultivate Yoga Space, our yoga studio:

At Cultivate, FREE YOGA does not only apply in the financial realm and how we have chosen to share our offerings to the community within a gift-based model. FREE YOGA also means that the yoga we offer is free from the constraints of western practices and eastern philosophies. FREE YOGA means we recognize that a true yoga practice is eternally evolving, perpetually in motion and is unique to each and every one of our students. FREE YOGA means that we recognize every student who chooses to practice with us is on their own journey and it is our most sacred duty to create space that will allow for that journey to flow freely with space for infinite exploration. FREE YOGA means that every one of our teachers holds the freedom to completely be themselves and show up how they need to on any given day for themselves and our students. FREE YOGA means that each class we offer is unique, each student we serve is unique and each teacher who serves with us is unique - and when all of these elements align in their authenticity, an infinite FREEDOM occurs. This is FREE YOGA. Click on the link in our bio to learn more about our gift-based model.

I Lied, Dell Didn't Flip Flop

They didn't flip flop, they just hid it. This page doesn't indicate anything about Ubuntu when you click on of the systems except for the $349 one. Hence, if you click on the Mini 10v on that page, you do not have the option to swap out windows for Ubuntu. Hence I thought that is was no longer an option.

My daughter, concerned that she wasn't going to get her favored Ubuntu netbook did some more digging. And sure enough, it's not that they don't sell it, they just hide it. Well, I guess hiding it isn't even right. It all depends on how you navigate the site. If you go to their laptops page and only select minibooks in the left hand navigation box, you get this page which does show the ubuntu version.

Clearly this is a marketing thing. They don't want to sell ubuntu (or Microsoft doesn't want them to) is one way of looking at it. Based on my experience with Dell I tend to take that view. It's always hard to find linux boxen even though they are there. But more likely, really, is that most consumers would be confused since they don't know what Ubuntu even is.

But here's the thing - the Mini 10v is a Mini 10V and you can customize it to your delight. With the exception of the operating system depending on which one you find first. Wouldn't it just make sense to make the operating system customizable? Or at least a link to the other system? For what it's worth, you can't select windows if you happen to start with the Ubuntu system.

I now remember why this will be this family's first dell ever. It's just too hard to by a non-windows system even though they offer it.

Suffice it to say though, my daughter is relieved that they do sell the Mini 10v with Ubuntu and is excited to get hers.

Dell Does A Flip Flop - Windows Cheaper than Ubuntu Netbook

I'm amazed. A few weeks ago I was looking at getting a netbook from Dell, largely because we get an employee discount. Not much of a discount, but a discount. So I login again today since my daughter wants to buy one. One with Ubuntu on it, not Windows. Her choice, not mine - though if you know me, you'd know Ubuntu would be my choice as well.

When I originally saved my cart (cool little feature there on Dell's site), I had selected a Mini 10v, which came with Ubuntu. And it cost $299. The Windows netbooks were like $50 more. So imagine my suprise when I go back today and the Mini 10v is only available with Windows on it, and the Ubuntu version now costs what the Windows version did previously, $349.

No explanation, no nothing. You just can't order the Mini 10v with Ubuntu on it anymore. You only have the option of Windows XP SP3. Which is surprising to me since we all know that Microsoft has been waffling back and forth as to when XP is going to hit the junk heap.

I would be absolutely fascinated with Dell's explanation of this flip flop. The only change in the configuration is the OS. What made Ubuntu, a free and free of charge OS all of a sudden $50 more expensive than an operating system that costs money?

Maybe I need to go back and consider Asus again. But that will be for my next one. We did order the Mini 10v that was saved in my cart. We'll see what actually shows up.