Mozilla is investigating why Dell is charging to install Firefox
thenextweb.com
thenextweb.com
Dell needs to weigh the gain of a small amount of money with the price of losing their integrity and consumer trust.
Don't worry though, they'd be happy to work on your "slow" computer if you purchase the support add-on.
"No less than a dozen Dell utilities" - you mean, like to customize LED colors, change function key behavior?
In the immortal words of Ellen Ripley: Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.
First thing I did was installing Ubuntu, though. Same as my desktop Dell.
PS: It's the only computer that gets WiFi while all others find it too weak of a signal. I'm online while all my friends shut their laptops.
4 years ago wasn't that long ago, I hope nothing has changed...
Not really, I can think of a use case where an office has a policy that requires everyone to be using Firefox. Now, say they need to buy a hundred new PCs from Dell. Wouldn't it be time consuming and costly to install Firefox on each PC one by one? In this case, paying for this service could make sense.
Obviously there was a good deal of trust required there, but for organizations with moderately sized computer orders (10 to 300 typically) but small IT staffs, it made a lot of sense. Larger schools typically requested the machines with clean images which would be promptly wiped by their staff.
And likely has PCs with this image ready to go.
Specifically the "By not charging, we mean the Mozilla product must be without cost and its distribution (whether by download or other media) may not be subject to a fee" part.
In this case, the process of ensuring that a functioning version of Firefox resides on the machine involves:
1. Transferring the Firefox software to the machine
2. Explicitly preparing the machine so that the Firefox software can be run (in this case, installing Firefox)
The Policy only applies to the first item. No part of the policy refers to the second action, and it's fair game for Dell to charge a fee for the labor associated with installing the software (they cannot, of course, charge a fee for the part of the process where the software is distributed to the machine).
If this sounds like nitpicking, welcome to the world of law
Note that I'm not arguing about the spirit of the actions, but merely about whether Mozilla actually has a case here
I accept that the law can be entirely arbitrary and based on tiny technicalities, but it seems like Dell's in the wrong here to me.
> This License does not grant any rights in the trademarks, service marks, or logos of any Contributor
This is unfortunately worded in Dell's favour, as any trademark policy from Mozilla will stand independently from the license. Furthermore, Dell is allowed to use Mozilla's trademark in a fair way, regardless of what their own policies say.
Lawyer goes to mozilla.com, clicks Download. “By the plaintiff’s interpretation, as they have distributed the product to me, I now have an installed Firefox. Let’s go to the Start Menu and attempt to run it. Wait, hmm, I see no menu icons. Let’s look on the filesystem. Hmm, no folder. Oh, I see, there’s this additional step beyond distribution that I have to take to be able to use the product. What’s that additional step called? Installation. What do we call it when someone does something for us so that we don’t have to do it? A Service. Thank you, Your Hono(u)r (this is the UK after all, though it’d be M’Lord).”
Might be dick-ish (subjectively). But the Mozilla claims that it’s clearly not allowed by their license or trademark (which implies no association), and the repetition of same by the article (and by numerous in the peanut gallery online) does not make it so - Dell’s response is correct.
It's pretty clear (to me - IANAL) that Dell is using Mozilla's trademark without their permission. If they called it Open Source Pre-Install Service, and explained that it includes Mozilla Firefox and some other software, I think it would be fine.
https://tldrlegal.com/license/mozilla-public-license-2.0-%28...
Granted, I think charging $18 to install a browser is entirely dickish behavior, but the legal nuances of ‘distribution’ versus ‘installation’ are neither subtle nor vague.
Dell also has a program for large enough IT departments where they'll use a buyer-provided disk image at the factory so machines can be deployed right out of the box.
> ...the Mozilla product must be without cost and its distribution (whether by download or other media) may not be ... tied to subscribing to or purchasing a service
http://www.geeksquad.com/services/computers-networking/softw...
So prices are almost identical and actually you could say Geeksquad has the better deal because they say they will install any software ("3-D imaging" programs and such which could have an install that is actually more involved than hitting next 4 times).
Realistically, though, the cost of the service wasn't my point. Rather, it's that paying someone to install software for you is not unprecedented and completely legal. It may be a loophole that toes the line, sure, but toeing the line is not equivalent to crossing it.
On the other hand, this charging practice is ridiculous. I can understand some people are not technical at all (espeically the elders and new computer users), but come on, this is a ripe off. If you already created a custom image to load into every hard drive you sell to your customer, modify that image by adding Firefox. How much effort is that, Dell?
edit: Does Dell's installation bundles with third-party addons? Remember the old toolbar spam? It would be interesting one day Dell decides to sell Tor installation service.
When the software comes with the computer, you can turn around and complain to Dell about the software. There is someone you can call, and generally it's rolled into the phone support contract.
When the software is installed afterwards, you don't have the same ease of complaining. Dell can argue that Firefox somehow messed up your computer.
That is a convenience many people are willing to pay for. Whether they would pay the 16£ is a different question
Sure, but who's next on this service installation? I also want to make an analogy of asking Dell to upgrade 2GB to 4GB or to 8GB. I don't know how much an upgrade cost now, but a few years back it was about $20-$40? It was worth it to upgrade a hardware, not quite sure how it plays out asking Dell to install Firefox at ~$27 USD. Also consider Firefox upgrades every few months; things going to break, I don't know if Dell is ready to do GOOD support, or just one of those "have you tried power off and restart your computer?" This is also something Mozilla might need to look at as SUMO can get pretty overwhelming. The web is sometimes too technical to debug :(
Start command prompt. Enter
ftp ftp.mozilla.org
ftp
ftp
cd /pub/firefox/releases/latest/win32/en-US/
get "Firefox Setup 27.0.1.exe"
To remove the contention, Dell should make the fee appear for "additional software" even though FF is the only option. This will make it clear you are paying for the installation of additional software and not FF directly. And when they add another piece of additional software, I fully expect Dell won't include a separate charge since it's for "changing the stock image".
On a side note, is this not automated? Is the installation of FF really done by a human? And if not, how is this different than a Ticketmaster-esque because-we-can fee?
For one thing you aren't blocked from downloading and using Firefox if you don't purchase the installation option through Dell.
> “Dell Configuration Services, including the application loading service, ensure customers have a complete, ready to use product when it arrives,”
How do they not get it this badly? Customers expect a complete and usable product just by purchasing it. Paying extra to ensure it is "ready and usable," is nonsense. Is this really what Dell thinks their customers want?
(And in the end, isn't it just choosing a different disk image in their configuration system? Hardly a 'service.')
I would want Dell to sell me a computer that they would be happy and proud to use themselves. Not try to fill up my shopping cart with optional extras, deals, and crap.