Comment 544 for bug 1

"It is not a surprise that they also want to put a stamp on the Ubuntu desktop, and if we try and stop that, we are stepping on Dell's freedom."

If they wanted to rebrand the systems 'Dellbuntu' that would be different. This cheapens the name Ubuntu and mocks its core principles. It is also a step backwards; a proprietary Flash plugin and DVD player software are examples of exactly what Bug #1 is about:

"Non-free software is holding back innovation in the IT industry, restricting access to IT to a small part of the world's population and limiting the ability of software developers to reach their full potential, globally. This bug is widely evident in the PC industry."

Up until now, despite some annoyance I've had about the way Dell was going about handling its Ubuntu systems (including not selling them here in Canada ;), I planned to replace my current system with a Dell when it got older. But if they're going to pull games like this too, I'm going to reconsider.

I note that Mr. Shuttleworth has blogged about the proprietary DVD playback as a good thing: "the US patent landscape makes that impossible, so for the moment this requires proprietary software"

http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/133

Why does it have to be preinstalled though? Why can't users be given the option to download it like Real Player from Canonical's partner repository? If its not even gratis, that is a very slippery slope Dell is heading down indeed.

But arguments for 'legal' encrypted DVD playback aside, what justification is there for the preloaded proprietary Flash plugin?

Also I note in the comments to that post:

"Excellent news! Next step is audio and video codecs - mainly mp3, wmv and others."

What is there to stop Dell from including all sorts of non-free codecs and STILL calling it Ubuntu? At what point does Ubuntu slide down the slippery slope and the "Ubuntu promise" become a bad joke?