Cost difference (Score 1)

E1505 systems with either Ubuntu or Vista. A couple things to note: the Ubuntu laptop comes with an nvidia video card, ati for the Vista system. I bumped the ram, proc, and battery on both systems (still the same for both). The Vista system "wins" by $25. I did this rather quickly, so I may have missed something (coat + Vista - crapware = $25 less?).

Ubuntu system ($867):

My Components
PROCESSOR Intel® Core(TM) processor DUO processor T2350 2MB Cache/1.86GHz
OPERATING SYSTEM Ubuntu Edition version 7.04
LCD PANEL 15.4 inch UltraSharp(TM) Wide Screen WXGA+ Display with TrueLife(TM)
MEMORY 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz, 2 Dimm
HARD DRIVE 80GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drive
OPTICAL DIVE 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
VIDEO CARD 256MB NVIDIA® GeForce® Go 7300 TurboCache(TM)
My Accessories
BATTERY OPTIONS 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
WIRELESS CARDS Intel PRO/Wireless 3945a/g
My Service
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 1Yr Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service
ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONS Free Recycling Kit
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
SOUND OPTIONS Integrated Audio
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor

Microsoft Vista System ($842):

My Components
PROCESSOR Intel® Core(TM) DUO T2350 (1.86GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 533MHz FSB)
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista(TM) Home Basic
LCD PANEL 15.4 inch Wide Screen XGA Display with TrueLife(TM)(glossy)
MEMORY 1GB DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHZ, 2 DIMM
HARD DRIVE 80GB SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
OPTICAL DRIVE 24X CD Burner/DVD Combo Drive
VIDEO CARD 256MB ATI MOBILITY(TM) RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory(TM)
SOUND OPTIONS Integrated Audio
My Accessories
BATTERY OPTIONS 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
WIRELESS CARDS Intel PRO/Wireless 3945a/g
My Software
PRODUCTIVITY Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD

My Service
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 1Yr Ltd Warranty and Mail-In Service
GETTING-STARTED HELP No Dell On Call
DIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS 6 Months America Online Internet Access Included
ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONS Free Recycling Kit
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Network Card and Modem Integrated 10/100 Network Card and Modem
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 7.0
Miscellaneous E1505 Dual Core
Processor Branding Intel Centrino Core Duo Processor
Labels Windows Vista(TM) Basic