Dell to use Ubuntu Linux for Dell Desktops, Notebooks
Some days back, Dell had been conducting user surveys on Dell’s popular customer forum IdeaStorm. One opinion that vehemently overpowered(more than 70%) every other opinions was pre-installation of Linux OSes on Dell Desktops and Notebooks. Participants even said that they are willing to use Linux if it is pre-installed. Dell received more than 100,000 responses in the survey that ended on March 23.
Dell has been on a landslide for some time, with eroding of profits and the like. Michael Dell returned to put an end to this. According to them, this survey is an important move on their part to stop this loss-making. Dell has decided that Ubuntu Linux is their way forward. Ubuntu is one of the most popular flavour of Linux, Fedora being another of them. And guess who has the biggest frown?
Dell has not disclosed whether Linux-loaded computers will be more expensive. But Dell would probably pass on some of their savings from OS costs to their customers.
Experts say that customer response to Linux will not be warm. The lack of availability of the familiar Windows-based software on Linux will still turn off most customers(I know, I’m one of them!). They think that this move is more of a PR-related initiative.
Linux mostly appeals to the those office and home users, who don’t need much more than office software like word processor, presentation software and the like, and music and video players. The saving of a few hundred dollars with practically no difference in their usage is very attractive.
Dell signs agreement with Microsoft and Novell — TechZilo said on July 19th, 2007
[...] that Novell and Microsoft had formed last year to make it Windows and Ubuntu work together. Dell had announced they would use Ubuntu for their computers. Dell seems to be going the Linux way more now. [...]