[wellylug] Linux desktop from Dell

[Brent Wood]

FYI....

Dell's recent IdeaStorm website, where customers were asked what they'd like
Dell to be providing, came out with much demand for Linux preinstalled & a
hardware only option. Most have felt pretty cynical aboud Dell's interest in
following through with this, but this response from Dell suggests things look
positive.

Cheers

  Brent 

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Linux Options
It’s exciting to see the IdeaStorm community’s interest in open source
solutions like Linux and OpenOffice. Your feedback has been all about
flexibility and we have seen a consistent request to provide platforms that
allow people to install their operating system of choice. We are listening, and
as a result, we are working with Novell to certify our corporate client
products for Linux, including our OptiPlex desktops, Latitude notebooks and
Dell Precision workstations. This is another step towards ensuring that our
customers have a good experience with Linux on our systems.

As this community knows, there is no single customer preference for a
distribution of Linux. In the last week, the IdeaStorm community suggested more
than half a dozen distributions. We don't want to pick one distribution and
alienate users with a preference for another. We want users to have the
opportunity to help define the market for Linux on desktop and notebook
systems. In addition to working with Novell, we are also working with other
distributors and evaluating the possibility of additional certifications across
our product line. We are continuing to investigate your other Linux-related
ideas, so please continue to check here for updates.

To read about the recent addition of Latitude notebooks to our n-series family,
read Direct2Dell from one of Dell’s Linux solution architects, or visit
www.dell.com/linux and www.dell.com/nseries.

No Extra Software Option
Dell recognizes our customers’ desire to have unlimited control over the
software on their PC. In fact, today XPS customers can opt-out of almost all
preinstalled software. We will be expanding this effort in the coming months.
In addition to focusing on the software installation process, Dell has also
taken steps to make it easier for customers to remove software once they
receive their PC. Today, customers can kick-off an un-install of almost any
application by declining the EULA (End User Licensing Agreement) associated
with software.

Additionally, the consolidated desktop folders provide a link to add/remove
programs to facilitate easy software removal. We plan on increasing the degree
of customer control moving forward, allowing customers to more quickly select
software they want to remove and facilitate simple un-installation. Thanks for
your feedback and suggestions in this area.