| Dell to add Linux-certified desktops, laptops |
Feb. 26, 2007
The public spoke and said, "We want a Linux desktop," and Dell listened. On Feb. 23, the company announced that, as a result of "the community's interest in open source solutions like Linux and OpenOffice..., we are working with Novell to certify our corporate client products for Linux..."
This will include "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," the company continued.
Thus, we can soon expect to see Novell's SLED 10 (SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) as an option on Dell's business desktop lines. This is no real surprise, since Novell and Dell have been slowly working together on Linux desktop projects. For example, the two have been working together on device drivers.
On the consumer side, Dell reported that "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."
This is no real change from Dell's previous position. In a DesktopLinux.com interview with Dell CEO Michael Dell last year, Mr. Dell said, "People are always asking us to support Linux on the desktop, but the question is: 'Which Linux are you talking about?'," Dell asked.
"If we say we like Ubuntu, then people will say we picked the wrong one. If we say we like and support Ubuntu, Novell, Red Hat, and Xandros, then someone would ask us, 'Why don't you support Mandriva? The challenge we have with picking one is that we think we'd disenchant the other distributions' supporters," he added.
That said, in 2007, Dell, the company, is adding its Latitude notebooks to its n-Series lineup. Dell's n-Series products ship without an operating system pre-installed. Dell will now offer its Latitude D420, D520, D620, and D820 laptops in this manner.
As Matt Domsch, a Dell Linux solution architect, reminds possible Dell Linux users, though, "As with other n-Series products, Dell hasn't tested any particular Linux distribution and doesn't offer software support for running Linux on these, so we encourage you to join our Linux mailing lists and to use ... your chosen distribution for community-based support."
Will Dell make a firmer commitment to Linux? While the page announcing this news bears the tagline at the top: "Dell recommends Windows Vista Business," the section on Linux ends, "We are continuing to investigate your other Linux-related ideas, so please continue to check here for updates."
-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
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