Dell to Sell Computers Preloaded with Linux

Dell Computer on Friday said that after collecting close to 2,000 customer suggestions, the company is taking the recommendations to heart and will soon be selling a brand-new line of computers, fully certified and pre-loaded with Linux.

The Dell IdeaStorm Website, started on February 16 by newly-returned CEO Michael Dell, was part of a company effort to increase sales and financial performance after several slow quarters.

"It's exciting to see the IdeaStorm community's interest in open-source solutions like Linux and OpenOffice," the company said in a post on Dell.com. "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."

While Dell will initially be using a version of Linux from Novell, Dell has said it will look into possible certifications with other varieties of the open source Linux operating system.

"I think it would be very worthwhile for Dell, said Jon Hall, executive director of Linux International. "It's always better when a manufacturer works with software vendors ... That's what makes a good combination."

Hall feels it may be right for Dell to release a Linux computer, even though an earlier Linux machine didn't sell as well as had been hoped. The open source advocate feels conditions are better for a second attempt.

"Today, with several good Linux desktop distributions like Ubuntu, Red Hat and Novell SuSE, [the tide is] turning -- particularly with people who are a little dissatisfied with Vista and its minimum hardware requirements."

While Eric S. Raymond, president of the The Open Source Initiative, admits that some feel the postings demanding a Linux laptop are nothing more than Linux "zealots stuffing the IdeaStorm ballot box," he does not think that is the case.