In response to recent demand for Linux preinstallation, Dell plans to expand its Linux offerings. At the present time, Dell's Linux lineup is limited to three Dell Precision workstations which come with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and sell for the exact same price as the equivalent Windows-based systems. After conducting a survey to help determine the wants and needs of Linux users, Dell decided to expand its Linux lineup to include additional desktop and notebook systems.
Dell hasn't provided many details yet and, more importantly, hasn't addressed important questions like distribution selection and support options. It is possible that Dell's announcement is intended to show consumers that the company is giving serious consideration to public feedback while the relevant decisions are being made. According to Dell, more information will be made available within the next few weeks.
Citing support issues and the vast diversity of the Linux software ecosystem, I argued last month that Linux preinstallation on regular home consumer systems made little sense for Dell. Instead, I argued that Dell should focus on improving Linux compatibility in their regular consumer offerings and providing better support for large-scale Linux roll-outs for schools, companies, and public institutions—the market sectors where Linux provides the most value. Although I took some heat for the argument I made, it really is common sense, and it's not all that different from what other industry analysts are saying. In an editorial published earlier this week, Manek Dubash—TechWorld columnist and former editor-in-chief of the UK's PC Magazine—makes an argument virtually identical to the one I made last month.
It's important to note that Dell hasn't articulated the extent of its new Linux commitment. If the company does some math and decides that it just isn't profitable to do Linux preinstallation on a large scale, we will probably see little more than a few Dell Latitude laptops added to the Linux lineup. My guess is that Dell will either go with a token Latitude offering, or go all out by offering a limited selection of Dimension and Inspiron systems with optional third-party commercial support and a limited selection of distributions. In order to make Linux preinstallation worth more to end users than a simple compatibility guarantee, Dell will have to sell those Linux systems at a lower price than the equivalent Windows systems, which Dell doesn't do with its current Linux lineup.
Even if Dell succeeds in providing offerings that appeal to Linux enthusiasts like me, I still doubt that doing so will be particularly profitable any time in the immediate future, and I doubt that Dell will do much to make regular consumers more aware of its Linux offerings or the advantages of Linux. Dell's position on operating system value is relatively apparent to anyone who browses the company's web site. At the top of practically every page on the Dell web site (including the page where Dell sells its Linux-based Precision line) one can see text stating that "Dell recommends Windows Vista Business".
Linux preinstallation issues aside, Dell is already doing a few practical things that are beneficial to Linux users. In particular, Dell has acknowledged the importance of using GPL-licensed drivers and working with the Linux kernel community to ensure that Dell hardware provides better Linux compatibility regardless of which distributions Dell decides to make available to end users.
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