Dell backs Ubuntu
Dell makes PCs for consumers. The company that made its name selling directly from its website, doesn’t claim to be on the bleeding edge of PC hardware but if consumers want it, Dell will deliver it. So it’s unsurprising that in the main Dell has always supplied PCs equipped with Microsoft’s Windows.
It was a little surprising when Dell recently set up a dedicated sub-section on its site for Ubuntu Linux. Even more surprising was that the microsite listed, in detail, why Dell thought Ubuntu was a big deal. The one that stood out for most users was that the site said that Ubuntu was “more secure” than Windows.
That statement wasn’t up for long in that form, however, and was quickly replaced with a more generic message that “Ubuntu is secure”. Undoubtedly someone at Microsoft, as soon as the information hit the web, called up Dell to remind them exactly who it was that they were insulting. And no doubt someone’s job at Dell came perilously close to being over.
As it now stands the page has remained in that form but is one of just a few examples of how Dell is increasingly pushing Ubuntu Linux on its PCs.
Also on that page is a table listing the features of Ubuntu, things like “listen to music”, “create office documents” and so on. What you won’t see is the version that was previously there. That version directly compared Windows to Ubuntu Linux and, with the exception of Microsoft Office, all the boxes were ticked. Again, that has been now been removed and replaced with the one that doesn’t compare Ubuntu to Windows.
On the other hand Dell has also created an advert for Ubuntu Linux running on its hardware. The advert appears not to have been aired on public channels, but it is getting attention online. The advert is an impressive showcase for of the capabilities of Ubuntu’s Netbook Remix edition, a customised version for netbook PCs.
All told, Dell appears to be throwing more and more of its weight behind Ubuntu Linux.
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