Dell to Install Linux

Dell

Dell posted two very interesting articles on their corporate blog yesterday.

The first one sets out their firm commitment to finally install Linux on their consumer laptops and desktops. This is a very big deal because it will allow normal, everyday computer users to finally get their hands on working Linux machines without the assistance of a geek friend. It’s also a big deal because other hardware manufacturers will have to sit up and take notice now that one of the biggest players in the market have shown their hand.

This will have the knock on effect that manufacturers who supply Dell with parts for their machines will now need to ensure that the parts ship with Open Source drivers. Which leads us on to the second Dell post from yesterday. The post is titled “Linux: Driver Support is Key”, and that is basically what they are saying, which is very good indeed. This means that Dell are taking steps to ensure that all the drivers necessary to run their machines are available from the Linux Kernel, which means that any Linux distribution that uses the latest Kernels will work with Dell hardware. Not just the distributions that Dell decided to offer pre-installed.

This all adds up to a tipping point for Linux – and also demonstrates that even large American corporations can get a clue if they listen to their customers. What is really compelling for me is that Dell recently topped the Greenpeace chart of environmentally responsible computer manufacturers. So we have eco-friendly hardware married to philosophically and technically superior software.

Where do I sign?

Posted on Mar 29, 10:16 am by treb0r

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