Dell will start selling computers with Ubuntu-Linux this month. According to Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth, there is no room for Windows emulators: the impression that Ubuntu is a cheap Windows replacement should be avoided, according to him.
Dell customers recently made it clear on the company’s IdeaStorm website that they want to be able to ship not only Windows, but also Linux with their computers. Therefore, from the end of May, certain XPS and Essential Dimension desktop machines and an Inspiron e-series laptop will be able to choose Ubuntu as the operating system. According to Shuttleworth, it’s great that an alternative to Windows is offered, but customers shouldn’t think that Ubuntu is a cheap copy of Windows: “Linux has its own strengths, and users should choose Ubuntu because of those strengths.” Software as Wine will therefore not be included. According to Shuttleworth, software that runs Windows applications under Linux can only play a role in migration processes. Virtualization software such as Xen, VMware or KVM is more obvious, although the Ubuntu foreman warned that a Dell with an Ubuntu-and-Windows installation is unlikely to happen due to ‘contractual obstacles’.
Shuttleworth said that he thinks Linux is not yet suitable for the masses, but he nevertheless sees Dell’s decision as a milestone in the development of the open source operating system. One of the biggest problems for Linux distros is hardware compatibility, and Dell has guaranteed that the machines running Ubuntu will have a complete set of good drivers. According to Shuttleworth, manufacturers must be convinced that they should provide better Linux support, and the empowered consumer would play a major role in this: “While we are very honored that Dell is starting with Ubuntu, I am convinced that other distros will also will reap the benefits of this collaboration.’
Shuttleworth doesn’t expect huge numbers of Dell computers to be equipped with Ubuntu any time soon, but the publicity certainly makes up for a lot. Perhaps even more importantly, customers no longer have to go to two different suppliers for their hardware and software requirements: the purchase of a Linux machine is now just as accessible to everyone as buying a ready-to-use Windows machine. box. The Ubuntu leader was therefore optimistic: ‘There was a time when the industry – especially Microsoft – looked down on Linux servers, and now look at it. Linux for the desktop will go through the same development, not even because the technology is slightly different from Windows, but mainly because the business model of Linux is different. The cooperation with Dell shows what is possible, although of course money has to be made in the end. If we can arrange things properly from a business point of view, Microsoft will get a good deal out of us.’