Tech Center Current

Has Linux, the free alternative to Microsoft Windows, finally hit mainstream? Dell seems to think so, as they have recently announced plans to offer Ubuntu, a popular Linux setup, preinstalled on select home desktop and laptop computers.

The decision came in response to the Dell IdeaStorm public brainstorming results which showed an alarmingly high demand for Dell machines fit with the free Linux operating system. On this site, which allows the public to propose and vote on ideas for Dell’s future direction, the proposal to offer Linux preinstalled has come out as the most popular idea by a large margin, followed by proposals to include other popular open source applications like Firefox and OpenOffice.

Dell’s decision may be a hint that Linux is finally ready for mainstream consumption. Linux desktops today offer all of the same types of software available on Windows, including web browsers, e-mail applications, office suites, music and video players, and so on. Linux typically offers all of these programs completely free of charge with no strings attached, as part of open source development. For advanced users, there is even a tool called Wine which allows you to run most Windows programs natively on Linux.

Microsoft’s recently released Windows Vista has been met with an overall lukewarm response, with most upgrades coming simply from new computer purchases. Meanwhile, the recently released Ubuntu 7.04 (also known as Ubuntu Feisty Fawn) has been received with considerable fanfare in regard to its ease of use, rock-solid stability, hardware compatibility, and newly added graphical effects similar to those in Windows Vista and Mac OS X. New versions of Ubuntu are released twice a year, with their version numbers indicating the year and month of the release (the next version will be 7.10, released October 2007).

Ubuntu is just one of many Linux setups (called “distributions” or “distros”), but it has grown to be by far the most popular community distro around. Michael Dell, the CEO of Dell, uses Ubuntu on his home desktop. The French Parliament has announced plans to standardize on Ubuntu by June 2007. Linux in general has become increasingly popular among governments and the military due to its security, stability, low-to-no cost, and increasing ease of use, and distros like Ubuntu have now started to make their way to the average user.

By offering a free operating system with a suite of free applications, these Dell computers will likely cost considerably less than typical computers. People who simply use a computer for common daily tasks like web browsing, e-mail, word processing, etc. will likely be able to settle into Ubuntu with no trouble. Many popular free applications for Windows, including Firefox and OpenOffice, are available just the same on Linux. Although gamers might not find some of their favorite titles available on Linux, the popular ones like World of Warcraft can usually be run using Wine. There is also a paid spin-off of Wine called Cedega which supports many more games.

For more information about Ubuntu, including instructions to install it for free, see the Ubuntu product page.