San Francisco - In a sign of a growing challenge to Microsoft, Dell is to offer consumers computers that come preloaded with the open source Linux operating system, the world's number two computer maker said Tuesday. Dell has long offered business Linux-based computers. But the announcement marks the first time that a major computer manufacturer has offered the technology on laptops and desktops designed for consumer use.
The computers will use a version of Linux called Ubuntu and will be available by the end of the month. With companies like Google offering web-based applications that compete with Microsoft's most popular programmes, the move by Dell offers consumers an unprecedented opportunity to run a full-featured laptop without using any products from the world's largest software maker.
Microsoft's Windows operating system runs over 90 per cent of the world's personal computers.
"There is growing demand for Linux in the desktop and notebook space, and we believe that there will be positive response to our efforts," Dell spokesman Jeremy Bolen told eWeek magazine. "In addition, we are seeing the overall ecosystem evolve with enhanced operating systems and applications that make Linux more appealing than ever."
