Ubuntu

Linux has been my primary OS for several years now. I haven’t run a version of Windows at home in over five years. I did continue to use Windows at work but only because no other options were offered. However, work is becoming increasingly Mac-friendly (thank you Vista) so I’ve recently been able to ditch Windows as a primary OS. These days I’m able to run Windows in Parallels on a MacBook Pro (screenshot above) and 24″ iMac – and then only when needed (which isn’t often). My computing time is significantly more productive with Apple hardware and software in the office.

Ubuntu is still my primary OS at home. I don’t expect that to change. Switching between Leopard and Ubuntu 8.04 feels virtually seamless to me. I’m generally happy and productive as long as I’m on some flavor of Unix but open source variants will always have the edge.

It’s a huge day for Linux fans and consumers looking for a powerful alternative to Windows Vista. The announcement was posted on Dell’s blog:

Dell is doing this because of your clear feedback in IdeaStorm. User dhart submitted this idea on February 16—the first day we launched IdeaStorm and it quickly became the #1 idea. Since then, about 30,000 community members weighed in to support it, and over 100,000 of you completed the Linux survey to tell us more.

…To the worldwide Linux community, I wanted to thank you for all your support. Linux-related posts are the three most viewed posts since we launched the blog back in July 2006. The Linux survey post and the Ubuntu 7.04 post are also the top two most commented blog entries as well—both received well over 500 comments. That makes it hard to keep up with comment moderation, but it’s a problem I love to have.

Thanks for giving us a chance to show what Dell 2.0 is about. While this is a milestone that a lot of us will remember, it’s just the beginning—plenty more to come.

You should be able to place your orders on Dell’s Ubuntu page after 4 PM CST this afternoon. Regular readers will know that I’ve used Ubuntu for years and that I’m an Ubuntu Member.

If you’re not familiar with Ubuntu and you’d like to see it in action there are hundreds of user created videos available at my Ubuntu Video site.

Ubuntu Resources:
Ubuntu
Ubuntu Video
The Fridge
Full Circle
Planet Ubuntu
Weekly Newsletter
Ubuntu Forums
Ubuntu Counter
Project Teams
Canonical
Launchpad
Ubuntu Foundation

Ubuntu @ Dell:
Forums
Support
Direct2Dell